The Babylonian system depicted in Revelation 17 rules over the kings and kingdoms of the earth, intending to change times and law, which is evident in this world's holidays. This present world system has attempted to alter God's Sabbath and holy days, syncretizing them into corrupt worship and establishing counterfeit holidays rooted in pagan practices. These pagan holidays, such as New Year's Eve, Lent, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas, though not directly named in the Bible, have origins mentioned as abominations to God. Most of these celebrations are based on fables, myths, and lies, which stand in opposition to worshipping God in spirit and truth. Participation in such worldly celebrations condones and supports activities contrary to God's way, aligning with Satan's ploys to obscure God's plan for mankind. The Bible emphasizes avoiding and turning away from the ways of this world, including its pagan religious practices, to prevent their infiltration into the church of God.

Many customs and traditions of Christmas have pagan origins, a fact that cannot be denied. The date of December 25 sits right in the middle of the pagan Saturnalia, which Roman Christianity adopted from paganism for its own purposes, just as it accepted and syncretized numerous other pagan customs from various peoples to bring them into their fold. Some defend the celebration by arguing that the pagan roots are so far removed that the present meaning no longer carries the pagan connotation, suggesting that holidays can be taken, sanctified, and made meaningful in a new way to honor Christ. However, this acceptance of pagan customs and traditions overlooks the lack of authority to sanctify or redeem such practices for a different purpose.

The celebration of New Year's Eve, often overlooked, carries deep pagan roots. Many customs associated with this event stem from ancient practices that have been adapted over time. These traditions, far removed from any divine instruction, include counting down the last seconds of the old year, drinking champagne, and other festive behaviors not sanctioned by God. Such practices are linked to Babylon's wicked ways, from which God calls His people to separate themselves to avoid the associated punishments.

Little thought is given to how God views the traditions and means that men have adopted to worship Him. Few consider whether the adoration aimed at Him is fitting or well-received. The recognized symbol of Christianity today is the cross, assimilated from pre-Christian paganism and assumed to be an acceptable token. Similarly, few contemplate whether the Father and the Son are pleased with the worship offered on the assumed birthday of Jesus Christ. Professing Christians have celebrated Christmas since the fourth century, yet it contains no truth beyond the fact that the Son of God was born of a woman. There is no example of the early church celebrating the birth date of Jesus Christ, nor is there divine instruction to do so. Christmas would qualify as aimless, fruitless conduct received by tradition over the millennia. The apostle Paul was concerned for the Gentile Christians in Galatia because they observed days, months, seasons, and years from their pre-Christian lives, tied to the weak and beggarly elements of this world. Despite the pagan origins of Christmas and its trappings being well known, and the date coinciding with solstice celebrations, there is still belligerence and defensiveness when questions arise about its appropriateness. Its defenders assume that since it is done to honor God, He must feel honored, yet the Son is not well-pleased with these gestures rooted in falsehood.

Young people, as you grow and interact with the world, you will face pressures from friends, family, and society to participate in Satan's counterfeit 'holy days' and mankind's pagan holidays. These celebrations, rooted in ancient pagan practices, stand in opposition to God's ways. New Year's, one of the oldest pagan holidays, originated in Babylonia as a celebration of sun-worship, later called Saturnalia by the Romans, marked by revelry, drunkenness, and immorality. Though human sacrifice is no longer practiced, the core behaviors of excess remain largely unchanged over 4,000 years. Christmas, another of Satan's 'holy days,' draws from pagan customs across many cultures. In ancient Babylon, December 25th was celebrated as Yule Day, the birth of the incarnate sun, tied to the worship of Baal, the chief sun god, and Tammuz, revered as the promised child savior. Elements like the Christmas tree, yule log, and gift-giving all stem from these pagan origins, crafted by satan to exploit human weaknesses, especially through the appeal to children. Easter, often linked to the resurrection of Jesus Christ by modern Christians, has deep pagan roots in the Babylonian celebration of Ishtar, commemorating the resurrection of Tammuz, believed to be the son of Baal. Symbols like eggs and rabbits, along with customs such as Lent and hot cross buns, trace back to the mystery religion established by Semiramis and Nimrod shortly after the Flood. These practices, driven by satan's deception, are filled with idolatry and are an abomination to God. Halloween, viewed by many as harmless fun, is tied to the Celtic festival of St. Hammond, a time for divinations invoking the devil's help. Celebrated with symbols of witches, ghosts, and skeletons, it is a national event in Ireland, yet it remains a pagan practice that God detests, as it involves consulting spirits and the dead, contrary to His teachings. St. Valentine's Day, originally the fertility celebration Lupercalia, is steeped in pagan worship of Roman gods like Venus and Jupiter, focusing on desire and erotic love. Its modern traditions of candy, cards, and roses target children and families, a cunning tactic by satan to draw even the young into pagan customs. St. Patrick's Day, rooted in Ireland, incorporates pagan symbols like the green man, representing regeneration and the spring equinox, alongside practices of drunkenness and revelry that have no connection to God's ways. Similarly, the modern trend of tattoos, prevalent across cultures, historically marks paganism, demonism, and Baal worship, often serving as a bridge to the supernatural in shamanistic practices, far removed from God's call to holiness. Birthdays, though seemingly innocent, originate from pagan astrology and involve customs like candles and wishes meant to connect with gods or spirits, reflecting satanic influences that elevate self above God. Even in the satanic religion, one's birthday is deemed the holiest day, a stark contrast to God's expectations. These pagan celebrations, often justified as family traditions or harmless fun, especially for children, are tools of satan's deception, playing on human guilt and love for family to draw even God's elect away from His truth. God commands His people to separate from these customs, to be different and peculiar, rejecting the mixture of true worship with pagan practices that the world embraces. He calls His first fruits to holiness, to stand apart from satan's 'holy days' and mankind's idolatrous holidays, reflecting His light in a deceived world.

May Day, observed on May 1st, is deeply rooted in paganism, being one of the eight days sacred to satan and recognized as a witches' sabbath. Its origins connect to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. Beltane, tied to ancient practices of Baal and sun worship, involved decorating May bushes with flowers, ribbons, garlands, and colored egg shells, which were later used as fuel for bonfires lit on hilltops. The following day, May 1st, featured celebrations with maypoles, often phallic symbols, and some believed these poles served as conduits for demons to escape from the earth to the surface and beyond. Another significant day of demon worship, All Saints Day on November 1st, falls exactly six months after May Day and is also considered a witches' sabbath. Walpurgis Night, prominent in Scandinavian and Baltic regions, was historically a gathering time for witches, and to this day, people in these areas dress as witches and celebrate in a carnival-like manner on May 1st. Modern pagan practices continue to obscure the recognition of God in creation, as many attribute the beauty and order of nature to a fertility goddess or Mother Nature, failing to see His handiwork.

Long before the coming of Christ, pagans used the cross as a religious symbol, employing many variations of its form in the ancient world. The worship of Tammuz, intimately associated with the Babylonian mystery religions begun by the worship of Nimrod, Semiramis, and her illegitimate son, Horus, is connected to the sign of the cross. The original form of the Babylonian letter T, identical to the crosses used today, was the initial of Tammuz. Satan the devil, aware long before Jesus was born that He would die by crucifixion, made the cross a popular symbol of worship in an attempt to deceive the world and lead people into false worship. God instructs His true followers to worship Him in Spirit and in truth, calling them to forsake all of this world's false religions, rituals, and pagan symbols, including the cross.

In the Pacific Northwest, a community of Druids, part of an organization known as ADF, revives ancient Celtic rites through a polytheistic neo-pagan religion inspired by Indo-European traditions. Founded in 1983 by Isaac Bonewits, who had previously explored Satanism and witchcraft, ADF organizes into local groves where rituals are uniquely tailored, lacking a standardized liturgical script. These rituals emerge from discussions among diverse members including poets, mystics, and nature lovers, who debate and create practices since historical records of ancient worship are scarce. Without a definitive guide, they invent rituals to honor deities like Fortuna, Hermes, and Dionysus, focusing on offerings as a central act of reciprocity, hoping for blessings in return. Their ceremonies involve giving items like chocolate to Isis for health, pouring wine for Dionysus, or burning poems for Thor, reflecting a diverse pantheon unhindered by strict boundaries. Participants actively seek connection with the spirit realm, opening gates to it during rituals while reciting passages to ward off interfering spirits, aiming to engage only with supportive entities. Many Druids turn to this path due to dissatisfaction with mainstream Christianity, often as ex-Catholics seeking inclusive, pluralistic practices free from oppressive structures. They define themselves by rejection, creating an identity around what they oppose, prioritizing community and ritual action over creed or doctrine. Druidry offers a religion with few rules, allowing individuals to shape practices on their own terms, focusing on shared experiences rather than unified beliefs. This approach minimizes conflict by de-emphasizing specific doctrines, welcoming all who participate in communal activities like making offerings and social gatherings. Their commitment lies in showing up and engaging together, rather than adhering to strict beliefs, fostering an environment where personal expression and fellowship take precedence over traditional religious constraints.

In the ancient Middle East, there was a widespread belief that specific gods ruled over particular areas of land. All who lived in or entered these areas were expected to acknowledge the deity of that place through worship or sacrifice. For instance, Canaan was thought to be ruled by Baal, Babylon by Bel or Marduk, Assyria by their gods, and Egypt by theirs. This cultural expectation meant that newcomers had to pay homage to the local gods to appease them. However, God commanded the Israelites to reject this practice when they conquered Canaan, instructing them to worship only Him and to have no dealings with the gods of the land. It is nearly impossible to enter a foreign land that does not worship God without learning about their religious practices, but the concern arises when one seeks to observe and engage in those practices.

The pagan origins of Christmas are deeply rooted in history, with December 25th long serving as a focal point of sun-worship across many millennia. These origins are so well-documented that it raises the question of why Christians would attempt to Christianize a celebration that has been blatantly anti-God from its inception. God was profoundly concerned that ancient Israel might adopt the pagan practices of the Canaanites, even under the guise of worshipping the true God, and issued a categorical warning against such actions. He is very specific about how He desires to be worshipped, not granting permission to do so in any manner that seems right to us. The celebration of Christmas, though not involving physical child-sacrifice, carries the stench of idolatry by replacing the true worship of God with a false one. Even the concept of celebrating birthdays stems from paganism, rather than from God's instructions for mankind.

The celebration of Christmas is steeped in pagan religious practices that predate Christianity. The timing of December 25 has long been a focal point of sun worship across many cultures for millennia. In the early fourth century, the Catholic Church merged the Roman winter solstice festival, Saturnalia, with a celebration of Jesus Christ's birth to ease the transition for new converts. The term Yule, an alternate name for the season, originates from a pagan midwinter festival, and the Yule log tradition traces back to heathen practices of driving away evil spirits with bonfires on the night of the winter solstice. These pagan elements, though widely recognized, are often overlooked or justified by human nature's tendency to embrace enjoyable customs despite their origins. The incorporation of such practices into a celebration ostensibly honoring Christ raises questions about the integrity of worship, as they are rooted in traditions that are blatantly anti-God from their inception.

Pagan religious practices, as described in scripture, encompass any form of worship foreign to God, not commanded by Him. Biblically, terms like idols, idolatry, nations, Gentiles, or heathen are used instead of a direct equivalent to the modern word "pagan." Such worship, often labeled as strange or profane in texts like Hosea 5:7 and Ezra 10:2, is unauthorized and unacceptable to God, regardless of sincere intent. The account of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1 illustrates this, as they offered profane fire not commanded by God, resulting in severe consequences due to their disregard for His Holiness. Modern Christianity often struggles with the concept that ancient worship practices, condemned by God, persist under new names and forms. Deuteronomy 12:31-32 explicitly warns against worshiping God in ways borrowed from other nations, emphasizing that His instructions must be observed without addition or subtraction. Yet, Christian traditions have modified and renamed these practices, presenting them as acceptable worship, contrary to God's clear command for one law and one way of worship, as seen in Exodus 12:49 and Isaiah 56. Historically, church leaders distanced themselves from practices deemed Jewish, replacing God's Sabbath with Sunday worship, Passover with Easter, and redefining obedience as legalism. This shift, influenced by human tradition and anti-Jewish sentiment, mirrors the warning in Deuteronomy 12:30 against adopting foreign worship methods. Scripture labels such blended worship as strange, foreign, and abominable, a system of pagan worship that rejects God's authority for human tradition, rendering it unrecognizable to Him.