1st christmas ever (page 2)

dubstepped

Notalone, and drifting away, enjoy your first Christmases. This is our first too. We disassociated so we're already doomed to people that shun us, so they get no say in out lives, which is a relief. The first lights we put up were outside on our porch. I even put a tree out there. All the JWs that know where we live can see, and I don't care. It's awesome to be truly free. It's awesome to see the beauty in the spirit of good people around this time. Do the holidays however you're comfortable and enjoy what they bring to your life. Good for you! I'm 39, my wife is 36. I actually remember the magic of Christmas until I was 8 and my mom started studying. I'm happy to have a measure of it back.

LoveUniHateExams

Enjoy your first Christmas, notalone.

Do as much or as little as you want: Christmas tree, decorations, turkey, presents, cards ...

WTWizard

First time out, you may feel uncomfortable celebrating Christmas. Eventually, you will realize that it is just fine. And, you might even see fit to do it even if you are worshiping the sun, realizing that, without the sun, we would not even be alive. If you have to hide things to prevent the hounders from taking action, by all means do it (though, if you are trying to get out of next summer's Israel mission, you might want to be as blatant as possible and put up some more when they confront you).

Also, don't worry if your displays turn out wimpy the first time out. It is quite normal for people to underestimate how much they need for a decent tree. If your tree is 2 meters tall, you will probably need something like 600 to 2,000 lights to get a real spectacular effect. You will also probably need more than 100 ornaments--many people will pick up 2 or 3 dozen, put them up, then realize it is still wimpy. Yes it is, but it is due to inexperience. I had to put up more than 200 on my tree, and it still looks just fine. Just learn from it, note what was wimpy this time or what went wrong, and plan ahead to fix it in subsequent years. In time, you will get it right--watching YouTube videos about it never hurt anyone.

Also, whether you celebrate it for Jesus, for the fun of it, or you really want to celebrate the sun worship pagan aspect, just go for it. It is a big step away from jokehovianism, and even if you later realize Jesus is not for you, there are so many other aspects of Christmas that you just modify your celebrations to adjust for your beliefs. It will take time, your belief system is likely to change, and there is really nothing to worry about.

One celebration I do NOT recommend, which is too common, is drinking and driving. That is the surest way to have a dreary Christmas and a crappy new year. You get to lose your license, you pay a big fine, you get community service and probably some jail time, and you get a whopper of an increase on your insurance premium when you get your license back. Plus, you risk ending up in the hospital, or hurting someone else in an accident. That surely is the surest way to a dreary Christmas and a crappy new year.

carla

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

corruptgirl

I feel the same way. We are celebrating Christmas this year in hiding but i don't want to do this forver. But at the same time I know when my mom sees a Christmas tree in my house it will break her heart. she might just break down and cry Infront of me and i just keep imagining this. Such a bitter sweet time. I want to go all out next Christmas but i know when i do it will bring some sad, and probably nasty consequences...

Diogenesister

en the Jews were told in Deuteronomy that at their festival they were to be "nothing but joyful".

Where did that go? Modern day JWs are still locked in to the Puritan standards of their modern day founders.

How very true! Utterly puritan in spirit. Even the early Christians celebrated Pentecost, a Jewish celebration. So it's obvious festivities, like circumcision , was neither here nor there to early Christians.

If the dubs are so worried about pagan festival's, why not celebrate Jewish ones therefore.

Congratulations on your first Christmas Notalone - I say to my kids, as an Atheist, I do it for the tribe!

As to why newbies get sucked in to JW distain for Xmas, I think many come from a sad place where it symbolizes loneliness, separation from family ( for immigrants) or from children of divorce it represents conflict. For the poor, of course, it represents the materialistic life they will never attain. Its a different type of person dubs have appealed to this last 20 years I think.

mrquik

Fifty years in; ten years out. Still can't wrap a present; but really enjoy the season. People seem nicer. I've embraced Christmas lights, trees & shopping with the wife. I donate to everyone. Still have to shop for the wife and one daughter.

blondie

My Christmas cards started coming today from JWN. I take them out and hang them on a cord under the mantel (horizontal ones) and vertical ones on the top. It's like you are standing there in the room.

There are many customs for the season and everyone can make it what they want. I have been participating in out groups festivities over the year. We have many Asian people in our neighborhood, Hmong, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim. I find ways to share in their joys.

One thing I learned is that festivities are happier if you have worked out any family problems along the way not thinking they will magically disappear during the season. Instead of making a one time donation to my charities, I calculate for next year's annual amount and donate (tax deductible) and schedule my volunteer time. I have more now that I am retired.

Blondie

Simon

You can make your Christmas whatever you want it to be, you don't have to be super-commercialized (unless you want it to be).

It's very exciting celebrating your first Christmas. I remember buying a mini xmas-tree that lit up and put it on the front window so any passing elder could see it. Fuck 'em.

If anyone questions it or makes an issue, ask them to show you the scripture that bans it.

LisaRose

I hope you have a wonderful first Christmas. It's so sad that such an innocent thing has been so demonized by the organization that the thought that a person might put up a tree is considered a scandal, a major sin. It's a celebration!

I'll never forget the first time I celebrated, it was wonderful. Christmas morning the doorbell rang at 8:00 AM, my husband goes to get it and yells out "Babe, come down, Santa is here!". I go downstairs and sure enough, the fat man is in my living room. We had a Christmas gift get hung up at the post office (they sent a notice, but it slipped behind a table so we didn't see it). A wonderful mail carrier made it his job to deliver all the post packages dressed as Santa. We gave him some cookies and he went on his way.

I'm pretty excited about Christmas this year because my step son, his wife and our adorable two year old granddaughter are coming. We have three grandchildren between us, but unfortunately they all live out of state, so we don't often get to celebrate with any of them.

1st christmas ever

Share this