WHAT DO JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES DO ON CHRISTMAS DAY ? (page 3)

Quendi

I remember one family in my Boulder, Colorado congregation who had a big spread on Christmas Day and invited a number of the friends over. We all had a great time. Before I moved to Colorado, I spent Christmas afternoon with my fleshly family who were not Witnesses. My mother prepared a big Christmas dinner. When I asked the elders about the propriety of my being there, the answer they gave shocked me. "By all means you should go," they said. "This is a way of honoring your parents and sharing real family love with them and your siblings. The fact this takes place on Christmas Day is irrelevant." They said the same thing about my having Thanksgiving dinner with the family too. This was in the Deep South where family ties are very strong. I learned later that many Witnesses spent part of the holidays with their relatives that way.

Now I'm out. I still don't celebrate Christmas because I happen to agree with Jehovah's Witnesses' take on the celebration. Christ wasn't born on 25 December. The day marks the lengthening of daylight hours in the Northern Hemisphere. But when I get an invitation to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner from friends, I always accept. They want me to be part of their family gathering, and I'm honored that they consider me a family member. So I go for that reason and to validate my love for them. But I also give my friends and family gifts throughout the year. I'm sure many non-Witnesses do the same, but I also believe that many people only get gifts on Christmas or their birthday, and that's too bad.

I like to acknowledge natural seasons, cycles, and rhythms. So the solstices and equinoxes are important to me. I don't have a ceremony or ritual celebration on those days, but I'm thinking about how I can make them special occasions.

Quendi

Two Christmas seasons stand out for me. They occurred in 1997 and 2001. I was still a Witness, but was visiting non-Witness friends for the holiday season. They respected my take on Christmas and never pressured me to "celebrate" anything. In fact, they didn't have much to do with Christmas Day itself. What made these two occasions radically different for me was that I was in South Africa. Down there, Christmas occurs in summer and people spent the day either having a braai (barbecue) or going to the beach!

For my South African friends, the big day was actually 26 December, "Boxing Day". The family gathered for a big feast and made merry all day long. In honor of my first visit in 1997, they even served turkey breast, a rather exotic item for them. Otherwise, the table was laden with all kinds of South African dishes and I ate until I was stuffed. They had a Christmas tree and the grandkids got presents, and it was simply a wonderful family celebration and occasion. When I returned in 2001, they had a similar celebration.

We talked a lot about how Christmas was celebrated in our two countries. The South Africans talked about how crazy it was for people to paint snow and snowflakes on their windows and seeing poor men roasting to death dressed up as Santa Claus in the broiling summer sun. On the other hand, they were all ears when I told them about the number of "White" Christmases I had seen in Colorado. People go skiing and snowboarding here on that day as well--something unknown in South Africa. I think for all of us it was quite the cultural exchange, and one we thoroughly enjoyed.

Quendi

NeonMadman

We did the movie theater and Chinese food thing with friends. In fact, we still do that now (in addition to other means of Christmas celebration that we now enjoy). Somehow it just feels right.

OnTheWayOut

JW's do the same as the Jews on Christmas Eve.

I couldn't find a youtube of this, I hope the link works:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/1373/saturday-night-live-christmas-for-the-jews-song

Violia

I find the holidays to be much less sad now. The reason is the TV and radio just do not have non-stop Christmas programs on like they did when I grew up or even in my early adulthood. For instance, they used to show " It's a wonderful life" and I watched it every year. Now you are lucky if you can find it showing. Many shops don't have Christmas decorations up anymore out of sensitivity to other religions type stuff. What about sensitivity to most of America who does celebrate Christmas ? I looked and only 1-2 people on our street put up lights.. Very sad. We do have a number of church of Christ and I believe they also don't celebrate Christmas.

I do not want to live in some sad sack PC world where we can't celebrate Christmas b/c it might offend our non Christian neighbors.

Glander

Just a question, What is the ambience of Christmas down-under? Up here in the NH snow and winter themes are a huge part of the holiday.

Do the merchants in Sydney, etc. paint frost, ice-cicles and snowmen in their shop windows in the middle of summer?

kazar

I always spent Christmas with my relatives who were non JW. They would buy toys for my kids which made me feel better since Iwouldn't buy them toys as presents as a matter of conscience. Even though it was splitting hairs it took the pressure off me. I always felt guilty depriving my children of the happy time Christmas brings. Since I was Catholic (where Christmas is a big celebrated holiday) before I became JW convert I was aware of the holiday spirit surrounding the Christmas season.

MrFreeze

My dad was not a dub so he would usually go over his mom's house. My mom didn't really fight it. Being raised a Catholic, she knows what holidays mean to people.

"They only get presents once a year". Twice if you count birthdays...

Funny, I don't remember receiving very many gifts as a child.

Quendi

@Glander:

I don't know how Christmas is observed in Australia, but in South Africa they went all out. Christmas trees, Christmas lights, fake snow, the whole nine yards. I saw shops and restaurants with snow and snowflakes painted on the windows and other winter motifs used for decoration. My South African friends thought it all absolute nonsense. I could see their point. Christmas occurs in early summer down under, not early winter. There's no chance of snow or even frost. But since so many in those countries trace their ancestry back to the northern hemisphere, it isn't too surprising that northern Christmas customs and decorations are still observed and used.

Quendi

shepherd

"We listened to my mom tell us.. How all those poor happy worldly kids,can only get presents once a year..''JW`s can give presents all year loooooong''.."

I was told this all the time as well. But actually even that was a big lie. Without the official days for gifts, like birthdays and Christmas, there was nothing to prompt my parents into action. We hardly ever got gifts, and many other kids I knew in the Org. were in the same boat.

I did go to an elder's house once and see a normal 'Christmas' scene - Turkey and Christmas Crackers, decorations up. They explained it all away by saying they were celebrating their wedding anniversary...ha

WHAT DO JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES DO ON CHRISTMAS DAY ?

Share this