by Aussie Oz 4 Replies latest jw friends
I once new a elder and family that did not celebrate birthdays of course, BUT did give the kids gifts for their 'personal anniversary' ! On the day.
so i was wondering if some JW do this little trick at christmas time and give it some name twist as well.
Oz
After-Xmas clearance week is 'celebrated' by almost all JWs I know in one way or another........ ( as is Black Friday)
As for B-days........ I think it varies among generations.
I don't know a JW parent in my 'generation' of born/raised who doesn't gift on or near their child's B-day (cuz doing it the preceding or following weekend doesn't count, like having Thanksgiving-like dinner on Friday doesn't count). I think the revolt is due to the strictness of our upbringings, as many didn't even know their date of birth until 1st grade.
Converts almost always seem to be the only ones who are strict adherents.......
I call this "clean labelling". This is when you do the same things, with a different name. Very often, they will pick a different day, and have presents wrapped in plain white paper instead of the pretty (and sometimes expensive) wrapping paper or gift boxes. Sometimes they will pick a day in the middle of January, after they can get things off price, for this day. Occasionally, there will also be some of the other trappings--eggnog, Easter candy, and turkey. It will never be called Christmas, nor will there be Christmas music or decorations. Occasionally, they will pick out some "seasonal" music or "seasonal" decorations and display those, as well.
In fact, there is a wide disparity of tolerance for this practice within congregations. Some are liberal, even tolerating people driving around to look at the Christmas lights. And they will allow people to sing "winter" songs (you know, those "Christmas" songs that actually glorify winter instead of the holiday itself). Other congregations have zero tolerance--and you will get an all-expense paid trip to the back room for driving around looking at the Christmas lights or singing winter themed songs.
What I predict one day is that the Filthful and Disgraceful Slavebugger is going to get wind of this practice. I am looking for the Washtowel article that cracks down hard on clean label holiday or birthday celebrations. It will feature the illustration of a little poison in your water (the holiday is the "poison"), or it will extend "celebrating Christmas" to include this kind of gift giving dates. They will ask "Would you put up the Christmas tree in July, reasoning that it is not celebrating Christmas since you are doing it in July instead of December" to put a stop to off-day gift giving.
WTWizard is right......
However even when the WTS does this type of article.....I can't help but drawl from my observations reading the uber-demanding "God's Love" book .........how the conservatives are salivating in validation but the liberals are only giving lip-service and going about their lives as usual.
Last night's meeting highlighted being 'honest' on reports of FS or when applying for 'privileges'..........the comments from the biggest fudging offenders where of strict partyline and commended by the conductor............according to one of my friends at this morning FS the conservatives were going on about how timely the message was and vowing to discontinue rounding up feeling ashamed to have done so in the past, my friends also gave lip-service and than volunteered to resume the eastern territory in zeal to the point of forsaking the late afternoon meetup, no they were going to call the brother tonight with their report!.........(and than left the Brothers house and drove home).
The WTS is back at a point in history where they need a new schtick, something that creates zeal for converting and remaining 'not of this world'. No "Knorr" could have ever happened without a 'Rutherford' massive dumping of Russell and rebranding of the WTS.
My mum and dad nicked a trick of an elder's family and gave me and my brother a massive present each in the middle of summer and called it "Present Day".
Now my mum's just rang bless her and said she'll give me £20 for after Christmas to buy some shoes with in the sales lol! I'm gonna take it as a Christmas present anyway :)
