Is Easter Pagan?
A few years ago I first saw an infographic running around Facebook about Easter and its “pagan origins”. I was intrigued by this accusation. I knew that it often came from Messianic and Hebraic Roots communities, but since I try to entertain other views, I did some serious digging.
How Our Family Celebrates Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and like All Saints Day, we like to celebrate this small holiday in a way which connects to its church history. Though we no longer have access to much history of Saint Valentine (who was likely a conglomeration of more than one person by that name), the church legends associated with him grant much greater meaning to this holiday than the commercialized version would have you know.
How Our Family Celebrates All Saints Day
All Saints Day was first instituted in 735 AD by Pope Gregory IV, who moved the date from its previous observance in May to its new date of November 1st. This day was meant to celebrate the martyrs, and most likely emerged in the first few centuries after the Diocletian persecution of the church (which came before Constantine legalized Christianity in the 300s). The “saints” were (and are) believers in Christ and/or martyrs for the faith.
The Ultimate Toddler Advent Plan
We are in that awkward stage of marriage where the holidays are no longer the “free and easy” of our dating days, when events could be attended without coordinating a babysitter. But we’re not quite to the stage of parenting where our girls can really engage with the holiday, either. But I don’t want to wait until our girls are older to start making family traditions and enjoying the Christmas season.