Counsels for the Church - Ellen G. White

Chapter 28
Family Activities During Holidays and Anniversaries
I saw that our holidays should not be spent in patterning after the world,
yet they should not be passed by unnoticed, for this will bring dissatisfaction
to our children. On these days when there is danger that our children will be
exposed to evil influences and become corrupted by the pleasures and
excitement of the world, let the parents study to get up something to take the
place of more dangerous amusements. Give your children to understand that
you have their good and happiness in view.
Through the observance of holidays the people both of the world and of
the churches have been educated to believe that these lazy days are essential
to health and happiness, but the results reveal that they are full of evil.
We have tried earnestly to make the holidays as interesting as possible to
the youth and children, while changing this order of things. Our object has
been to keep them away from scenes of amusement among unbelievers.
After a day of pleasure seeking is ended, where is the satisfaction to the
pleasure seeker? As Christian workers, whom have they helped to a better,
higher, and purer life? What would they see if they should look over the
record the angel wrote? A day lost! To their own souls a day lost, a day lost
in the service of Christ, because no good was accomplished. They may have
other days but never that day which was idled away in cheap, foolish talk, of
girls with boys, and boys with girls.
Never will these same opportunities offer themselves again. They had
better been doing the hardest kind of labor on that holiday. They did not
make the right use of their holiday, and it passed into eternity to confront
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