Interestingly, it seems that American JWs take more pride in being different, not mainstream etc than their European counterparts. In my old cong, an elder took great pride in decorating the christmas tree at his work. He got praise because it was the best tree ever. In the US, a brother sued the company for making him make a window christmas decoration. Another elder, the PO, who also happens to be director in a company, threw a Christmas party at his work. However, I guess he called it a Year“s End party or whatever. Quite a few witnesses attend christmas parties and even eat birthday cakes as well.
JWs and the holidays at work
by limbogirl 19 Replies latest jw friends
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carla
Basically they do in fact celebrate any holiday, just don't use the words we do to describe the celebration. Or do it a day later or earlier, then it's ok. Talk about a superstitious group!
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willowmoon
If they really didn't celebrate holidays they would offer to work on these 'pagan' days instead of taking advantage of the holiday.
If their place of employment remains open, like a hospital, some do offer to work so their co-workers can celebrate their holiday. Others choose to use days the business is closed to go out in service -- so they are working on that day, doing the important work for Jehovah.
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blondie
I was an employed JW for 33 years. Not once did I insist or ask that others not celebrate, just that I not be included in the parties, not have my work cubicle decorated, not being made to decorate the tree, etc., not having to say Happy Holidays (or Merry Christmas) when I answered the phone. I even volunteered to man the receptionist desk when they went out to their parties. It seems that it is the non-JW management making the decisions not to celebrate, not that the JWs asked that Christmas be canceled for everyone else. That is the pattern I have seen in this area, JWs just asking not to celebrate, not requiring others to refrain. I work with several JWs in a staff of 200 and people still have their cubicles decorated (no nativity scenes though) and they just had a Christmas party. About 1/2 went, about 100 non-JWs did not attend for varoius reasons.
So if Christmas was canceled, it is the management that are at fault in my opinion.
Love, Blondie
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carla
spreading false prophecies is important work of jehovah? wow. news to me. I thought God didn't approve of false prophets.
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blondie
As far as taking the day off, many companies require that everyone be gone that day, they close the doors.
Sometimes it is possible to switch the day off to another day if the company is a 365-day operation such as hospitals, law enforcement, etc. I know of JWs that volunteer to work the holidays and take off at other times if the company allows it.
I know of places where the Jewish and Muslim holidays are days off from school and work.
Blondie
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rebel8
In some states it is illegal to continue discussing or promoting religious ideology in the workplace after a person complains.
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carla
In some states it is illegal to continue discussing or promoting religious ideology in the workplace after a person complains. This does not seem to apply to jw's though. They continue to leave their literature in lunch rooms, etc... Many even continue to discuss with non jw's even after being warned by management not to. If they get fired for it, they can be the hero for a little while at the local hell. Laws don't apply to them in their own minds.
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loosie
I had a co worker ask me once why don't I work on Christmas. It was a silly question because, we weren't open on Christmas. My job required I call toher business and they weren't open on Christmas. She also gave me a hard time about accepting the Christmas bonus $$. The funny thing she was Jewish. She also took the day off. At least I believe in the man who season is for, she did not.
Now I work in a different industry. We are open on the holidays. I work on that day and all the other holidays so that co-workers who feel those holidays are important to them don't have to work that day.
But what bugs me is the bell ringer standing outside of Wal-mart saying "Merry Christmas". Assuming everyone agrees with him. Would Wal-mart allow him to stand there ringing his bell and collect money if he was saying something else, Such as "long live Allah"?
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misspeaches
There is a JW working at one of the Govt departments in my city. She refused to go to the Christmas party last year so this year it became a End of Year Party. But to keep the party theme it was decided to be a dress up affair. The vote was between 'Gods & Monsters' or 'Las Vegas'. The idea is that whichever theme was decided upon you are to dress up in costume accordingly. Las Vegas won. Will the JW go dressed in Las Vegas typical clothing?