The Best 50+ Bible Verses About Pagan Holidays

Ever wondered what the Bible says about pagan holidays? This article brings together 50 Bible verses that touch on this topic.

These verses offer insights and perspectives, helping you understand the biblical viewpoint on celebrations outside the Christian tradition. (Some might surprise you.)

50 Bible Verses About Pagan Holidays

10 Bible Verses on Pagan Holidays and Idolatry

• "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me." — Exodus 20:3-5
• "When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods." — Deuteronomy 12:29-31
• "And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord." — Leviticus 18:21
• "Thus says the Lord: 'Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.'" — Jeremiah 10:2-3
• "Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed. Who would form a god or mold an image That profits him nothing? Surely all his companions would be ashamed; And the workmen, they are mere men. Let them all be gathered together, Let them stand up; Yet they shall fear, They shall be ashamed together." — Isaiah 44:9-20
• "Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons." — 1 Corinthians 10:20-21
• "But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?" — Galatians 4:8-9
• "Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there." — Acts 17:16-17
• "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen." — 1 John 5:21
• "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." — Revelation 21:8

10 Bible Verses on Pagan Holidays in Scripture

• "They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear." — Deuteronomy 32:16-17
• "So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone." — 2 Kings 17:16-18
• "Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger." — 2 Chronicles 33:6
• "So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. Then He said to me, 'Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.' So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east." — Ezekiel 8:14-16
• "They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops, And burn incense on the hills, Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, Because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters commit harlotry, And your brides commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, Nor your brides when they commit adultery; For the men themselves go apart with harlots, And offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot. Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled." — Hosea 4:13-14
• "I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you shall have no soothsayers." — Micah 5:12
• "Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship." — Acts 19:26-27
• "Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen." — Romans 1:25
• "For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God." — 1 Thessalonians 1:9
• "But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality." — Revelation 2:14

10 Bible Verses on Warnings Against Pagan Holidays

• "You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars." — Exodus 23:24
• "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you." — Deuteronomy 18:9-12
• "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.' Therefore 'Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.'" — 2 Corinthians 6:14-17
• "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." — Galatians 5:19-21
• "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them." — Ephesians 5:11
• "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." — Colossians 2:8
• "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." — 1 Timothy 4:1
• "For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you." — 1 Peter 4:3-4
• "And I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.'" — Revelation 18:4
• "And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men." — Matthew 15:9

10 Bible Verses on Christian Response to Pagan Holidays

• "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." — Romans 12:2
• "Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live." — 1 Corinthians 8:4-6
• "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." — 1 Corinthians 10:31
• "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness." — Ephesians 4:17-19
• "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things." — Philippians 3:18-19
• "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." — Colossians 3:2
• "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." — 1 John 2:15-17
• "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." — 1 Peter 2:9
• "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ." — Jude 1:3-4
• "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." — Revelation 3:15-16

10 Bible Verses on Pagan Holidays and Worship Practices

• "You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name." — Deuteronomy 6:13
• "For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens." — Psalm 96:5
• "I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images." — Isaiah 42:8
• "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." — John 4:24
• "Then he said to them, 'You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.'" — Acts 10:28
• "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks." — Romans 14:5-6
• "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you." — 1 Corinthians 9:19-23
• "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire." — Hebrews 12:28-29
• "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." — James 1:27
• "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'" — 1 Peter 1:15-16

What Does the Bible Say About Pagan Holidays

The Bible has a lot to say about pagan holidays, offering guidance and wisdom for those seeking to align their lives with God's teachings. These verses provide a clear perspective on how to approach celebrations that fall outside the Christian tradition. By reflecting on these scriptures, we can find ways to live more faithfully and thoughtfully.

One key theme is the warning against idolatry. Verses like Exodus 20:3-5 and 1 John 5:21 remind us to avoid worshiping other gods or idols. This isn't just about physical idols but also about anything that takes our focus away from God. It's a call to keep our hearts and minds centered on Him.

Another important theme is the call to be separate from practices that don't honor God. Deuteronomy 18:9-12 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 urge believers to avoid engaging in activities that are considered abominations. This separation isn't about isolation but about making choices that reflect our faith and values.

The Bible also encourages a positive response to pagan holidays. Romans 12:2 and 1 Corinthians 10:31 suggest that we should transform our minds and do everything for God's glory. This means finding ways to honor God in all aspects of our lives, even in how we approach holidays and celebrations.

Finally, the scriptures highlight the importance of worshiping God in spirit and truth. John 4:24 and Hebrews 12:28-29 emphasize that our worship should be genuine and heartfelt. By focusing on true worship, we can ensure that our celebrations are pleasing to God and reflect His love and grace.

How to Apply These Bible Verses About Pagan Holidays

Applying Bible teachings about pagan holidays to daily life is crucial for living a faith-driven life. These verses guide us to make choices that honor God and reflect our beliefs.

• Start your day with a prayer asking for guidance to stay focused on God and avoid distractions that lead to idolatry.
• Be mindful of the media and entertainment you consume. Choose content that aligns with your faith and values.
• Engage in community activities that promote Christian values, such as volunteering at your church or participating in faith-based events.
• Set aside time each week to study the Bible and reflect on how its teachings apply to your life, especially regarding holidays and celebrations.
• Encourage your family and friends to join you in faith-based activities, creating a supportive environment for living out these principles.

Remember, God is always with you, guiding and supporting your journey. Your faith can transform your life and help you make choices that honor Him.

Explore more prayers and Bible verses on PrayersFor or use our Bible Verse Generator to deepen your understanding and faith.