The celebration of New Year's Eve carries deep pagan roots, much like other holidays that have been adapted over time. The origins of these festivities are steeped in traditions that are not aligned with the practices God desires for His people. Historical insights reveal that such celebrations, including the customs of counting down the last seconds of the old year, drinking champagne, and other revelries, stem from ancient pagan practices that have no foundation in God's instructions. God's voice calls His people to come out from such traditions, to avoid the wicked ways of Babylon and the consequences that follow.

Long before the coming of Christ, pagans used the cross as a religious symbol, employing many variations of its form in the ancient world. According to historian Alexander Hislop, Tammuz was closely linked to the Babylonian mystery religions, which originated with the worship of Nimrod, Semiramis, and her illegitimate son, Horus. The original form of the Babylonian letter T, representing Tammuz, was identical to the crosses seen in much of the world's religious symbolism. 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 following a false Christ. God instructs His true followers to worship Him in Spirit and in truth, calling them to forsake all false religions, rituals, and pagan symbols of worship, including the cross.

The celebration of New Year's Eve carries deep pagan roots, much like the Christmas season, which true Christians often view with concern. Research reveals that New Year's Eve is considered pagan to the core by many, with its origins tied to ancient practices. Historical writings, such as an article by William Ellis in the December 1964 Plain Truth magazine titled "The Truth about New Year's," highlight these pagan connections. Ellis references a book, "4,000 Years of Christmas" by Earl Count, to underscore the festival's beginnings as an adjunct to Christmas, celebrating the rebirth of the sun. Over time, these celebrations incorporated pagan fertility rites, human sacrifices, and even acts of violence against specific communities, including the destruction of homes and places of worship. In modern times, New Year's Eve often serves as an excuse for excessive behavior and foolishness, further distancing it from any sacred purpose.

As young people move into the world, they will encounter pressures from friends, family, and society to participate in satan's counterfeit 'holy days' and mankind's pagan holidays. These celebrations, rooted in ancient practices, stand in stark contrast to God's desires for His people. New Year's, one of the oldest pagan holidays, originated in ancient Babylonia as a celebration of sun-worship, later known as Saturnalia among the Romans, marked by revelry and excess. Christmas, another of satan's 'holy days,' carries pagan elements from Babylonian traditions, such as the worship of the sun god Baal and the incarnate child Tammuz, with customs like the yule log and Christmas tree tied to these ancient beliefs. Easter, celebrated by many as a Christian holiday, derives from the Babylonian day of Ishtar, commemorating the resurrection of Tammuz, with symbols like eggs and rabbits stemming from pagan mystery religions established soon after the Flood by Nimrod and Semiramis. Halloween, often seen as harmless fun, is linked to the Celtic festival of St. Hammond, a time for divinations invoking the devil's help, and is filled with practices God abhors, such as consulting spirits. St. Valentine's Day, rooted in the Roman fertility celebration Lupercalia, promotes customs honoring pagan gods like Venus, with significant cultural emphasis on children through card exchanges and gifts. St. Patrick's Day, originating in Ireland, incorporates pagan symbols like the green man, tied to spring equinox regeneration, alongside revelry that has no connection to God's ways. Tattoos, a modern trend, trace their roots to paganism, demonism, and Baal worship across cultures, often serving as a bridge to the supernatural in historical and contemporary contexts. Birthdays, celebrated widely, stem from pagan astrology and involve customs like candles and wishes meant to connect with gods, with even satanic beliefs holding one's birthday as the holiest day, reflecting self-worship akin to satan's own pride. These pagan practices, often justified as family traditions or fun for children, are used by satan to exploit human love and guilt, drawing even God's people into compromise. God, however, calls His first fruits to separate from these customs, to be different and peculiar, rejecting the mixture of true worship with paganism that has persisted since the rapid fall into idolatry by Nimrod and Semiramis just generations after the Flood.

As the holiday season approaches, the concept of pagan worship often comes to mind, highlighting a stark contrast with God's commanded ways. Biblically, pagan worship isn't just about statues or mythological gods; it encompasses any form of worship foreign to God, not commanded by Him. Scripture uses terms like idols, idolatry, nations, Gentiles, or heathen, and words such as "zir" in Hosea 5:7, meaning strange or profane, and "nakiri" in Ezra 10:2, carrying the idea of foreign or strange, to describe this unauthorized worship. Pagan worship, therefore, includes any practice originating outside God's instruction, even if the intent is sincere. This issue is evident in the story of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1, who offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded. Despite their possible good intentions, they disregarded God's clear instructions, revealing a careless disregard for His Holiness, and faced severe consequences. God determines how He is to be worshiped, and good intentions are not enough. Modern Christianity often deceives by suggesting ancient worship practices were primitive while modern ones are advanced, yet they are the same practices God condemned, just with new names—ancient calendars and festivals blended with borrowed traditions, as warned against in Deuteronomy 12:31-32. Throughout Scripture, God authorizes only one law, one covenant, and one way of worship, as seen in Exodus 12:49 and Isaiah 56, rejecting foreign worship. Yet, modern Christianity often labels obedience to God's law as legalism, embracing man-made holidays and traditions instead. History reveals a shift in authority, with church leaders distancing themselves from anything considered Jewish, replacing God's Sabbath with Sunday worship, Passover with Easter, and redefining obedience, as cautioned in Colossians 2:8. Deuteronomy 12:30 warns against adopting the worship practices of other nations, yet human traditions were inserted into Christianity, blending foreign customs into worship, which Scripture calls strange and abominable. This blending of systems is precisely what the Bible identifies as pagan worship, where Christianity has rejected God's authority for human tradition. It's not about judging sincere believers, but recognizing systems built on foreign traditions that twist or discard God's commandments and authorized methods of worship, rendering them unrecognizable to Him. God's plea in Revelation 18:4 to come out of such systems is a call to return to His true Sabbath and the faith once delivered, walking the path of Abraham, Moses, and the apostles, worshiping on His terms. The foundation of modern Christianity often rests on human tradition rather than God's authority, posing the question of whether to accept the system of Christ or the traditions of men. This is a daily decision to live under God's authority, fully obedient, worshiping according to His way, resisting the nostalgic trappings of the season that attempt to draw us away from Him.

Christmas presents a striking illustration of the perversity of human nature, as it reveals a widespread acceptance of paganism despite claims of Judeo-Christian roots. The pagan origin of Christmas is acknowledged by some clergy, yet often dismissed as inconsequential. This syncretistic inclusion of pagan practices dilutes the purity of God-given religion, allowing barriers to fall and absolutes to become passé. The global appeal of Christmas, even in nations far removed from Christian influence like Japan with its Shinto roots, underscores its commercial rather than religious interest, further highlighting the incorporation of pagan elements. Historically, Christmas was added to Christianity as a deliberate ploy to win converts from paganism, a grab for power rather than a reflection of true worship. God nowhere speaks of making Christmas a part of Christianity, nor does He instruct to celebrate His Son's birth; instead, He warns against adding heathen traditions to His worship. Such additions hinder the journey to God's Kingdom, leading people away from the truth and promoting a world that is anti-God and anti-Christ. Scripture clearly shows that adding to or subtracting from God's Word, as seen in the adoption of Christmas, is a snare and vanity, ultimately risking spiritual death. Therefore, it makes a great deal of difference whether or not one keeps Christmas, as it involves practicing a lie by merging foreign practices with the truth without God's permission.