Jewish holidays are God’s appointed times, sacred feasts He gave to Israel. They are prophetic pictures that find their deepest meaning in Jesus Christ. Maybe you’ve heard of Passover or Yom Kippur and wondered if they have any meaning for you as a Christian. These feasts, grounded in Scripture, show how the God of Israel invites you to worship Him.
The biblical list of Jewish holidays
God gave Israel seven major feasts, recorded in Leviticus 23. These are His appointed seasons, sacred assemblies where His people would gather to remember, repent, and rejoice. Here’s the list with a quick description of each:
- Passover (Pesach) – Commemorates deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
- Feast of Unleavened Bread – A seven-day feast of purity following Passover.
- Feast of Firstfruits – Offering the first harvest to the Lord.
- Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) – Harvest festival, also called Pentecost.
- Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) – A day of blowing trumpets, calling to repentance.
- Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) – The holiest day, for national atonement.
- Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) – A week of dwelling in booths, remembering God’s provision.
“Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The set feasts of Yahweh, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my set feasts.
— Leviticus 23:2
These seven feasts are often called the “Lord’s feasts”—not just Jewish holidays, but God’s own calendar for drawing near to Him. For you as a Christian, they offer a window into the story of redemption that culminates in Jesus.
Passover: The Lamb Who Takes Away Sin
Passover is the foundation of all the Jewish holidays. It recalls the night when the angel of death passed over the homes of Israelites who had marked their doorposts with the blood of a lamb. That sacrifice saved them from slavery in Egypt and set them free.
Passover is a prophecy rooted in history. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he cried out,
The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
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Jesus became the ultimate Passover Lamb. The apostle Paul makes this connection explicit:
Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place.
— 1 Corinthians 5:7
Passover is a living reminder that Christ’s blood covers your sin and delivers you from the slavery of death. Every time you take Communion, you’re participating in a Passover fulfilled.
The Passover Meal Today
Many Christians choose to celebrate a Passover Seder, especially around Easter. It is a meaningful way to connect with your Jewish roots. As you share the matzah (unleavened bread) and the cup, you won't forget how Jesus took these elements and gave them new meaning: His body broken, His blood poured out.
Rosh Hashanah: The Feast of Trumpets
Rosh Hashanah, also called the Feast of Trumpets, begins the Jewish civil year. It’s a day of loud blasts on the shofar (ram’s horn), calling God’s people to wake up, examine their lives, and repent. It’s the start of the Ten Days of Awe leading to Yom Kippur.
For Christians, this feast points forward to the return of Christ. The apostle Paul writes:
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first,
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16
Jesus Himself spoke of the trumpet that will gather His elect. So when you hear or read about Rosh Hashanah, let it stir hope in you. The trumpet call reminds you that one day all will be made right, and King Jesus will return. What a day that will be!
Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement
Yom Kippur is the most solemn day on the Jewish calendar. It was the only day the high priest entered the Holy of Holies to offer blood for the sins of the people. It was a day of fasting, repentance, and complete dependence on God’s mercy.
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The book of Hebrews explains how this day was a shadow of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice. Unlike the annual repetition, Jesus entered the true Holy of Holies and secured eternal redemption. It is finished.
But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption.
— Hebrews 9:11-12
For you, Yom Kippur is a powerful reminder that you don’t need to earn forgiveness year after year. Because of Jesus, you are fully and finally atoned for. You can live in the freedom of a cleansed conscience.
Sukkot: Dwelling with God
Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, is a joyful week where Israelites lived in temporary booths (sukkot) to remember God’s protection during the wilderness journey. It was a harvest festival too, a time of great rejoicing.
This feast beautifully foreshadows the Incarnation. When Jesus came, He “tabernacled” among us—the Greek word literally means “pitched His tent.”
The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only born Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
— John 1:14
But Sukkot also looks forward. At the end of time, God will dwell permanently with His people. The book of Revelation reveals,
I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people; and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.
— Revelation 21:3
So as you hear about Sukkot, let it remind you that God isn’t distant. He came near in Jesus, and He will one day live with you face to face.
Hanukkah: The Feast of Dedication
Hanukkah isn’t one of the seven feasts from Leviticus, but it’s still a Jewish holiday with biblical significance. It celebrates the rededication of the Temple after the Maccabean revolt, and Jesus Himself attended the Feast of Dedication.
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It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.
— John 10:22-23
Hanukkah means “dedication.” For you as a Christian, it’s a time to reflect on dedicating your own life, your body, your heart, your home, as a temple of the Holy Spirit. Just as the menorah burned miraculously for eight days, you can trust that God’s light in you never goes out.
Jewish holidays and Christianity: how they fit together
You may wonder how these holidays fit into your life as a Christian. Some believers feel drawn to observe them; others see them as fulfilled and no longer required. The New Testament offers guidance. Paul writes,
Let no one therefore judge you in eating or drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day, which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.
— Colossians 2:16-17
The key is the word “shadow.” These holidays were shadows that pointed to Christ. You are free in Christ to celebrate them or not, as your conscience allows. But if you do celebrate them, you can do so with renewed meaning, seeing Jesus in every detail.
Paul also urges believers in Romans 14 to accept one another without quarreling over food or holy days. Whether you host a Passover Seder or simply read about Rosh Hashanah, do it to honor the Lord. That’s freedom in action. Absolutely, many churches hold Passover meals during Holy Week, and some believers mark Rosh Hashanah with prayer and reflection. The holidays are part of your spiritual heritage. You’re not turning away from Christ. You’re seeing Him more clearly through the pictures God gave His people long ago.
Questions people ask
Are Christians supposed to observe Jewish holidays?
No, Christians are not commanded to observe Jewish holidays. The New Testament teaches that these feasts were shadows pointing to Christ, and Christ is the substance. However, you are free to celebrate them if it helps you worship God. The important thing is to do it with a clear conscience, honoring the Lord, without judging others who choose differently.
What is the biblical calendar of Jewish holidays?
The biblical calendar is based on lunar months, with the year beginning in spring (Nisan). The seven major feasts are listed in Leviticus 23: Passover (Nisan 14), Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15-21), Firstfruits (day after Sabbath during Unleavened Bread), Weeks (50 days later), Trumpets (Tishri 1)
Are Christians supposed to observe Jewish holidays?
No, Christians are not commanded to observe Jewish holidays. The New Testament teaches that these feasts were shadows pointing to Christ, and Christ is the substance. However, you are free to celebrate them if it helps you worship God. The important thing is to do it with a clear conscience, honoring the Lord, without judging others who choose differently.
What is the biblical calendar of Jewish holidays?
The biblical calendar is based on lunar months, with the year beginning in spring (Nisan). The seven major feasts are listed in Leviticus 23: Passover (Nisan 14), Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15-21), Firstfruits (day after Sabbath during Unleavened Bread), Weeks (50 days later), Trumpets (Tishri 1), Atonement (Tishri 10), and Tabernacles (Tishri 15-21). These dates vary on the Gregorian calendar each year. Many Christians find it enriching to note the timing of these feasts as they read the Gospels.
Do Jewish holidays point to Jesus?
Yes, each feast reveals a facet of the Messiah. For example, Passover points to Jesus as the Lamb of God, Firstfruits to His resurrection, and Pentecost to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Trumpets points to His return, Atonement to His once-for-all sacrifice, and Tabernacles to His incarnation and final dwelling with us.
Should Christians celebrate Hanukkah?
Yes, you may celebrate Hanukkah if you wish, though it is not a biblical command. Jesus Himself attended the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22). It is a celebration of light and rededication. You can use it to thank God for preserving His people and to dedicate your own life to Him, keeping the focus on God's faithfulness.
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