Jesus Was Jewish, So Why Not Keep Jewish Feasts?

First, Jesus was not the first Christian. A Christian is a follower or disciple of Jesus. To formally become a Christian, one is baptized for the forgiveness of sins and the renewal of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1262ff.). As sinless God, Jesus was not in need of baptism, and his one Sacrifice of Calvary redeemed mankind and provided the grace so that we could personally appropriate that forgiveness in baptism. Jesus did receive the inferior baptism of John the Baptist, though he did so out of obedience, not because he was in need of it.

Catholics actually do keep the Jewish feasts in the most important sense. Recall that Jesus came to fulfill the law, not abolish it (Matt. 5:17-18), although certainly some Jewish customs, including dietary laws, were done away with in Christ’s fulfillment of the law.

The most important Old Covenant feasts were centered around the offering of the Passover (Ex. 12) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) sacrifices. Jesus fulfilled these sacrifices—as well as all Old Covenant sacrifices—in his one Sacrifice of Calvary, and we sacramentally offer anew and partake of Christ’s one Sacrifice at each and every Mass. For more on how that’s possible, see our related response.