From time to time, the question arises whether a Christian should keep, observe, celebrate, or mark the new moons. In the Old Testament, their importance to the Old Covenant ritual is clearly stated, and their connection to the marking of time and the proper observance of the holy days is evident. Feasting on the new moons was not looked upon as something unusual but expected as a matter of social custom. It was not evil, nor did God disapprove, but as He had not commanded it, feasting on a new moon was a social custom. God nowhere commands Israel to hold such feasts. The Israelites chose the new moons for these affairs since they were not encumbered by the restrictions of God's law as the weekly and annual Sabbaths were. Whatever good God had in mind in requiring them to mark the days with sacrifices, the Israelites let slip because He later told them He hated their new moons. Though definitely not on the level of a festival, the new moons are associated with them much like the preparation day is associated with the weekly Sabbath. The lesser one points to and helps prepare us for the arrival of the greater, more important one. Thus, the new moons are more like tools than commanded observances, but very important tools that should not be neglected. At the very least, carefully mark their passing. If you establish a custom for keeping them, remember it is your custom, not God's.

At the time of year when the first month is significant to true Christians, God instructs Moses in Exodus 12:2, declaring, "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you." This establishes the starting point of the year for Israel, coinciding with the beginning of spring, and is later named Nisan after the Babylonian exile. The determination of when this month begins may have initially relied on the visible observation of the new moon that aligned with the green ear stage of barley growth. The ancient Israelites, closely tied to natural cycles, would observe the local barley crop to see if the ears would ripen by the next new moon. If they would, that new moon marked the start of the first month, Abib; if not, it was delayed by one month. Later, a system was developed, likely by the Levites, to calculate the new moons with precision using astronomical data, verified by visual sightings, and the high priest would sanctify the new moon for determining God's appointed times. Additionally, there are biblical indications that the new moon of Tishri, the seventh month, coinciding with autumn, may have been considered a New Year by some, as seen in Ezekiel 40:1 and other references to the year's end or return. However, these indications can be disputed, and the clear command in Exodus 12:2 grounds the understanding in a springtime New Year on Abib 1.