My family (and my church) commemorates the death, burial and resurrection of Christ every Lord's day (Sunday, first day of the week), as the bible dictates (Acts 2:42, Acts 20:7). Worshipping idols and other gods are condemned, but celebrating national "holidays" are not condemned in the New Testament (the Christian's rule book, if you will, as the "old law" has been nailed to the cross and we are under the new covenant (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 8:6-13; Hebrews 9).
1 Corinthians, chapter 8 is a good book that deals with the conscience--and gives some perspective on the mature (and novice) Christian view of idolatry. Paul told the church at Corinth (all Christians, of course) that there were those among them who knew that their was only one God based on their Jewish upbringing. Idol gods meant nothing to them; therefore, if they ate meat that was originally sacrificed to idols, it was no big deal because they did not recognize their existence. But for those converts who came out of idol worship, it would be a tremendous sin against their conscience, not only to eat, but to see others eat as well. "Their conscience, being weak," he says, "is defiled."
Followers of Christ have no fear of paganism or idol worship, because it is not a part of their reality. Therefore, just like the 1st Century Christians who were free to eat meat sacrificed to idols as long as it did not defile their conscience, we too are free to celebrate "holidays", as long as we don't elevate them to "holy" status. Christ came so that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly! (John 10:10). We must be careful not to bind things on our fellow Christians that the bible does not.
Agape!
