by yxl1 33 Replies latest jw experiences
I love xmas..as a matter of fact I think I now own a 51% share of the Mattell Corporation... *LOL* I always have my kids make one or two speacial ornaments a year for my tree and put them up every year...its like an XMAS timeline for me anyway..
Sincerely,
District Overbeer of the "Feliz Navidad" class
Mizpah, I'm sorry you haven't found the reason for Christmas. I agree, the holiday is
definitely overdone and I hate that, but it's the friends, the family, the giving that make
it a truly loving holiday. Throw in a tree, hopefully a real one, with pretty lights, good food and a classic
Christmas tune and you have all the makings of a wonderful celebration that you have created...not that some pagans have created, or any other man has created...I truly hope you will someday find this special season of love.
Do you celebrate birthdays?
I have to agree with the others who have already stated that Christmas is about family... whether its' blood or 'adopted'. Most of my family is 'adopted', and so I enjoy the Christmas holiday associating with them. Oh - and the food at that time of the year is scrumptous!! (Sure beats microwaved bricks)
So... try to readjust your thinking... it doesn't have to be about the Christ and 3 wise men bru ha ha... but it can be a celebration of friends and family. A time to be together.
Regards,
Jim TX
I live on my own so not sure about putting up decorations yet.
After my ex left, and took all the Christmas stuff, I didn't bother with putting up decorations. A tree just takes up space that could be used for boxes of empties. Throw a reith on your door, and that's good enough, and it's easy to take down when Christmas is over. It's not worth the hassle when you're single.
Last Saturday I was in London for my brother birthday party, and we cracked open a bottle of champagne because it was the first time the three of us had been together as non-jws to celebrate.
That's certainly a piece of good news!
I DA'd in June 1994, and at Christmastime that year, Costco had these little tiny potted fir trees (really sharp needles) so I bought one and some red twinkle lights and put them on the tree and around our front window. My husband of 25 yrs at that time (never a dub) nearly dropped his teeth when he saw what I had done. I more that made up for the years of not celebrating, since I had become a JW as an adult, and bought so many ornaments and decorations, I gave about half of them away 3 yrs later, keeping my favorites, of course, and the one that I found in 1995 that said "1994 Our First Christmas." My kids, all grown, are loving it as well as my husband.
My motto is, since I'm out, as long as it isn't immoral, illegal or fattening (well maybe not fattening), go ahead and enjoy it!
Here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, a little early.
Aunthill
Thanks, Gently Feral! We'll have to try some of these. Even more meaningful if we make it ourselves!
We faded out and finally left for good in '97. We had Christmas dinner with one of our son's in laws in '99 and with Princess and family in 2000 and ever since with them. We decided we needed to get in on the fun too.
In 2001, we had a tiny rosemary tree, with teensy ornaments. Last year, we were going to Hawaii at Christmas time so I hung a big garland across the fireplace and put ornaments all over it. Really neat too. I bought lots of gifts.
This year we are having a big artificial pre-lit tree. I've been collecting ornaments and am excited to get it put together. We'll put it up in about 2 1/2 months.
Auntie Jane:
My wife and I no longer wait for a special holiday to celebrate with friends and family. We celebrate for the joy of getting together and sharing our lives... not for an assigned day largely set by commercial interests. To us there is something almost obscene in watching children tear off the wrappings, throw aside the gift and then look for more. In a month, most of the gifts are forgotten or broken.
Our kids who left the organization celebrated Christmas in a big way at first. But we've noticed that they have toned down much of it now. In fact, one of our daughters recently said she "dreads" the thought of another one. We do enjoy the music and lights of the season.
We always thought the decision of the Watchtower Society was arbitrary. We would have respected it more if they had given the reasons why it considered it pagan and unchristian...and then left it up to each individual to make a decision about it.
Do we celebrate birthdays? Yes...especially those of our grandchildren. The one holiday that we do enjoy is Thanksgiving. We never did understand the reason of the Watchtower for eliminating it. It probably was a matter of control. It's the one time when family members, JWs and non-JWs, used to come together as a family. And this was, perhaps, the greatest danger of all.
I do sort of celebrate it because everyone esle around me does. But I don't like it and feel very uncomfortable with the whole idea. Been df'd for 4 years and don't reckon I will ever enjoy christmas.
I've been out for 23 years, and I still have yet to put up my first tree. Of course, we don't have any children in the household, and my (non-JW) parents are dead, so I suppose that makes a difference.
One year, when I was in a particularly mischevious mood, I went down to Walgreen's and bought several long strands of blinking Christmas lights. I took wire hangers out of my closet and fashined them into letters of the alphabet, wrapping the lights around them. Imagine the shock and horror of my neighbors when they saw the word H-U-M-B-U-G blinking festively in my living room picture window!
That's the closest I've ever come to the "holiday spirit".
