Christmas?

CBeMe 23 years ago

Info please!
I read somewhere that JW's celebrated Christmas up until about the 1930's. Is this true, and where can I find more information about this?
C

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Celia 23 years ago

I do not have the books right in front of me, but doesn't In Search of Christian Freedom by Ray Franz show a picture of one Christmas celebration at Bethel in the 20s ? And what about Apocalypse Delayed by James Penton ?

Edited by - Celia on 6 October 2002 6:50:40

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CBeMe 23 years ago

Celia-
Thank you. I will look up those books.
C

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Dismembered 23 years ago

CBeMe,

Read the 1975 year book It's in there

Dismembered

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stichione 23 years ago

Check it out in the book by the WTS "Jehovah's Witnesses-Proclaimers of God's Kingdom" (1993). On page 200 you will see a christmas celebration with J.F. Rutherford sitting at the head of the table! That picture was taken in 1926.

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CBeMe 23 years ago

Thank you Dismembered and Stichione,
J.F. Rutherford at a Christmas party. Sweet! I can't wait to see that!
C

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InquiryMan 23 years ago

deleted

Edited by - InquiryMan on 9 October 2002 7:1:8

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Dismembered 23 years ago

*** yb75 147 United States of America (Part Two) *** Yes, in those earlier days, dedicated Christians commemorated birthdays. Well, then, why not celebrate the supposed birthday of Jesus? This they also did for many years. In Pastor Russells day, Christmas was celebrated at the old Bible House in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Ora Sullivan Wakefield recalls that Brother Russell gave members of the Bible House family five- or ten-dollar gold pieces at Christmas. Mabel P. M. Philbrick remarks: A custom that certainly would not be carried on today was the celebration of Christmas with a Christmas tree in the Bethel dining room. Brother Russells usual Good morning, all was changed to Merry Christmas, all.

What caused the Bible Students to stop celebrating Christmas? Richard H. Barber gave this answer: I was asked to give an hour talk over a [radio] hookup on the subject of Christmas. It was given December 12, 1928, and published in The Golden Age #241 and again a year later in #268. That talk pointed out the pagan origin of Christmas. After that, the brothers at Bethel never celebrated Christmas again.

Did we mind putting those pagan things away? asks Charles John Brandlein. Absolutely not. This was just complying with new things learned, and we had never known before they were pagan. It was just like taking a soiled garment off and throwing it away. Next, birthday celebrations and Mothers Day were discardedmore creature worship. Sister Lilian Kammerud recalls: How readily the brothers all dropped these holidays and admitted they were glad to be free. New truths always make us happy and . . . we felt we were privileged to know things that others were ignorant about.

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