Did you return to celebrating holidays? (page 4)

Casper

Sure did,

felt guilty as hell at first tho....but it gets easier with time.

Cas

jambon1

New Year & Birthdays. Xmas is a crock of Yank, over hyped shit.

I'm like Baba Yaga, never celebrated as I was brought up a JW. The nice thing is that, having given up the brainwashing of the JWs, I don't have to buy into a different set of brainwashing and feel obligated to celebrate all the holidays. I can pick and choose. I like Christmas because of the time of year, the lights and colors, the music and the festive atmospher. I like making fruitcakes and giving them to friends. I like the parties and the cheerfulness. I don't think adults need gifts and in my group of friends we all agree on that, so there's no sense of obligation to buy gifts. I like Thanksgiving because I like the lavishness of the meal and the sense of camaraderie and celebration. As for the rest, eh, they don't appeal to me.

Namaste

I was born in, married a nonJW but still didn't start celebrating until my son was born. My husband was great the first few years about me not being comfortable about celebrating anything but once our little guy came along I wanted to create those memories for him.

My husband talks about all the great birthdays and holidays he had as a kid and I didn't want my son to miss out so we have been having a blast. I have very few memories of good times and/or parties as a kid and I think that is really sad.

My parents are not invited to my house during December as it also includes my son's birthday. I do a faux Thanksgiving dinner with them and then shoo them away until the new year.

It will be interesting this year as we are attending a family reunion over the 4th of July and all the relatives except for my parents are nonJW's. They were warned there would be a celebration and fireworks and they said they were okay with it, so we'll see. My little guy I'm sure will be running around with a good ole American flag in his hand

As for never being able to enjoy them if you start, pshaw! It just takes practice and then it gets really fun!

uninformed

The modern day ORIGIN of Jehovah's Witnesses was as a spiritistic offshoot of 7th Day Adventist.

(I.E.--Pyramidology, connections to Masons, etc)

When we left, after 45 years of being devout witnesses, we decided that our view of holidays had been honed by the Watertower Binder and Tractor Sales, and that we were not going to be influenced AT ALL by their teachings.

I feel that Christmas, regardless of origin at least reminds people of Jesus Christ a lot more than going to the Kingdom Hall.

We are happy.

If we die, we die happy.

Brant

garybuss

I was raised by lunatic Witness parents, so I never got to celebrate anything except the release of the latest religious fiction book. Now, I celebrate anything and everything with anybody at any time.

shamus100

Sure.

Not big on birthdays for myself - RIGHT MINIMUs! (just kidding), in fact, could care less - kids, of course, christmas, toys for kids, adults get nothing, easter, I eat some chocolate eggs at work to celebrate my chocolate Jesus rising from the grave, er, um, whatever....

Yeah, ya ya.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wfamPW3Eaw

Click on the link if you dare.

Free

It's only been a week since I found this fourm. My story is a long one but some have been through the mill worst then me as I can see. It was only about 1 month ago I read Ray's first book and finished it in less than a week ( I'm on his second right now ) It took me over a year after I stopped attending meetings before I could look at anything objective about the WTS which happend to be that book. Being the only one, In the last couple day's I have told my family that I was sorry for what I had put all of them through and that I am done after 10 years of being involved with the organization and I am NEVER going back, I now can only imagine how hurt they must have been and frustrated, all the holidays etc...The tears flowed down my face as I tried to explain why. They all knew that I had stopped going over a year ago because I had made some appearances on some holidays in that time (still didn't give any gifts) and had also given some hints but never said nothing at all until now. They all said it was OK and that now we can move on. I know some of your families have been torn in two though and I feel for you. I must admit I was hesitant at first about the fourm (APOSTATE) has been etched in my brain, but we are NOT that ugly word, we are normal intelligent people who just got caught up in something bigger than ourselves. Bitter? yes we are, Hurt? of course but the past can not equal the future and we all must move on. Thank you, for my healing has begun and may yours continue. All of you. Thanks for listening

That was one of my first few posts, and Yes I did go back to celebrating holidays,only thing is for the last 8 years of my Grandmothers life she didn't see one of her most favorite Grand Children around on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day etc. My family have never even said a word about my fuck up since the day I apologized Unfortunately my Grandma never got to here it, Glad everybody else did. My family has shown true love . fuck up= Getting involved with a Christian Fundamentalist Cult that tells you your worldly family is part of Satan's world.

Alwayshere

Did so right away.

Did you return to celebrating holidays?