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The modern term "holiday" is derived from "holy day".

The modern term "holiday" is derived from "holy day".

The [[Bible|Biblical]] [[Holy Days]] identified in the Hebrew [[Bible]], (also called '''feasts''' or '''festivals''') occur during those times of the year around the world equating to the early-[[spring]] [[harvest]], late-spring harvest and early-[[autumn]] harvest in [[Israel]].<ref>''What these Holy Days reveal'' [http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/HD/ "God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise for All Mankind"] United Church of God. Accessed 17 February 2008</ref> God had commanded seven feasts in Old Testament times, prior to the coming of the Messiah. The themes stressed these days portray [[God|God's]] spiritual harvest of mankind to eternal life as spoken of by [[Jesus Christ]] in [[John]] 4:35-38.<ref>[[King James Version]]http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%204:35-38;&version=9; BibleGateway]</ref>

The [[Bible|Biblical]] '''Holy Days''' identified in the Hebrew [[Bible]], (also called '''feasts''' or '''festivals''') occur during those times of the year around the world equating to the early-[[spring]] [[harvest]], late-spring harvest and early-[[autumn]] harvest in [[Israel]].<ref>''What these Holy Days reveal'' [http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/HD/ "God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise for All Mankind"] United Church of God. Accessed 17 February 2008</ref> God had commanded seven feasts in Old Testament times, prior to the coming of the Messiah. The themes stressed these days portray [[God|God's]] spiritual harvest of mankind to eternal life as spoken of by [[Jesus Christ]] in [[John]] 4:35-38.<ref>[[King James Version]]http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%204:35-38;&version=9; BibleGateway]</ref>

The great majority of Christian denominations, however, celebrate Holy Days that recall events from the [[New Testament]], such as as [[Easter]] and [[Christmas]], even though the exact dates of the events memorialized are not known and the observance of them is nowhere commanded in the Bible. Very few Christian churches have retained the festivals that are described in the books of the [[Old Testament]], but the churches that descend from the former Worldwide Church of God founded by Herbert W. Armstrong in the twentieth century are known for calling upon Bible-believers to resume the observance of them. While they consider these [[Hebrew]] Holy Days to be eternal and obligatory, most Christian churches believe them to have been superceded by the work of Christ and the founding by him of his own church with its own standards.<ref>Somerville, Robert [http://www.awarenessministry.org/whyceleb.htm "Why Christians Celebrate Biblical Memorial Days"] Awareness Ministry. Accessed 17 February 2008</ref>

The great majority of Christian denominations, however, celebrate Holy Days that recall events from the [[New Testament]], such as as [[Easter]] and [[Christmas]], even though the exact dates of the events memorialized are not known and the observance of them is nowhere commanded in the Bible. Very few Christian churches have retained the festivals that are described in the books of the [[Old Testament]], but the churches that descend from the former Worldwide Church of God founded by Herbert W. Armstrong in the twentieth century are known for calling upon Bible-believers to resume the observance of them. While they consider these [[Hebrew]] Holy Days to be eternal and obligatory, most Christian churches believe them to have been superceded by the work of Christ and the founding by him of his own church with its own standards.<ref>Somerville, Robert [http://www.awarenessministry.org/whyceleb.htm "Why Christians Celebrate Biblical Memorial Days"] Awareness Ministry. Accessed 17 February 2008</ref>