The Feast of Tabernacles is right around the corner. Maybe you have kept the Feast for many years—or perhaps this is your first Feast, and you’re a little unsure of what to expect. Perhaps it will be the first Feast you’ve kept in quite some time.

If this is your first Feast, or your first Feast back, what do you need to know in order to properly keep this Festival of God? If it’s not your first Feast, what can you do to help the first-timers get the most out of their Feast experience? Let’s consider these questions from three different aspects of Feast keeping.

The spiritual aspect

The Feast of Tabernacles is, first and foremost, a spiritual event, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts”’” (Leviticus 23:1-2). He then describes His Feasts as holy time.

Holy time is simply defined as time that God has sanctified and set apart as holy. The Feast of Tabernacles and the Eighth Day are part of God’s Feasts. They aren’t something the United Church of God came up with as a way to worship God; they are days that God prescribes to us to keep and worship Him.

In verse 40 of the same chapter, God says, “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.” Rejoicing is a big part of the Feast of Tabernacles. But we must always remember we are there to rejoice before, or in the presence of, God.

So, how do we spiritually rejoice at the Feast? One of the primary ways we do so is to fill up on the spiritual food provided via the messages given at the Feast. Most of the year, we hear one or two sermons a week. During the Feast of Tabernacles and Eighth Day, you will hear probably eight or ten full-length sermons!

Another important way in which we worship God during the Feast is with music. Many of us come from smaller congregations, so when we get in a room with several hundred others singing praise to God’s name—Wow, what a difference! It’s also a time to hear special music pieces such as vocal solos, choirs and instrumental ensembles and accompaniment. For most people, these musical performances are a rare treat that can inspire and edify them during their worship at this Festival.

One way to prepare to keep the Feast before you arrive would be to read our booklet, God’s Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind, available for free in print or online at ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind. You could also bring a booklet or two to read while you’re at the Feast, or traveling there.

By praying and asking God to help us get the most out of the messages and music we hear at the Feast, we can arrive in the right frame of mind, prepared to learn. As you pray for this spiritual growth, don’t forget to ask God to bless those who will be doing the speaking and performing as well. Trust me, they will appreciate it!

The Emotional Aspect

Have you ever been on a long journey, perhaps one that has kept you away from home for weeks or months? How do you feel when you get back home? Relieved, at peace and ready for a break from whatever it was that took you on the journey?

Arriving at the Feast is kind of like that. Ultimately, the Feast of Tabernacles represents the coming Kingdom of God—our ultimate home. Our current zip codes, jobs and other life responsibilities are a temporary journey we are on. Arriving at the Feast is like coming home after a long, difficult trip.

A reality of life for most of us is that we have jobs and/or school to deal with. And while it might be necessary to deal with some of those things on non-Holy Days while keeping the Feast, in order to truly rejoice, we need to minimize those types of interruptions.

One way to deal with such interruptions is to not let them be interruptions! If you absolutely must do work or school while at the Feast, make it a scheduled part of your day so that it doesn’t randomly disrupt your enjoyment of the Feast. When our children were younger, we designated the time just after services to be school work time. By the afternoon and evening, they were free to go enjoy themselves without the emotional weight of schoolwork to drag them down.

Of course, enjoying the Feast is about more than just managing work and school. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to meet new people or get acquainted with those you’ve lost touch with. Attending activities and social gatherings are great ways to connect with people. Look for opportunities to do new things. Invite others to go with you! It doesn’t have to be an expensive outing—maybe a stroll through town, or picnic lunch in a park. And if someone invites you to go somewhere or do something, take them up on it if your schedule permits!

If we spend the Feast trying to keep up with all the things going on back home, we can lose out on an important opportunity to pick up on the atmosphere of the Millennium and Kingdom of God as experienced during the Feast.

The physical aspect

For the majority of Feast-goers, keeping the Feast is a physical experience as well. Many people drive there, so they plan by getting the car ready, bringing special snacks for the trip, packing a suitcase, planning the route and maybe even getting a new Bible or notebook to take notes in during the Feast. Those are all appropriate ways to prepare for the Feast—and it’s worth mentioning, appropriate things to spend your second tithe on before the Feast. A tithe means a tenth, or 10 percent. This is the amount of our annual income that God commands we set aside in order to keep the Feast (Deuteronomy 14:22-23).

Then, of course, there’s the physical rejoicing at the Feast itself. In speaking of the tithe that we save in order to keep the Feast, we’re told in Deuteronomy 14:26, “And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.” There’s no doubt; this is one of the easiest commands in the Bible to keep!

While the Feast is, first and foremost, a spiritual event, the reality is that for most, it’s the only time during the year they have the time and a little extra money to get away and do things they can’t do during the year. God wants us to enjoy this time and it’s okay to be more generous in our spending at the Feast. Just remember that in all we do—eating, drinking, playing, etc.—we should do in a way that honors and glorifies God while still sticking to our budget. This is a command to rejoice and celebrate God’s promises for the future.

So, what if you don’t have a lot of tithe money? Maybe you are new to keeping the Holy Days and have only recently begun tithing. Or, what if you aren’t able to travel anywhere for the Feast due to a physical or financial hardship? Do you lose out on this aspect of keeping the Feast?

Not at all. God doesn’t require that we have a lot of money to keep the Feast. In fact, even if you can’t leave home, you can still keep the Feast this year (if you are keeping the Feast at home this year, check out an article I wrote a few years back, at ucg.org/members/united-news/connecting-with-others-from-home). You can also register for the Feast at ucg.org/members/feast/sites/2021/celebrating-the-feast-at-homeonline for resources and support during the Feast while you keep it at home. Or check with your local pastor to see if there is a local or satellite site close by.

What God does require is faithfulness.

If you’ve dutifully kept your tithe, but it isn’t sufficient, or if you’re on a fixed income that does not allow you to tithe, the Church has funds for those in need. Perhaps you can’t afford five-star dining, but sharing a pizza in a hotel room can provide quality time and create memories with friends, old and new.

If you’re an old timer when it comes to Feast-keeping, you have an opportunity to help those new to keeping the Feast. Perhaps they don’t have a lot of money, or just don’t know where to go. An invite to dinner or even to tag along on an outing can make a huge difference in making their Feast special. We picture a time when we will all be a part of God’s spiritual family—and we can start practicing those inclusive, loving family relationships now!

Get ready to keep the Feast!

If this is the first time you’re keeping the Feast, you might not know what to expect. The good news is that those you will be keeping it with have been right where you are! Don’t be afraid to go up to new people, introduce yourself and even tell them it’s your first Feast. Chances are, they’ll have an interesting story about their first Feast, and share what helped them along their journey.

Old timers: look for opportunities to help first timers. If you spot a new person who might seem a little overwhelmed, go out of your way to make them comfortable and help ease whatever fears they might have. And if you spot someone who you know has not kept the Feast in many years, it’s not the time to ask them why. Instead, give them a big smile and let them know how good it is to see them.

By focusing on the spiritual, emotional and physical aspects before we even get to the Feast, we can prepare to rejoice in the manner God has commanded. Whether it’s your first or 45th (like mine!), may this coming Feast be your best Feast ever!