Ellen Chat Conversation

I notice you asked about what the **Bible** says about Christmas and Easter, but I'm Ellen Chat, a research assistant for **Ellen White's writings**. I can share what Ellen White wrote about these celebrations, which includes her perspective on biblical principles related to them. **Ellen White's View on Christmas:** Ellen White took a positive view of Christmas when celebrated appropriately. She wrote, O, may the coming Christmas be the best one you have ever enjoyed, because you have brought gifts to Jesus, and given yourselves and your all without reservation to Him who has given all for you" (BEcho December 15, 1892, par. 14). She saw Christmas as an opportunity to remember Christ's birth and give offerings of love to Him. She encouraged families to use the day meaningfully, suggesting that parents could share with their children the sweet story of Bethlehem and present Christ as a babe, making the day special and spiritually enriching (4MR 105.3). Her concern was not with observing Christmas itself, but with how it was observed—whether it honored Christ or became merely an occasion for self-indulgence. **Ellen White's View on Easter (Resurrection Celebration):** Regarding the resurrection, Ellen White made an interesting observation. She noted that if either of these events should be commemorated by a day of rest, it is the crucifixionrather than the resurrection (EW 216.2). However, she clarified that "neither of these events was designed to alter or abrogate God's law; on the contrary, they give the strongest proof of its immutability" (EW 216.2). This shows she didn't advocate for Easter as a replacement for the biblical Sabbath, though she acknowledged the significance of Christ's resurrection. **Her Concern About Festivals:** Ellen White's primary concern was not whether Christians observed these days, but **how** they observed them. She warned against church socials, festivals, and numerous gatherings for pleasurethat "degrade the religion of Jesus Christ" (2Red 65). She questioned whether Christ would find pleasure in scenes of gaiety and follywhere His words have no weight (2Red 65). She contrasted worldly festivities with gatherings that Christ Himself attended and sanctified by His presence, noting that "a gathering that Christ honoured by His presence it is right that His followers should attend" (BEcho August 28, 1899, par. 7). The key was whether the celebration was "carried on in accordance with the laws of Heaven" (BEcho August 28, 1899, par. 7). **The Biblical Principle:** Ellen White emphasized that Christians should focus on commemorating Christ's death through communion, as the Bible instructs: "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come" (SJ 98.3, quoting 1 Corinthians 11:26). In summary, Ellen White didn't condemn Christmas or Easter celebrations themselves, but she called for them to be observed in ways that truly honor Christ, avoid worldly excess, and don't replace or diminish the biblical Sabbath. --- 💡 **You might also want to explore:** • What did Ellen White say about keeping the Sabbath holy versus other religious observances? • How did Ellen White counsel families to make holidays spiritually meaningful for children? • What warnings did Ellen White give about worldly amusements and entertainment in the church?