Patio:
I think it is wrong for JW's to disfellowship people who want to celebrate holidays. But they are entitled to their oppinions about holidays. There is nothing wrong or neccessarily "cultish" about remaining separate from the world
Holidays
by celebrate 15 Replies latest jw friends
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Mum
Since leaving the borg, my daughter and I are very big on holidays. My granddaughter has always been able to enjoy them. We all look forward to them, not because we get lots of stuff, but because we can all be together and do something nice for one another in a special way. I have always encouraged the kids to give gifts that don't cost anything, such as making coupon books with coupons for free babysitting, cooking dinner, housecleaning, a massage, or whatever the recipient likes.
The special meals and gifts are part of the specialness as well. My granddaughter and I made a beautiful gingerbread house a few years ago. All of us participated in decorating it, and we have fond memories of that time, even though it was a very low point for us financially.
Most of us love to have some sort of family traditions that we keep.
Regards,
Mum -
celebrate
Wasasister! You go girl! As for over-drinking and commercialism, all of us can decide what we want to do. In my house prior to JW we just had fun. No over drinking, gifts in line with budgets, all of the family together. After JW it became a struggle to do anything! My father would say he would give us gifts all year and then remind us that he fed us didn't he! His "daily gift" was breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have to agree, these people think "fun" is a four letter word.
Thank you for all of your wonderful support. I feel so much better just having found this site!
celebrate
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Eyebrow
My 10 year old son is going to carve a pumpkin today for the first time ever. Thank goodness his stepfather had a whole lifetime of holidays, so he has been able to really help us enjoy them!
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Eyebrow
I wanted to add that we never got gifts year round as kids either. But then again, it was really due to the fact my parents didn't have any money. My mother would try to do a toy part once a year in january and get us some stuff. that was always fun!
When my mother was growing up she knew kids in her town that would not get new boots or coats until xmas because their parents could not afford to buy both presents and new clothes. At least we got the clothes and boots when we needed them...either second hand or new!
My kids today do get toys year round. We love to get them stuff! Because my inlaws sometimes go a little overboard on xmas (hey, there are grandparents, I'm not going to let it bother me), I try to limit the number of toys we get them for xmas. On birthdays we take the kid to ToysRUs and let them pick out on birthday toy from mom and dad. Then we usually take them to Chuck E. Cheese or another similiar place so they can share their day with the whole family. (Of course, inlaws give them toys too, but thats fine. Picking out the toy is a real treat for them too!)
Holidays for us have meant getting to spend time with my inlaws. Becasue they live so far away (about 8 hours) we try to go to their house for Tgiving, xmas and Easter. Since most my mother does not celebrate holidays we do not have to worry about hurting feelings as to where we are going. I do have brothers and sisters that celebrate now, but they usually spend it with their inlaws or boyfriend/girlfriend's families.
One thing I want to change this year is having MY nonwitness family come over to our house for a holiday celebration. It has been wierd because my mother lives upstairs. We will invite her too and let her make her own decision.
Do any of you ever invite your JW relatives to holiday events?
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blondie
My experience is that if you have loving friends and family, celebrations like Christmas can enhance that. If you have a dysfunctional family, celebrations like Christmas do not help and can aggravate the situation. One day every year cannot undo the unhappiness of the other 364. Many of us through no fault of our own come from dysfunctional settings. Solutions must come in other ways...a frosted cowpie is still a cowpie.