JWs and Xmas

by scotsman 10 Replies latest jw friends

  • scotsman
    scotsman

    In today's copy of The Scotsman there's an article on people that don't celebrate Christmas for a variety of reasons and sure enough a witness family are featured. they are spending Christmas Day on the beach in the Canary Islands and after pointing out the fact that the 25th is Christ's birthday go on to say

    "It would be churlish to say that our children are not affected by peer pressure about Christmas, but we feel bigger issues are at stake - independant thought and standing up for what you believe in." and goes on to say:"We do not exchange gifts on 25 December, or choose a different day to do this. To swap one day for another would seem like a sham."

    Most Witness families I know have a 'Present Day', often on the parents wedding anniversary. This is a very well off family, he's a property developer and she has inherited wealth and their four children attend a private school. I wonder why they didn't choose your bog standard family where both parents are cleaners and they claim state benefits. Perhaps the fact that he was on the ill fated PR project he made the well-off, articulate appearance the borg likes.

    ugh.

  • rebel
    rebel

    Scotsman,

    I made that very same point on another thread - the fact that an awful lot of JWs have 'Family Day' - which is just a substitute for Christmas. Some JWs I know even have all the trimmings of Xmas on 25th Dec but insist they are not celebrating it.

    It must be nice to have the money to spend Xmas on a beach in the Canary Islands. I couldn't even afford a weekend at Blackpool, the way my finances are going. And if only 'independent thought, and standing up for what you believe in' were actually allowed by the rulers of the JWs!

    xxR

  • Dizzy Cat
    Dizzy Cat

    Personally, I found it before being a JW and find it now that I am not a JW far more demanding not to celebrate Christmas.

    It is easier to have a tag like - "I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and do not celebrate Christmas", than not to have a tag. People in general require far more information when you step outside of the pigeon-hole as to why you have objections.

    I do remember looking on with a slacked-jaw at some of my brothers & sisters in the truth who failed to completely avoid the celebration. One sister insisted on a turkey meal and an afternoons rest and friends round on Christmas day. Weird behaviour I thought. Although I knew many JWs who were extreme and would not observe any part of the celebration, avoiding it like the plague.

    People are diverse and have their own ways of coping.

    It is not easy to avoid Christmas if you live in the west. Lets face it!

  • scotsman
    scotsman

    It was the claim that they represent a fight for 'independant thought' that bugged the hell out of me.

    I was raised a witness and have to say that not celebrating Christmas never ever bothered me, it always looked tacky And to now be wrapped in tinsel etc just doesn't hold any appeal.

  • moana
    moana

    Happy Holidays everybody!

    Not celebrating christmas is so so hard on young children. especially when it was taken away after you did celebrate. I was told I was selfish and a bad person for wishing for a gift. Even my hubby may say that their holidays were not always perfect. Not even close to what I remember. The good news is that I am now free! Free to bake and exchange gifts and praise Jesus for all the love he has shown me - unconditionally. What a difference!!

    peace & joy

  • bikerchic
    bikerchic

    In 6 more days onacruse and I will be married, YEAH!!!!!....(insert joy and glee) We are looking forward to celebrating every Christmas day with double joy and glee as it will not only be a day the world celebrates (for whatever reason) but it will be our Anniversary! This is the first year either one of us has really celebrated Christmas our whole lives, and what a wonderful Christmas it's going to be!

    Katie (decking the halls.....no wait packing for Vegas!)

  • Vitameatavegamin
    Vitameatavegamin

    I have been wondering lately why JWs are so against Christmas anyway. I was doing some research the other day

    on the history of many of our "worldly" traditions and was suprised to find out that even wedding ceremonies have their

    own "bad" background. It seems that during early wedding ceremonies, the ushers and bridesmaids all wore clothing that

    was similar, (as is done today), because it was believed that the evil spirits would not be able to distinguish them from the

    bride and groom, who were supposed to be protected from evil on their wedding day. Also, the bridal bouquet was filled with

    herbs and different flowers to ward off the evil spirits as well. Even the tradition of having ushers and groomsmen was for

    making sure the bride did not run away as marriages were sometimes forced by kidnappings, and the groom had his men

    to make sure the bride did not leave.

    This is all so interesting to me mainly because the JWs emphasize avoiding anything even remotely tied to pagansism or

    anything "demonic" of any kind. How can JWs pick and choose? If Christmas is so wrong, than why would they allow

    traditional wedding ceremonies to take place in their KHs? I know this is sort of to the extreme reasoning maybe on my part, but

    to me, if they are going to play by their own rules, come on!!! I even researched Mothers Day, Fathers Day, and Thanksgiving,

    and could not find anything negative about any of them. So, why are the JWs so against holidays anyway? What is their big

    beef? Is it just to make a statement for the sake of being different? Take birthdays even. If you, as a JW, are allowed to observe

    the birth of your marriage, than why not the birth of your child? How on earth is this taking anything away from God? How is it

    even a disrespect to him?? I really do not understand their line of reasoning anymore, it is not consistent. Sure, alot of our

    customs are rooted in paganism, but everything had a beginning somewhere in this world, you could go on infinitly about

    where something began. But why does that have to affect the meaning of something today??? Especially when it no longer

    even resembles what the pagans did.

    So, what do you think about these issues????

    Just my commentary.

    Vita

  • Vitameatavegamin
    Vitameatavegamin

    Hello, anyone out there??

  • RandomTask
    RandomTask

    Preaching to the choir Vita!

  • BluesBrother
    BluesBrother

    HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS BIKERCHIC

    To the rest of us who do more mundane things - we go to family (In the "Truth")

    Trouble is that we are not allowed to use the C word , Brother in Law will have it that it is just another day and we only go because we are off work - anything for a quiet life!

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