Why don't Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate birthdays, holidays, etc.?
915829
we don't celebrate these things becase they aren't bible based teachings. the only account of birthdays in the bible were bad. plus birthdays are associated with spiritism which is shunned in the bible. with holidays most of these have a pagan origin. next time one us come to your door as a favor for me ask them your questions and really listen to their answer.
760591
I dont celebrate mine.\nBut birthdays were supposed to just make the kids happy, and help them take count of how old they are. and remember their birthdays! for an adult, dont see the point really!
886060
Other than th usual ones we celebrate annually.\nHappy divorce (sort of a contradiction in terms isn't it?)\nSome people now go through a divorce ceremony.
1022376
They don't celebrate the Christian holidays, because they are all based on Pagan holidays:\nAll Souls (saints) Day, Halloween/Samhain\nChristmas/Yule, WInter Solstice\nEaster/Oestre\nGroundhog Day (I know, not Christian)/Imbolc\n\nRejection of Holidays\n\nOne of the more well-known practices of the Jehovah's Witnesses is their non-celebration of holidays. All holidays, including birthdays, are considered "pagan holidays" and may not be observed by Witnesses. The official website of the Jehovah's Witnesses explains:\n\n    Jesus never commanded Christians to celebrate his birth. Rather, he told his disciples to memorialize, or remember, his death. (Luke 22:19, 20) Christmas and its customs come from ancient false religions. The same is true of Easter customs, such as the use of eggs and rabbits. The early Christians did not celebrate Christmas or Easter, nor do true Christians today.\n\n    The only two birthday celebrations spoken of in the Bible were held by persons who did not worship Jehovah. (Genesis 40:20-22; Mark 6:21, 22, 24-27) The early Christians did not celebrate birthdays. The custom of celebrating birthdays comes from ancient false religions. True Christians give gifts and have good times together at other times during the year. {1}
217856
The only person I celebrate is Jesus at Christmas time, and show honor and respect at Easter. More than once I've had people mad at me for not celebrating pagan holidays. Sorry, don't do idols or false gods.
736880
Ironically, all evidence shows that early Christians did not celebrate the anniversary of Christ's birth at all, and did not even feel the need to record the month, much less the date. In parts of the 13 colonies of the United States, Christmas was outlawed as a pagan celebration with no connection to true Christianity.\n\nToday, there are some Christians who recognize the true nature of so-called "Christmas" and imitate the example of the apostles and other early Christians. Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians; they teach that Christ was and is divine and of the same nature as God.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses teach that no salvation occurs without Christ, that accepting Christ's sacrifice is a requirement for true worship, that every prayer must acknowledge Christ, that Christ is the King of God's Kingdom, that Christ is the head of the Christian congregation, that Christ is immortal and above every creature, even that Christ was the 'master worker' in creating the universe!\n\nJehovah's Witnesses love and respect and honor Christ.\n\nBut Christmas does not celebrate Christ; it celebrates the pagan Saturnalia. Jesus was not even born in December. Nearly all so-called Christmas customs dishonor Christ.\n\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/19981215/article_02.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20001215/\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_01.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/19981215/\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm\n\n\nBy contrast, it's tragic that the one holiday Christ actually *DID* ask Christians to commemorate is entirely ignored by almost all of Christendom. It is, of course, the Memorial of Christ's death, sometimes called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Evening Meal".\n\n(1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NWT) The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup.. Keep doing this... in remembrance of me.” \n\n(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.” \n\n\nChrist Jesus himself personally celebrated and explained the significance of that Last Supper to his followers (see Matthew 26:26-29). Christians who commemorate the Last Supper have done so on the same Jewish calendar date as Jesus did, Nisan 14, which generally falls between late March and mid-April. Interestingly, Christians in the centuries immediately after Christ's impalement were sometimes called "Quartodecimans" which literally mean "Fourteen-ers", because the early Christians were well-known for this true holy day.\n\nHow would Jesus feel to learn that the holiday he commanded was widely ignored, while his so-called followers chose to celebrate a pagan false god and their own traditions of men? We don't need to wonder.\n\n(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”\n\nLearn more:\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/lmn/article_08.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/jt/
469990
Heh. Heh. I didn't know athiests believed in holidays. Oh wait, that's Jehovah's Witnesses. My bad. LOL
1144128
Scripture doesn't mention Jesus's birthdate or any christians celebrating His Birthday. The only birthday mentioned besides Pharoah is the heathen king Herod. "Christmas" means "mass of Christ"; the celebration coexisted in Rome before there was any in Jerusalem. The early Roman Church however did establish a pagan festival that (Jer.10) coexisted with Jesus's Birth and that was the birthday of the sun god. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., article: "Christmas"). The Catholic sources admit that Christmas didn't co-exist with the earliest festivals. Jesus wasn't born Christmas; even scripture makes this evident. "On the night of Jesus's birth, the shepherd's were still keeping watch over their flocks." (Luke 2:8). The rainy season in Ancient Israel began after the Feast of Tabernacles which generally is early October. In November, it would be cool and wet; the flocks from the pasture had already been brought and kept in winter quarters by the shepherds. This tells us the shepherds were no longer in the fields at night. Another peice of evidence is overlooked is in Luke 1:35-36; it tells us John the Baptist was born to Mary's cousin Elizabeth six months before Jesus. And as we look further in verse 5-17, we see Zacharias an elderly priest burning incense on the altar and then an angel appearing to him and telling him that he and his wife would have a son to prepare Christ's Way. We know however when this announcement was made by the angel because of Zacharias was "of the course of Abijah" Please look at 1Chron.24:1-19; it tells us that King David divided these priests into 24 "courses" that served in the temple by rotation. The Course of Abijah would be the 8th of the 24 courses which usually would occur around the end of May. Pentecost came the week after the 8th course served and he had to serve all 24 courses during the three festival seasons. So Zacharias came home approximately after the first week of June; in which John the Baptist was conceived around mid-June and 9 months later would be his birth. John Baptist's birth came around mid-March while Jesus's was around mid-September. Also notice every year people claim 3 wise men seen Jesus in a stable; is this really true? The Bible nowhere states "3 wise men" or "that the wise men visited Jesus in a stable". Read for yourself: (Matt.2:11); these Magi came from the east beyond the Euphrates River which in the 1st century was called the Parthian Empire (the eastern border of the Roman Empire). \n\nI can't finish this: so you would have to see it on:\nhttp://community.webshots.com/photo/271589370/1342393463049373547FazWzQ
1135184
You are making a big acusation......are you talking about one denomination in particular.  I agree that is the case with a denomination I am familiar with.....but tell me what reason would Pagans have for celebrating Christmas?
734660
Maybe because it's a Pagan holiday? Don't say it's stupid before asking him the details of why. I personally don't like how commercialized the holiday has become. It's not about spending money, it's about spending time with your loved ones. It's Jesus' birthday, not ours, so exchanging material is so very trife.
928294
WoW! It's unbelievable how some get so angry over this question.! I don't actually care what it's called; winterval or otherwise. I know it's not popular, but...here goes anyway.....\nDecember 25th, according to the Bible, (which is the ultimate and true word, on this subject and all others,) This date, has Pagan origins, and was declared to be Christ's birthday, by humans. The truth, which as Christians, we should be seeking, is that Christ was actually born in the Fall of the year, (Feast of Trumpets and Feast of Tabernacles Holy Days, are the time of the year when Christ was actually born.) Dec. 25th is the date that Mary was Immaculately conceived, BTW)\nMost people dont want to hear this; it's too hard to change some beliefs. BUT God does tell us to worship in Spirit and in Truth...soooo.... I guess it will be offensive to some! That's the way the Christmas cookie crumbles!\nThese facts about Jesus' real birthday have absolutely nothing to do with being politically correct...They were Biblical and true, before all this nonsense about stuff like that. \nAnyone who seeks the truth about Jesus' birthday, can read it in the Bible; those of us who know that December 25th is not His birthday, have already proved it to ourselves, and find comfort in knowing the truth that Christ has allowed us to know. \nIt's not about taking away a "religious" holiday....It's fine with me if people celebrate Dec 25th, no matter what it's called...but....in reality, since it's not Christ's birthday, it's just a tradition, a fun one perhaps, once you get thru all the hassles involved with shopping, the greed of the merchants, the expectations of what you're going to receive, the stress, not to mention the bills and the cookies that didn't turn out, and the commercialism! \nSo...call it anything...doesn't matter anyway...and I hate to be a party pooper..but Christ doesn't belong in it to begin with...\nWhy not just call it a WinterFest, and be done with it ? That's all it is, anyway!!!
431785
Who cares, everyone has a birthday - no one can anticipate when that will be - you are born when you are born - just because you are born on a national holiday - does not make you any more special than the next person... why do people ask such questions?
635961
The fact that the date of Jesus’ birth is not mentioned in the Scriptures, although they are explicit about the date of his death, should be a warning to Christians. It is not that this date was not known to Bible writers. Instead, it is as if it were deliberately ignored, almost as if it were purposely hidden. \nNothing in the Sacred Scriptures—not even one word—indicates that we should celebrate Christ’s birthday. Indeed, had it been intended that we do so, the Divine Record would at least have given the date. Nor is the lack of that date an oversight. These Bible writers had the holy spirit that Christ had promised, and that spirit reminded them of all the necessary things. \nJesus had told them: “But the helper, the holy spirit which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you.”—John 14:26.\n\nExactly to the contrary of this day that owes so much to paganism is the one celebration that Christians are told to keep. That celebration is not of Jesus’ birth, but of his death. The date is precise—the date of the Passover, Nisan 14 according to the Jewish calendar. It comes, not in the winter, but in the springtime. \nRegarding this new celebration that Jesus instituted, he said: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19) That statement was never made about Jesus’ birth. The commemoration of his death, in the springtime, is the only ceremony the Bible commands Christians to keep.\n\nAuguste Hollard truthfully says in Les Origines des Fêtes Chrétiennes: “The first Christians did not even have the idea of celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Jesus: the anniversary of his death interested them much more, as well as that of his resurrection, that is to say of his victory over death.”
1171686
Good point.\nHowever, the Jews don't have the practice of B.C. / A.D.\nThey are in the year 6 thousand and something.\nImagine how important a person must be considered to divide historical eras based on his birthday.
876986
Now that you're an adult, it's okay for you to know that many many people do not care to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  \n\nThink of youself as a minority and imagine everyone wishing you the gift of 72 virgins from Allah.  Would you get sick and tired of it after two months of being inundated with "the season?"  Every time you pay for a purchase, the clerk wishes you 72 virgins from Allah.  How long can you continue to be courteous?\n.
221488
A lot of religions don't allow caffeine because they don't allow anything that alters your natural state of being.  I don't know about the dancing and birthdays thing.  I knew a woman at my first job with a little daughter and they didn't celebrate her birthday and I was always so sad for her.  I mean, what harm could it do?  I could see not giving gifts to teach them not to value it, but not even a cake???
233047
A friend of mine is a Jehovah Witness, and according to him, it's a sin to honor anything that has to do with mortal man. If it's a birthday, it's a sin to honor it. because it has to do with some one. Same as Christmas. But it doesn't seem to be a sin when they knock on your door and can't take no for a answer