why did Jehovah's witnesses not celeberate Christmas?

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians; they teach that Christ was and is divine and not a mere man or mere angel.

Jehovah'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!

Jehovah's Witnesses love and respect and honor Christ. They do NOT celebrate so-called "Christmas" because "Christmas" does NOT celebrate Christ; "Christmas" celebrates the pagan Saturnalia. Jesus was not even born in December. Nearly all so-called Christmas customs dishonor Christ.

http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001215/
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm


By 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".

(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.”

(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.”


Christ 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.

How 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.

(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.’”

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/

Answer 2

You have some good (long) answers, so here's one for you:

WHAT DAY DO YOU OBSERVE THE MEMORIAL ON?

You will falter around and perhaps come up with a day in May, but all JWs will say at sunset on Niacin 14, which falls on the first full moon after the vernal equinox, the Memorial of the Last Supper. This is the only day, aside from wedding anniversaries, that Christ said to continue keeping, yet Jehovah's Witnesses are the only Christian organization that does.

Whatever you may say about whether it is right or wrong to observe the man-made holidays created since the first congregations, the fact remains that Christendom does not observe the one day Christ said to keep. What does that say for the leaders of Christendom, that they ignore that one important day of the year, and don't even know what day it falls on?

The question of holidays gets asked a lot, yet the facts of why are clearly evident. Even the Churches of Christendom recognize that the holidays and observances are not in keeping with Bible teachings, yet they fear that doing anything about it will jeopardize their positions and power. Check any religious encyclopedia about the holidays and their history.

So the question is not why don't witnesses celebrate the holidays, but why does Christendom celebrate something not taught in the Bible? Further, why don't they know what day Christ said to observe and why don't you observe it on that day?

Whatever you may think of any of the other beliefs of JWs, you have to ask yourself is the need to observe these holidays more important than observing the day Christ said to keep?

Answer 3

The Christmas Holiday in December was originally a pagan holiday celebrating a phase of the moon or something. However, in order to bring back enthusiasm for Christianity, a Pope or King (can't remember) decided to declare that day the birthday of Christ. This way he could pull people away from paganism and back into Christ. I believe this is why the Jehovah Witnesses do not celebrate it, but I still don't understand why you can't just see it as an excellent opportunity to share the truth about Christ and celebrate the positives of the holiday such as sharing, serving, being with family, etc. (and I know Christians should be doing this every day of the year, but it just doesn't happen). Anyway, Merry Christmas.

Answer 4

Jesus was not born DEC 25. Jesus died on Nisan 14. he was 33 1/2 years old. count six more months forward and you come to Oct. Jesus also said that we should celebrate his death, which is the last supper or passover once a year. he was born in early fall. also in DEC is the rainy and cold season and the Shepard's would not be out. remember the Shepard's where out in the field. also Jesus never said he was God, he always said he was the son of the Most Holy Father Jehovah. Jesus could not do anything without the Father Jehovah. he always prayed to Jehovah his Father. so the first answer is wrong. also Christmas is a pagan holiday, man made. www.watchtower.org

Answer 5

It has nothing to do with our belief that Jesus is not God (although it's true that we don't believe he is God, but the Son of God and our only means of Salvation)....

The origins of Christmas are completely unchristian - in fact, if you check any encyclopaedia, you will see that most of them are totally pagan and even offensive to the One True God, Jehovah. Jesus was not born on December 25th but earlier in the year (probably around October). When Jesus was on the earth, he instructed his disciples to observe a memorial of his DEATH, not his BIRTH and so that is what we do.

We do spend quality time with our families and gift-giving could happen on any day of the year. We are baptized in WATER (as Christ was), not lemon juice and we are probably the happiest people you'll ever meet (as a group - not talking about every individual).

If you would like to know more, check out www.watchtower.org or talk to the next Jehovah's Witness you meet about it. We love to explain these things.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

25th December is not the birth date of Jesus. Nobody knows the real birth date. Opinions differ as in which season he was born... let alone the date. Infact the solar calender at Jesus' time had different number of days compared to now. Even if it was by chance 25th December at that time, it is defnitely not 25th December according to current calender.

Answer 8

The first answer has nothing to do with why Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas. And people wonder why there is some much missinformation?? Please!

First of all, as I posted not long ago....Jesus was not born in December....let alone Dec 25th. Actually he was probably born sometime in October, but the exact date isn't known.

You can do your own homework as well, regarding these things.
However, the bottom line is that we choose not to associate ourselves with these things because of the origins and what they stand for.

Is Christmas a celebration based on the Bible?

Date of the celebration

M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia says: “The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of N[ew] T[estament] origin. The day of Christ’s birth cannot be ascertained from the N[ew] T[estament], or, indeed, from any other source.”—(New York, 1871), Vol. II, p. 276.

Luke 2:8-11 shows that shepherds were in the fields at night at the time of Jesus’ birth. The book Daily Life in the Time of Jesus states: “The flocks . . . passed the winter under cover; and from this alone it may be seen that the traditional date for Christmas, in the winter, is unlikely to be right, since the Gospel says that the shepherds were in the fields.”—(New York, 1962), Henri Daniel-Rops, p. 228.

The Encyclopedia Americana informs us: “The reason for establishing December 25 as Christmas is somewhat obscure, but it is usually held that the day was chosen to correspond to pagan festivals that took place around the time of the winter solstice, when the days begin to lengthen, to celebrate the ‘rebirth of the sun.’ . . . The Roman Saturnalia (a festival dedicated to Saturn, the god of agriculture, and to the renewed power of the sun), also took place at this time, and some Christmas customs are thought to be rooted in this ancient pagan celebration.”—(1977), Vol. 6, p. 666.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia acknowledges: “The date of Christ’s birth is not known. The Gospels indicate neither the day nor the month . . . According to the hypothesis suggested by H. Usener . . . and accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice (December 25 in the Julian calendar, January 6 in the Egyptian), because on this day, as the sun began its return to northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithra celebrated the dies natalis Solis Invicti (birthday of the invincible sun). On Dec. 25, 274, Aurelian had proclaimed the sun-god principal patron of the empire and dedicated a temple to him in the Campus Martius. Christmas originated at a time when the cult of the sun was particularly strong at Rome.”—(1967), Vol. III, p. 656.

Wise men, or Magi, led by a star

Those Magi were actually astrologers from the east. (Matt. 2:1, 2, NW; NE) Although astrology is popular among many people today, the practice is strongly disapproved in the Bible. (See pages 144, 145, under the main heading “Fate.”) Would God have led to the newborn Jesus persons whose practices He condemned?

Matthew 2:1-16 shows that the star led the astrologers first to King Herod and then to Jesus and that Herod then sought to have Jesus killed. No mention is made that anyone other than the astrologers saw the “star.” After they left, Jehovah’s angel warned Joseph to flee to Egypt to safeguard the child. Was that “star” a sign from God or was it from someone who was seeking to have God’s Son destroyed?

Note that the Bible account does not say that they found the babe Jesus in a manger, as customarily depicted in Christmas art. When the astrologers arrived, Jesus and his parents were living in a house. As to Jesus’ age at that time, remember that, based on what Herod had learned from the astrologers, he decreed that all the boys in the district of Bethlehem two years of age and under were to be destroyed.—Matt. 2:1, 11, 16.

Gift giving as part of the celebration; stories about Santa Claus, Father Christmas, etc.

The practice of Christmas gift giving is not based on what was done by the Magi. As shown above, they did not arrive at the time of Jesus’ birth. Furthermore, they gave gifts, not to one another, but to the child Jesus, in accord with what was then customary when visiting notable persons.

The Encyclopedia Americana states: “During the Saturnalia . . . feasting prevailed, and gifts were exchanged.” (1977, Vol. 24, p. 299) In many instances that represents the spirit of Christmas giving—an exchanging of gifts. The spirit reflected in such gift giving does not bring real happiness, because it violates Christian principles such as those found at Matthew 6:3, 4 and 2 Corinthians 9:7. Surely a Christian can give gifts to others as an expression of love at other times during the year, doing so as often as he wants to.

Depending on where they live, children are told that gifts are brought by Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, Père Noël, Knecht Ruprecht, the Magi, the elf Jultomten (or Julenissen), or a witch known as La Befana. (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1984, Vol. 3, p. 414)

Of course, none of these stories are actually true. Does the telling of such stories build in children a respect for truth, and does such a practice honor Jesus Christ, who taught that God must be worshiped with truth?—John 4:23, 24.

Answer 9

Well they're not really known for celebrating much of anything are they? Their religion teaches that only 144,000 of them will ever see Heaven. They are bound by legalistic codes where they can't even exercise their morals in the general elections. They think that God's Son is really the arch-angel Michael. I think maybe when they get baptised they use lemon juice instead of water or something like that because they sure don't seem to exhibit the joy of the Spirit whenever I meet up with them. (Just kidding about the lemon juice :o)

Answer 10

i am not a christian but a muslim.But do let me answer.It is said that they view it as a pagan festival.Christianity is said to be a monotheistic religion and there fore JW dont celebrate it as they view it as paganistic.