Do Jehova's Witnesses celebrate birthdays specifically, and any other holidays?

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses note that every birthday celebration mentioned in the Scriptures involved pagan false worship, and death. The Bible does not even tell us the date of birth for Jesus or any apostle, so it seems clear that birthdays are not part of Christianity.

Also, Jehovah's Witnesses practice strict political and nationalistic neutrality, so they do not celebrate nationalistic holidays such as Independence Day and Memorial Day.

Other holidays derive from false religion, and so are incompatible with pure worship as adulterating interfaith. For example, Easter derives from the pagan god Oestre and celebrates "rebirth" and "fertility" instead of commemorating Christ's Last Supper and death as Jesus commanded:
(Luke 22:1-22) [Jesus] dispatched Peter and John, saying: “Go and get the passover ready for us to eat.” ...14 At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”

Seemingly innocuous holidays may have only a tangential connection with false worship, such as Mother's Day and Father's Day (although arguably derived from ancestor worship). Understated observance of these is not generally considered interfaith by Jehovah's Witnesses, but it is too easily misunderstood in some cultures.

Since such celebrations are not required in true worship, and can easily become a distraction, so Jehovah's Witnesses focus their attention elsewhere. In particular, they are focussed on the preaching work which *IS* a requirement for Christians:

(Luke 10:1-17) [Jesus] the Lord designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come. 2 Then he began to say to them: “The harvest, indeed, is great, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2005/1/1a/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2000/12/15/article_01.htm

Answer 2

No, the only official day they celebrate is the Memorial of Christ's death yearly on the date of the Passover.

However, most Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate wedding anniversaries because that is the ONLY thing that has not been specifically forbidden for them to celebrate. At least, so far it hasn't been forbidden but that could change any day if the "faithful and discreet slave" decides to make it a sin, then Jehovah's Witnesses will all get behind it and argue till the death that the Bible "indicates" that it's wrong to celebrate anniversaries.

The reason for not celebrating birthdays is because in the Bible, there were 2 birthdays celebrated and at both of them, someone got beheaded. So if it had been an anniversary party, then JW's would condemn anniversary parties. Apparently if the Bible mentioned that 2 bad kings had worn the color blue, then they would condemn the wearing of the color blue.

A rational person can see that the beheadings were entirely unrelated to the reason for the celebration. And also that the recounting of the events was not for the purpose of saying that birthday parties are bad, but because there were important events that happened at those parties. The birthday was only even mentioned as an incidental detail and wasn't elaborated on in any negative way.

Early Christians did not celebrate birthdays so we're told, but they probably didn't celebrate anniversaries either, so what does that matter? It's one thing to celebrate a birthday of a man who's considered to be a god like the Roman Emperor and quite another to remember the day that your child was born. But like the Pharisees of Jesus' day, the religious leaders of JW's like to go beyond what is written and make rules on just about everything.

I'm not saying that people SHOULD celebrate birthdays or anniversaries or any other special occasion. But if it's a sin to remember the anniversary of a special occasion, whether it be one's day of birth or the day of one's marriage or the day of any other significant event in one's life, then isn't it inconsistent to allow the celebrating of some, but not others? Some Witnesses will say, It's OK because Jehovah instituted marriage, apparently forgetting who it was that instituted birth.

It's just one more example of "straining the gnat".

Answer 3

Not that I know of. Took my kids trick or treating and knocked on a Jehova Witnesses door. Told me my kids could have candy any day of the week , but not halloween, and come back tomorrow. However, here is an instance, which makes me feel Jehova's are not ture followers of their faith. At work I gave a lady a x-mas card not knowing she was Jehova and she politely gave it back. No offense taken, however, we had a Christmas luncheon that day and she was belly up to the table. Also, I did not see her hand back her Christmas bonus check. So, do they celebrate,yes if it benefits them.

Answer 4

I used to study with them and they celebrated a memorial of Jesus around Eastertime and that's all. Except that the lady I had Bible study with had a cake for her and her husband's wedding anniversary which kind of surprised me. I wasn't sure if she was supposed to do that or not, but she was a very nice lady and I didn't want to offend her so I didn't ask her about it.

She explained to me why they didn't celebrate birthdays and showed me some Scriptures, but you had to do a lot of reading between the lines to come up with that conclusion. I thought it was a little far-fetched because a birthday has nothing to do with religion as far as I could see. But I did see their reasons for not celebrating some of the other holidays.

Answer 5

No, JW's don't celebrate birthdays.
They do not celebrate holidays as most have Pagan roots. They also cannot be Catholic AND Jw as someone responded -confusingly- in refernce to her friend.
And some, like myself, do not follow their own beliefs in full. It is a "double life," if you will. They are not behaving appropriately to their religion, and should not be held up as an example.
If found out, such ones would be chastised, and may be disassociated.
As for any ruthless bus drivers, I think she just wanted you to shut up. Witnesses have little problem with snow people, most of our kids know the song. ;)

Answer 6

J.W.'s are told that they can not celebrate any holidays not even there own birthdays and the only thing they are told to celebrate is the death of jesus as a way of mourning for him. the idea of any holiday being celebrated is concidered to be evil and unjustifide in there beliefs.

BTW i am not a JW but i have there holy scripture book and i have asked around about this religion as well

Answer 7

They say they don't.

And growing up with a JW mother I observed that they don't when they can be seen. However one of my cousins who left the JWs says that they do have get-togethers on the holidays that Christians do. From what she has observed both as a JW and as a non-JW there is little difference in the celebration - only in what it is called.

I have studied several of the books and the magazines that the organization publishes. I have read a lot of the NWT but I have not read it from cover-to-cover as I have read several translations of the Bible. From my reading and the studies I have done with JWs I have seen that they teach a religion of works rather than salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

For the respondent who said JWs don't want to do anything that would out shadow Jesus - I must tell you that my JW relatives, as well as all the JWs who have knocked on my door through the years, put ALL of their emphasis on the Watchtower and none whatsoever on Jesus. Because of that I refer to them as Watchtower Witnesses.

A lot of nice things can be said about JWs but they lace God's Word with a lot of very very untrue statements. Take a look at Deuteronomy 18:21-22 and see what God has to say about them. In all of the material that I have been given by JW relatives as well as those who come to my door I see them to be modern day FALSE PROPHETS.

It will be very interesting to see just how long it will be before this question is deleted as all of the other JW questions lately have been. Questions that have 1 or more answers should not be allowed to be deleted.

Answer 8

A friend of mine married a man whose parents were Jehova Witnesses and they celebrate NOTHING. They don't like to participate in anything that symbolizes anything either. It was very difficult planning her wedding b/c she is catholic.

Answer 9

I once worked with a Jehovah's Witness, and she never celebrated her birthday.

Answer 10

They do not celebrate birthdays, but for some reason wedding anniversaries ok fine with them.