Feast

a banquet, a festival, a holiday, or a solemnity. Almost every religion has had its solemn feast days. The ancient Greeks and Romans had them, as well as the Jews and modern Christians. God appointed several festivals among the ancient Jews, the first and most ancient of which was the Sabbath, or seventh day of the week, commemorative of the creation. The Pa over was instituted in memory of their deliverance out of Egypt. and of the favor of God in sparing their first-born when those of the Egyptians were slain. The feast of Pentecost was celebrated on the 50th day after the Pa over, in memory of the law being given to Moses on Mount Sinai. The feast of Tents, or Taber. nacles, was instituted in memory of their fathers having dwelt in tents for 40 years in the wilderne , and al Israel was obliged to attend the tem- Rie and dwell eight days under tents. hese were their principal feasts; but they had numerous others; as_ the feast of Trumpets, the feast of Expiation or Atonement, the feast of the Dedication of the Temple, the Moons. ete. In the Christian Church, no festival Sg, clearly to have been in. stituted by Jesus Christ or His apos tles, yet Christians have always cele brated the memory of His resurrect i or and numerous others were introduced at an early period. At first, they were E56. only appointe.. w commemorate the more prominent events in the life and death of our Redeemer, and the labors and virtues of the apostles and evangelists; but martyrs came soon after to be introduced, and by the 4th century their number had increased to a very extravagant extent. And not only so, but instead of being spent in devotional exercises they were employed in the indulgences of sinful pa ions and in criminal pursuits; indeed, many of the festivals were instituted on a, pagan model, and perverted to similar purposes.