Present day tree.

pleaseresearch

Since leaving and fading. I don't celebrate Christmas but in its place which is sad I know. We have present day. It's not on Christmas day and I know many other JWs have a present day so they don't make their kids feel left out. Which is nice.

My GF never a JW has put up a small tree, tinsel, lights, it looks so nice. Funny that I have this fear that if my mum came and saw it I would say it's out present day tree. Pathetic I know. But the indoctrination in my was huge. I still have this guilt with birthdays and Christmas. This year I will be giving my 13 year old her first real birthday.

days of future passed

Yeah, it's tough to pick up something that doesn't have a past with you. I only know of christmas trees from my neighbor friend across the street when I was growing up. I liked the smell most of all as well as the warm glow from the lights.

I think it's a great idea to have a present day. Nothing wrong with making that your special day.

Xanthippe

Just take your time and celebrate only if you want to. Christmas has become way too commercialized but you don't have to go along with that. We didn't do Xmas the first year. Expensive presents that get you in debt are stupid. Do whatever you want. No one's going to disfellowship you if you dont't join in.

LongHairGal

PLEASERESEARCH:

Even though I can understand some not liking Christmas because it has been commercialized, I always laughed when I heard that Witnesses had a "present day" so their children would not feel deprived. I felt they were just celebrating Christmas on a different day and it seemed rather stupid and just shows how legalistic the stupid religion is. The JW can say: see, we don't celebrate Christmas 🙄

I realize that you have no past with this holiday and it means nothing to you.

But as far as active Witnesses: Just celebrate Christmas for Gods sake! Do it on the QT.

venus

Any festival is a joyous occasion. The word “festival” in one language means “that which makes you feel elevated.”

Doing something that makes you feel elevated can never be wrong under any circumstances—especially so Jesus has categorically declared that there is no distinction of pagan and non-pagan in the eyes of God (Mathew 5:44-48)

Diogenesister

I was dying to post this beautiful link somewhere!Thank you for providing an opportunity. While it's nice to give and receive gifts, Christmas is so much more and the joy, music, companionship is so much better...not to mention the food! Just because Rutherford wanted to create a religion to cover the fact he ran a publishing, D2D book salesforce, Witnesses now have to suffer, as I said previously the only thing they celebrate is wedding anniversaries which I think he forgot to ban since he didn't live with his wife!

https://youtu.be/v5mdybeyLVc

Onager

There are many aspects of Christmas that I don't like, the commercialisation, the lying to children about an invisible person who brings them presents, the over indulgence and so on. On top of that I don't have any cultural background of Christmas traditions, so the tree and the turkey and crackers and tinsel have no resonance for me.

BUT! The glow of the lights in a dark time of the year, the spending time with my (non JW) relatives and seeing their joy at giving our child gifts... is magical. who in their right mind wouldn't want that in their lives??