Why don't Jahovah's Witnesses celebrate holidays?

Answer 1

They don't celebrate the Christian holidays, because they are all based on Pagan holidays:
All Souls (saints) Day, Halloween/Samhain
Christmas/Yule, WInter Solstice
Easter/Oestre
Groundhog Day (I know, not Christian)/Imbolc

Rejection of Holidays

One 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:

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.

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}

Answer 2

Because most holidays were take from pagan tradition in order to convert more pagans to Christianity. For example, Dec. 25th was the day of the sun god.
If it is pagan in any way it cannot be christian therefore not a good idea to celebrate
Personal birthdays also are a thing which was not celebrated by early christians and in fact the one birthday party I know of in the bible had a nasty little outcome (beheading of John the Baptist). Christ didn't even celebrate his birthday (we don't even know that date!) so by all these reasons, they are not celbrated by the JWs
I will say that I think everything those ppl do have a basis in the Bible.

Answer 3

As far as birthdays go, they say that the only examples of birthdays in the Bible led to deaths (Pharoah's birthday, Genesis 40:20 and Herod's birthday, Matthew 14:6). However, Pharoah's baker wasn't an innocent man; neither are these the only examples of birthdays. Job's children gathered on their birthdays (Job 1:4; cf. Job 3:1), and there is nothing suggesting any sin on their behalfs.

Most religious holidays are "inherited" from pagan ancestry (ie. Easter, Christmas, Halloween), and so they avoid them.

As for national holidays, they refuse to acknowledge any allegiance to any nation, and so do not celebrate Independance Day or Thanksgiving.

Answer 4

They believe that holidays are pagan in origin and therefor dont participate. They dont celebrate birthdays because King Herod was celebrating his birthday when he sent Christ to the cross. Flawed logic of course. Some holidays do have a pagan history but it is the modern meaning and substance that is poored into them that is important. We dont live in a world were one wicked time on a particular day makes all the rest the same. Remember the word holiday comes from HOLYday.

Answer 5

They know they come from the pagan worship and are smart enough not to want to be a part of it. Do you really think Jesus was born on December 25, in the middle or winter? No way. If you know anything about things that go on over in that part of the world, you will know it was just not the time of year for it to be. Shepherds would not be out in the field that time of year. It is made up for the goddess christa, Easter is from the pagan god Easta, the goddess of fertility, hence the bunny rabbits and eggs. Christians would do well to emulate the Jehovah Witnesses in that respect.

Answer 6

my best friend is a JW and her explanation is that holidays are either secular celebrations and should be avoided or that religious holidays are not meant to be celebrations but rather rememberances, and they also believe that the date for christmas is wrong. in fact i went to the meeting (that's what they call a church service) around easter with her and they observed the last supper and christ's death and resurrection as we would in my protestant church. JW's to my understanding believe that each day is special so there is no need for holidays.

Answer 7

I used to be a JW and one of the things that they taught (Iknew this before I met them) is that the religious holidays that are common to most ppl, are taken from Pagan holidays. as far as the holidays that are about the gov or gov leaders, they don't celebrate those because the bible actually teaches not to be patriotic.

Answer 8

If you mean the so called 'christian' holidays? I am not a JW but I completely agree with them on this point. These holidays (Christmas, palm sunday, &c,&c) are PAGAN holidays which the catholic church gave 'christian' names to. OH, by the way, christmass is NOT the birthday of Christ, but is in fact the birthday of TAMMUZ. That was just an example.

Answer 9

Because the man made holidays do not glorify God that is why. Holiday is actually "holy-day" , & they are named in the bible, those days are ok like the festaviles in Jerusalem times.
Here is a good question: these so called "holidays" we celebrate, are they glorifying more of God or of man? if it is man then the holidays are also idols.So it is better not to celebrate them at all.
Now like 4th of July, the org. purpose we can thank God for our freedom, & not put "fireworks"& parites ahead of him, but if we pay honor to him we can stil lcelebrate.

Answer 10

We dont because of the origins of each holiday, each has pagan roots. Our bible trained consciances won't allow us to participate. We do celebrate one holiday, the Memorial Of Christ's Death. It falls on Nisan 14 on the Jewish calendar and it is after sundown. It usually comes around Easter.