Why don't JW's celebrate holidays?

Question

I have a JW friend at work, and asked her why JW's don't celebrate holidays. She wasn't able to satisfy my curiosity.

If there is a religious reason as to not celebrating religious holidays, why do JW's not celebrate non-religious holidays, like Independence Day?

Before anyone gets defensive and mean, this is a sincere question, and not an attack. Chill.

I'm asking JW's, not non-JW's. So non-JW's, hold your mud, peoples. Be nice. If you don't know the answer to this question, please move on.

Answer 1

No defense here!!
Jehovah's Witness do celebrate...but only the two celebrations mentioned in the bible...those are wedding anniversaries and the memorial of Jesus Christ's death.
The reason they do not celebrate national holiday's, elections or war is because it is clearly stated in the bible that Jehovah (God) is a jealous god and we his children are to put nothing in front of him.
I hope this satisfies your curiosity.
If you do study the bible...you will find that there in not a mention of birthdays, "Easter" or "Christmas". It does mention Christ's birth of course...but most holidays that are recognized now are influences by the Catholic introducing Pagan tradition into their religious affairs for the sake of converting the Romans. Jehovah's Witness do not take part in anything that has Pagan influence ...or that is simply tradition of man.

Answer 2

We Witnesses do be attentive to a thank you to have exciting. we don't have fun holiday trips, yet that doesn't propose we are denied something. holiday trips have pagan backgrounds that we don't believe or have faith jointly with, Santa, the Easter Bunny, and leprechauns. don't sense sorry for her, because of fact she gets presents from the guts somewhat than in simple terms because of fact somebody has to on a undeniable day. She has a loving pals and kin in her congregation that love her and supply her the flaws which will final a existence time, because of fact they share an analogous love for Jehovah.

Answer 3

Independence Day is the celebration of the Independence of the United States. Why you ask they don’t celebrate it?
What does the bible say about all the governments on earth?

Matthew 4:8,9 - the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me."

While on this Earth, Christ admitted that someone other than himself was the current ruler of the world.

John 18:36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

Just before his crucifixion, Yeshua (Jesus) alluded to Satan's status as the current ruler of the world:

JOHN 14:30 "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me." (NKJV)

Satan is called the God of this World.

Col 4:4 - In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.

Answer 4

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.

Answer 5

Why should they?...because everyone else does?

My impression of JW's is that they are very sincere about what they believe in, and do not place much value on "secular" observances, since the belief is that Jehovah will soon remove this world/civilization and replace it with "The Kingdom of God"; so, why invest in something that one believes is on its way out?

RM

Answer 6

They do not observe traditional religious holidays because they originated from pagan holidays. Holidays like Independence day are not connected to religion.

Answer 7

Beliefs and Customs That Displease God
http://www.watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_11.htm

Christmas Customs---Are They Christian?
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20001215/article_01.htm

God's Servants Must Be Clean - #2 Spiritual Cleanness
http://www.watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_09.htm

Jehovah's people do not engage in any interfaith / nationalistic / patriotic / birthday holidays because they are all manmade customs / organizations whose histories have brrought much dishonor & displeasure to our Creator. Our loyalty is to him at all times.

Jehovah's Witnesses--Courageous in the Face of Nazi Peril
http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/1998/7/8/article_01.htm

No one --& no thing-- else could Ever be more important. To break our integrity to him leads only to Disappointment, for both us & him, no matter what the reason behind it.

“Was I not having fun?", is an excuse given by wrongdoers that does not meet with God's approval. (Proverbs 26:19)

Why Cultivate Virtue?
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2001/1/15/article_01.htm

We have deep love & respect for God, & want never to hurt him, just as he wants us to have a future free from all pain ...

The Key to a Happy World, 'In the Making!'
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2001/10/15/article_02.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20041001/article_02.htm

Advanced On-site Search
(In case a link becomes modified, this can be used.) http://watchtower.org/search/search_e.htm

PS: Regarding the 2 birthdays celebrated in the Bible :
>The Bible makes direct reference to only two birthday celebrations, those of Pharaoh of Egypt (18th century B.C.E.) and Herod Antipas (1st century C.E.). These two accounts are similar in that both occasions were marked with great feasting and granting of favors; both are remembered for executions, the hanging of Pharaoh’s chief baker in the first instance, the beheading of John the Baptizer --a loyal servant of God-- in the latter. -- Ge 40:18-22; 41:13; Mt 14:6-11; Mr 6:21-28

It was common for rulers to massacre people they didn't like on their birthdays, sometimes entire populations.

Regarding Job's children's feasting:
> Job’s sons “held a banquet at the house of each one on his own day”. (Job 1:4) “Day” in this verse translates the Hebrew word yohm and refers to a period of time from sunrise to sunset. On the other hand, “birthday” is a compound of the two Hebrew words yohm (day) and hul·le′dheth. The distinction between “day” and one’s birthday can be seen in Genesis 40:20, where both expressions appear: “Now on the third day [yohm] it turned out to be Pharaoh’s birthday [literally, “the day (yohm) of the birth (hul·le′dheth) of Pharaoh”].” So, Job 1:4 does not refer to a birthday, as is unquestionably the case at Genesis 40:20. It seems that Job’s seven sons held a family gathering (possibly a spring or harvest festival) & as the feasting made the week-long circuit, each son hosted the banquet in his own house “on his own day.”

We believe in enjoying each other's company in moderation, and spontaneously. We never feel pressured by circumstance to buy gifts or attend parties for any reason. I noticed the person I studied with used to take 2 gifts to things like weddings, anniversaries, & showers. When asked, she told me 1 was from her, & 1 was anonymous, so that whoever wasn't able to bring a gift wouldn't feel bad during the opening of gifts, with perhaps only their name not being mentioned during the unwrapping. ... That really impressed me, esp. since she wasn't 'well off' financially! Anyway, we do have gatherings to socialize & have fun together ... We're not the 'lumps on logs' that some make us out to be! (;

Read The Bible Online
http://watchtower.org/bible/index.htm

Answer 8

The reason they don't celebrate holidays or get involved in other issues is due to what they believe about Jesus Christ. They don't believe in the deity of Jesus Christ (or the fact that He is God Almighty). They believe He was "a" god, but not "the" God. Therefore, why should they celebrate His birth? Or His death? Or His resurrection? Their answer to all the other holidays is that they consider them to be "pagan." But, in reality a lot of things are pagan. Did you know that all the days of the week (Sunday through Monday) are pagan names? And yet they still honor Monday, Tuesday, etc. As for birthdays, they are mentioned in the Bible. Pharaoh's birthday is mentioned in
Genesis 40:20; Herod's birthday is mentioned in Matthew 14:6. They'll tell you that both Pharaoh and Herod were heathens. Yet in Job 1:4, the Bible says, "And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one HIS DAY..." (emphasis mine). The original language refers to a birthday. And Job was a man of God. I'm trying not to be offensive, but the reality is that Jehovah Witnesses do not study the bible. They study what the Watchtower Society wants them to study. They tell you that their bible (The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures) is just like any other one, but a in depth study reveals otherwise. Trust me, changing words here and there makes a big difference. Your JW friend does not need to be criticized, or shunned. She needs love, patience, prayer and understanding. She needs to be shown the truth about many of her beliefs. And that truth is found in the Bible. I speak through experience. For the first 17 years of my life, I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, but since then, I've found the truth. Jesus is God, He is the Savior, and He is the only way to heaven.
JW's want to do away with the celebration of birthdays due to the fact that executions occurred on 2 of the occasions mentioned. But you can't do away with a custom based on what happened on only 2 incidents. That's absurd. Also, note that references to what they believe are based on Watchtower society opinions, and not the bible.

Answer 9

all I know is that they don't celebrate birthdays because they think the kids should give thanks to them for birth. I can tell you this also....They don't celebrate holidays and they won't bring food on food days for the holidays but they sure will eat it. I worked at a company of 20 people once and 8 of them were Jehovas.

Answer 10

HOW MANY FROM ABRAHAM AND FAMILY PROPHETS AND APOSTLES DO SUCH?

Rom.14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.