Perhaps one of the most innocuous of the "pagan" holidays witnesses are taught to avoid is the American holiday
of Thanksgiving. Without going into the Thanksgiving story, if there is one, be assured that JW children steadfastly
avoid drawing turkeys and pilgrims for school credit in late November. Probably the best explanation these young
ones can give their peers for non-participation is that it's "against their religion". I doubt congregation elders
could clearly explain their anti-thanksgiving stand if called upon.
With that backdrop, my extended family, all strong JW's, celebrated a de facto Thanksgiving during my teen years
and probably even after I left to pioneer in the extremities. I was a 4th generation JW on my father's side, a 3rd on
my mother's. Each side had an anointed patriarch, matriarch. Attending the dinner were the equivalent of elders, an ex-
circuit, zone servant, etc., and their offspring.
My affable Uncle Gene and his Catholic wife Ann hosted the event. They owned the largest home in our extended family, a
house Gene had built with his own hands. Gene, too, had been raised a JW, actually serving time in the penetentiary during
WWII for his refusal to bear arms. After prison, he never went back to the religion. Gene had a ready laugh, would talk
about anything but religion. He treated my anointed grandfather A.J. with deep respect calling on him to say "grace" on the
meal. What a meal it was! Ann singlehandedly made every conceivable dish. She tried to accommodate individual "favorites".
Anyone viewing this gathering on Thanksgiving Day would see it for what it actually was. But, as JW's, we rationized it on
so many levels: turkey was "cheap". Everyone is off work. While the "girl's wash dishes, let's see what's on TV(football). My
relatives Russ, Roselie, Joe, Doris, any of us would have been horrified to think anyone would view this as compromising our
faith.
As an adult with my own family, we followed the same tradition. I always bought a turkey near Thanksgiving. It was cheap or
even "free" with purchase. We might have cooked it a day or so early, but we always had leftovers at least during NFL football.
Any other JW's do similarly?
tms
ps: My uncle Gene became very successful in business, although he lived beneath his means. He routinely flew associates to
Alaska on fishing trips. He crashed his plane into Puget Sound in the 70's. Ann was left with the two children they adopted
and a surprise son of their own.