How do you feel when the Feast of Tabernacles is approaching and you have to face uncooperative school authorities and teachers because you want to take your children out of school for at least a week or longer? While you do not want to do anything to hinder your child’s success at school, you have to obey God, as the Scripture clearly requires. You remember He has commanded you and your family to keep the Feast (Leviticus 23:2, 4), so His will for you must come first!

It is important, prior to talking with school officials, to be sure to pray earnestly, asking God to speak those “apples of gold” words (Proverbs 25:11) to bring you favor and the result you desire.

Many parents receive little or no resistance from the school, director of education or school board. In this age of political correctness, most boards do not want to face bad publicity or a court case due to religious beliefs. Years ago, I knew a young teacher who found herself facing such a litigious situation, but she chose to obey God and left for the Feast. Eventually the board lost its court case, and her job was restored. She obeyed God ahead of men, and her faith was rewarded.

When working with a teacher or principal who shows reluctance to your request for time off for  God’s Holy Days, remember that the term “Feast of Tabernacles” can be foreign to them. Prior to being called into God’s Church, I remember having Jewish children in my classroom who took off the Holy Days during the year. I had no idea what these days were, and although I said nothing, I felt some concern and resentment that they were missing so many school days. Little did I realize that later my husband and I, along with our own children, would be doing the same thing.

When questioned about why we wanted time off from school for our children, I would explain (with a smile) that we did not make these days up, that they are over 3,500 years old and that our family kept them because they were from the Bible and that, as Christians, we believed the Bible was our life’s guide. Usually that ended the discussion, as most people do not want to get into a religious discussion.

When your child first enters school (and at the beginning of each year thereafter), it is wise to give the teacher a list of the times during the school year that your child will be away for Holy Days. Express that you would be grateful if you could come a day or two before the absence to pick up the necessary books and assignments needed. Explain that you will do everything you can to ensure that your child will make up any missed assignments. Assure the teacher that you want to work with him/her and would appreciate a call if any problems occur. When your child enters the upper grades and high school, though it is still incumbent on you to let the school know when the absences will be, the student will likely be able to consult with the teacher regarding which books and assignments are necessary to take to the Feast.

I have found that many teachers appreciated that, not only was the schoolwork completed, but that we also had gone above and beyond what was expected. We had our children create a scrapbook of what they did on the way to the Feast, during the Feast and on the way home. They created and decorated a titled cover for the book and took it to school to share with the class on their return. This daily diary showed how our children’s lives were enriched in ways that many children never experience. You might even bring back some samples to share with the teachers and all the classmates.

This Feast book might include a marked map of the destination, brochures from places visited, events attended, labeled hand-drawn pictures and/or photos of friends and family accompanied with written stories, menus from restaurants visited and explanations of what was most exciting to visit while there. Doing this report daily (along with the homework) stimulates responsibility, a sense of accomplishment and eliminates the panic of trying to get it done at the end of the Feast or after arriving home. Perhaps because of this book, other students and teachers will come to see what a joyous and educational time the Feast creates for a family.

There is usually much to do at the Feast, and we want our children to have as many physical experiences as we can financially afford, but there is one thing we cannot afford to miss while there—the spiritual family time with our heavenly Father.

By example, by discussion and by reading God’s Word we emphasize to our children why it is important to appear before our Father each day at the church service. Stimulate a conversation with your family before and while at the Feast about the real reason for why we keep the Feast.

During 41 years of keeping the Feast, I have often seen children doing schoolwork during the service.

Since homework is the regular work of the child, it should not be done on the Sabbath and Holy Days. As children become old enough to read and write, parents should begin to teach them to pay attention to the speaker by looking up the scriptures and taking age-appropriate notes.

Some may think that expecting young children to sit attentively during the services is not realistic. As a teacher who sat through many school assemblies, I have seen how children (even in junior kindergarten) were expected and able to be attentive and to participate in the program—sometimes for over an hour.

Let us obey God, keep the Feast and bring up our children to observe the festivals as well. In so doing, we will teach them vital principles of success that will hold them in good stead for years to come as responsible and capable adults.