why don't Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate holidays?

Answer 1

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/e/20050101a/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001215/article_01.htm

Answer 2

Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe it is wrong to have gatherings or exchange gifts. They choose to follow the Bible's teachings and not participate in holidays with unclean origins. Take Easter as an example. Many people wonder what Jesus has to do with little bunnies. The answer isn't found in the Bible, because first century Christians didn't celebrate it. The Catholic Encyclopedia will even tell you that the rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility. The word 'Easter' comes from the ancient Babylonian goddess Ishtar. Since the root of this holiday and many others' are not based on Bible truths, the Jehovah's Witnesses do not partake in its celebration.

Answer 3

You got a couple of good answers above from witnesses, now answer this. Why do you observe Christmas which Christ didn't say to do, but don't observe the memorial of the last supper on the day Christ did say to do it? Unlike his birthday, the day the Last Supper took place is easy and has not been lost over the centuries. First full moon after the vernal equinox, or when the Jews observe the Passover. Is observing a man made holiday more important than doing what Christ said?

Answer 4

Mostly all the traditional "holidays" have no link to Christianity at all. Jesus was not born on December 25th and Christmas is linked from pagan origin and the 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.’

Many references acknowledge this fact, just do a google search on the on the topic. Jesus date of birth is not known and the Bible does not tell us, nor does it tell us to celebrate Jesus birth.

Other holidays, birthdays, Easter, Halloween, etc. all stem from unchristian things. The Bible mentions birthdays only two times, and one of them being found in the acct at Matthew 14:6-10 where it is is the birthday of Herod and it resulted in John the Baptist being beheaded.

We do, once a year celebrate the Memorial, which is a commeration of Jesus' death, This is the only event that the Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to memorialize. It is also known as the Lord’s Supper, or the Lord’s Evening Meal. Look at what Luke 22:19, it helps us remember the signficance of the sacrifice of his life he gave for us.

Jehovah’s Witnesses observe the Memorial after sundown on Nisan 14, according to the reckoning of the Jewish calendar that was common in the first century. The Jewish day begins at sundown and extends until the following sundown. So Jesus died on the same Jewish calendar day that he instituted the Memorial. The beginning of the month of Nisan was the sunset after the new moon nearest the spring equinox became visible in Jerusalem. The Memorial date is 14 days thereafter.

The Memorial is also a reminder that Jesus’ death and the way it was accomplished, in harmony with God’s purpose as expressed at Genesis 3:15 and thereafter, served to vindicate Jehovah’s name.

So don't think we as Witnesses are crazy or think we feel bad we can't celebrate Holidays, (and the kids definitely don't feel they are missing out), but we do base our beliefs and our faith on examples and experiences found in the Bible and on examples that Jesus gave us. Jesus didn't celebrate his birthday, didn't instruct anyone else to and didn't celebrate Easter, Valentines Day etc.

After research on where these holidays really originate from and know we need to avoid things that God hates, we have made the decison based on where they derive from, that they are not things God would approve of.

We do give presents at other times of the year, we have no problem with that, everyone likes getting gifts !

Answer 5

It varries from holiday to holiday. Often the it is simply a matter of the Holiday being unChristian/Pagan in nature/origin. Christmas for example has soooo little to do with Jesus. He was not born in December, for one thing, NO where in the Bible does he encourage people to celebrate hiw birth, The "wise" men were Magi, ie, wizards (the Bible tells us to stay away from such things as magic), the star, that so many think of as holy, led these men first to Herod, a man who hated the idea of possibly being userped. If the star was from God, why alert an Enemy of Jesus, thus resulting in the slaughter of infants???

I know there are some who decide to celebrate Christmas, we do not. It mostly is for the same reason, we/they think celebrating/not celebrating is the right thing to do.

Answer 6

They take the bible very literally. They only celebrate what Jehovah specifically asked them to celebrate - the memorial of Christ's death. They consider any other holiday celebrations to be pagan and the worshiping of false idols.

Answer 7

The following is from the late Dr. Walter Martin's excellent book on the cults titled, The Kingdom Of The Cults. I highly recommend this most exhaustive resource to anyone interested in learning more about Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Scientology, Masons, etc.

Jehovah's Witnesses have only one day of ceremony each year, the Memorial of Christ's Death at Passover. At this ceremony, held in large auditoriums, all members are expected to be present along with family, friends, and prospective members. The elements of the Lord's Supper are passed through the audience, but only those of the anointed or heavenly class are allowed to partake. (That number is now fewer than 9,000 worldwide since no one born after 1914 is considered eligible for the class.) Jehovah's Witnesses reject celebration of any other religious, national, or cultural holidays (Christmas, Easter, birthdays, Sabbath or Sunday ceremonies, etc.) as pagan and idolatrous. Those members who are caught participating in such holidays can be disfellowshipped.
(from Kingdom of the Cults, Copyright © 1997 The Estate of Walter Martin.)

Answer 8

Something about it NOT being in the Bible.

I wonder if they realize that the Bible made it clear that they weren't to drive cars, own a TV/radio, have air conditioning, use electricity or change the Word of God (refering to their version of the Bible).

I am sure someone will try to correct me, and I will change my views IF they can show me in the Bible where it says to drive to the grocery store, school, or whatever they call church.

Answer 9

We in America are getting to be more and more like them example : we do not fight for our country and we have taken God out of Christmas etc etc

Answer 10

i think it is because they dont believe that gods son has come yet. my mom told me they think that jesus was a prophet but that gods son has not arrived so they dont belive in easter or chritmas