Holidays

eyes_opened

Hi all,

I know this has probably been covered a bunch...but here I go anyway lol. How many of you guys who have been out of the org. for a while, now celebrate the holidays? If not why? I'm not sure what I will do yet but I would like to at least let the kids have their birthdays. I don't know what pagan origins are behind birthdays, but for me my boys are a miracle and would love to be able to celebrate the day they were brought into the world...to me it's as joyous an occasion, more actually than the day of my wedding.

Looking forward to your thoughts and experiences

Eyes

Blackcat

hi eyes-opened, been out of the org. 12 yrs, and for the first 7 never celebrated birthdays and christmas etc. but once i become a dad that all changed (even though i was riddled with guilt).Your mind is so brainwashed in the org. its hard to enjoy a normal life at first until you realise that making your childrens life magical and enjoyable as much as possible is the most important thing while they are young, and if it involves birthdays etc. SO WHAT...

normie67

I'm still "IN" and still enjoy St. Pattys Day!!!!!!!!
Is that wrong????

normie

philo

EO,

I 'do' any and every celebration which comes my way. I especially love a carnival, or something macabre like Guy Fawkes. The Teneriffe carnival is great and I was there (by chance) with my wife (now ex). We were both witnesses but as we were on holiday we could enjoy the party without looking over our shoulders.

I also went to midnight mass at the local cathedral this christmas. That was awesome, but not overly spiritual an experience for me.

philo

unanswered

both my wife and i have been out for several years. i personally think that holidays are not celebrated for religous reasons very often anymore, but since i grew up a witness and never had them, i don't really miss them. however, around thanksgiving, turkeys are cheap, my friends and i have time off work and it's great opportunity to get together and feast on something we don't eat very often. my point is, i usually don't have a reason to observe the holidays, but if i do, such as the nephew's and niece's birthdays or thanksgiving, i have no problem with it. as far as the birthdays, it is part of their life, and i don't want to miss it.

eyes_opened

lol, so funny almost every JW I know including my family always had turkey dinner with all the fixin's on or around Thanksgiving yum!
My mom use to feel bad that we didn't get christmas too, so every so often she would just go out and buy us a bunch of presents and wrap em up and it would be like christmas without the tree and decorations.

eyes

Moridin

I personally have found that "paganism" was THE first religion and christianity irradicated any and all evidence of how christianity was an offshoot of "paganism". So to make a long story short I find nothing wrong with any holidays.

Angharad

We just celbrated our first christmas, we didn't go into all the rituals - but seeing the kids faces light up when they saw their presents was great. Also it did Liam the world of good going to school and joining in with everything. He was so proud when he brought home the christmas tree that he had made.

They also loved going shopping for a present for Simon, for his birthday.

Were making up for lost time.

Edited by - angharad on 1 March 2001 6:52:47

Englishman

EO,

As we dont celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK, we tend to have a 10 day celebration blitz over Christmas before returning to work around Jan 3rd. It`s no fun for JW kids being left out of everything for such a long period of time either.

Last year I was frequently asked why we refer to December 26 as Boxing day, so here is the explanation:

Boxing Day

"In English-speaking countries, the day following Christmas Day is called 'Boxing Day'. This word comes from the custom which started in the Middle Ages around 800 years ago: churches would open their 'alms boxes- (boxes in which people had placed gifts of money) and distribute the contents to poor people in the neighbourhood on the day after Christmas. The tradition continues today - small gifts are often given to delivery workers such as postal staff, refuse collectors, milkmen and children who deliver newspapers. Boxing day is also a major day of sport in England."

Regards,

Englishman.

eyes_opened

Hey Englishman,

I'd always wondered what Boxing day was! Thanks for the explanation

Angharad,

That's great! Sounds like you had a wonderful time It must be a very liberating feeling. Bet you took lots of picture! <btw Liam is one of my all time favorite names> I have decided not to tell the school anything about the holidays I think. School is hard enough nowadays without singling the kids out for special treatment. I remember being in school as a JW kid and getting sent to the library for every party they had. How embarrassing! Don't want my two to have to go through that.

Eyes

Holidays

Share this