Christian observances of Jewish holidays

Over 15,000 members of the Worldwide Church of God attended a Christian Feast of Tabernacles observance in Big Sandy, Texas in 1978.

Some Christian groups incorporate Jewish holidays into their religious practice, typically altering and reinterpreting their observation to suit a supersessionist theology.

Supporters point to Jesus' Jewish roots, and to the tradition that he and the Apostles observed Jewish holidays.[1][2] Though some early Christian sects like the Jewish Christian did maintain elements of Judaism, the phenomenon is modern, originating in 20th century Evangelical movements like Hebrew Roots, Messianic Judaism, and Armstrongism.

Many of the Jewish practices appropriated by these groups originated in modern rabbinic Judaism, long postdating early Christianity. Such Christian observances have been described by some as an offensive form of cultural appropriation and a misinterpretation of Jewish traditions.[3][4][5] Within Christianity, critics question the practice's theological consistency and its potential to harm interfaith relationships.[6][7]

  1. ^ Matthew 26:17, John 5:1, John 7:4, 37, 10:22, 11:56, 12:12, 13:1, 29.
  2. ^ Acts 18:21, Acts 20:16,Acts 27:9
  3. ^ Stevens, Ashlie D. (April 2, 2021). "For many in the Jewish community, so-called 'Christian Seders' are '100% cultural appropriation'". Salon. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  4. ^ Berlatsky, Noah (September 26, 2022). "America has a serious problem with evangelical Christians pretending to be Jews". The Independent. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  5. ^ Klein, Amy (April 14, 2022). "Many Jews are fed up with Christians hosting Passover seders of their own". New York Post. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  6. ^ Hummel, Dan (August 19, 2019). "Why many evangelical Christians now celebrate Jewish holidays". The Washington Post.
  7. ^ "Do Christians hold Seder Meals?" (PDF). Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. January 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2014.