You can celebrate them. Just sanctify them.
The Orthodox Church doesn’t ask you to skip Thanksgiving dinner or boycott Independence Day barbecues. We’re not separatists. But we do ask you to fill these days with Christian meaning rather than leaving them hollow or purely commercial. Think of it as baptizing the calendar, taking what’s good and offering it back to God.
Here in Southeast Texas, that’s actually pretty natural. Your family’s probably gathering anyway. You’re already off work. The question isn’t whether to observe these days but how to observe them as an Orthodox Christian.
The Difference Between a Holiday and a Holy Day
A holy day centers on God. Worship, prayer, ministry to others. We’re commemorating something that happened in salvation history, Christ’s birth, His baptism, the Dormition of the Theotokos. The Church gives us these feasts to relive the Gospel throughout the year.
A holiday centers on us. Entertainment, eating, resting. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but it’s not the same thing. And when secular holidays try to replace holy days, when “Christmas” becomes shopping season and “Easter” becomes egg hunts, we’ve got a problem.
The trick is taking secular holidays and treating them more like holy days. Not perfectly, but directionally.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Thanksgiving is easy. It’s already about gratitude. Just direct that gratitude explicitly toward God. Say prayers before the meal that actually mention Christ. Read a psalm. If your parish offers Divine Liturgy that morning, go. St. John of Kronstadt used to say that feast days should be devoted to the Liturgy, Scripture reading, and good works. That’s a pretty good template for Thanksgiving, too.
Memorial Day and Veterans Day? These are days for remembering the dead. We’re Orthodox, we know how to do that. Ask your priest about serving a panikhida for veterans. Pray by name for family members who served. Visit graves. The Church has always honored those who laid down their lives for others. Christ Himself said there’s no greater love.
Independence Day gets trickier because patriotism can become an idol if we’re not careful. But gratitude for your country isn’t idolatry. Freedom to worship is a gift from God, even if it came through imperfect human means. Go to the fireworks. Fire up the BBQ. Just don’t let the celebration eclipse your life in the Church. And maybe start the day with prayer for the nation, asking God’s mercy.
Labor Day? Thank God for your work, even if it’s hot and hard. Pray for your coworkers. Rest is biblical. God commanded it.
What About the Commercial Stuff?
This is where it gets harder. Halloween’s commercial. Valentine’s Day is commercial. Even Thanksgiving has become Black Friday Eve for a lot of people.
You don’t have to be a killjoy, but you also don’t have to participate in everything the culture hands you. If Halloween feels too pagan or too focused on darkness, skip it. Or redeem it, some Orthodox families focus on All Saints instead, dressing kids as saints rather than superheroes. If Valentine’s Day feels shallow, ignore it or turn it into St. Valentine’s Day, learning about the actual martyr.
The point isn’t rules. The point is discernment. Does this holiday draw me toward God or away from Him? Does it strengthen my family and community, or just drain my wallet and my energy?
Keep the Church Calendar First
Here’s the thing: the Church already gives us a full calendar. Twelve Great Feasts. Pascha. Saints’ days. Fasting seasons. If you’re trying to keep up with every secular holiday plus every holy day, you’ll burn out. And you’ll probably end up treating holy days like holidays, just another day off.
So keep your priorities straight. Theophany matters more than New Year’s. The Dormition matters more than Labor Day. When there’s a conflict, choose the Church. Your family might not understand at first, especially if they’re Baptist or Catholic or unchurched. But over time they’ll see that you’re not rejecting them. You’re just living in a different rhythm.
A Word for Folks New to Orthodoxy
If you’re a catechumen or a recent convert, don’t try to overhaul everything at once. You don’t have to cancel Thanksgiving this year or refuse to sing “Happy Birthday.” That’s not what the Church asks. Just start small. Add a prayer. Attend a service. Ask your priest what the parish does for these days.
And give yourself grace. You’re learning to see the whole year through Orthodox eyes, and that takes time. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is slowly, steadily offering more of your life to Christ, including your calendar.
