...but my hangup is Easter. My former church was big on pointing out all the pagan aspects of the "worldly" holiday; the bunnies, the chicks, the easter eggs. Instead, my church typically put on a big production of Jesus' sacrifice, including the cross, a live "jesus", the hammered-in nails. Being the sensitive type, I always cried over the painful sacrifice made for me.
But something was missing. No traditions. No habits. No food. No relating to the cultural patterns around me.
I still am uncertain how I want to celebrate that holiday. But I guarantee I won't be sitting in a memorial service watching the bread and wine pass by.
As time goes by, I see the value of traditions and habits passed down from generation to generation. They serve as an anchor, a connection between generations, passing on warmth and giving on and on and on. Also, children and adults alike have notoriously spotty memories. By focusing on certain dates, we can anchor warm family memories for our children to remember.
Of course, if you have a family that drank and fought through Christmas, that ain't worth remembering.
I frequently tell my JW husband, when he goes off on his "Pagan Christmas" rants, that MY Christmas is not commercial. MY Christmas is full of music and food and fun and crafting and family.
I guess what I am trying to say is, that xJW's can pick and chose the best of traditions. I believe the effort to build new habits is worth it, to rebuild new, warm memories for yourselves and your children.
