Why don't Jehovah Witnesses celebrate holidays, birthdays or anniversaries?

Question

Also why do they refuse to stand up and say the Pledge of Alligence to the American flag?

Answer 1

Many or most Jehovah's Witnesses do celebrate wedding anniversaries.

With regard to birthdays, nationalism, and so-called "holidays", Jehovah's Witnesses believe strongly in God Jehovah and in his Son Jesus Christ and hope to do their will.

Regarding birthday celebrations, bible students are encouraged to consider:
: 0% of faithful biblical Jews celebrated birthdays
: 0% of first century Christians celebrated birthdays
: 100% of birthdays celebrated in the bible were by debauched enemies of God (See Mark 6:17-29; Gen 40:19-22)

Bible historians (M'Clintock, Strong, and others) have noted that faithful Jews of the bible did not celebrate birthdays, and that ancient pagan birthday celebrations were at least partially intended to honor the patron gods of the particular day.

By comparison with such paganisms, the bible does not even tell us the birthdates of Jesus or ANY of his apostles!


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.


Around the globe, Jehovah's Witnesses respect the governments and flags under which they live. However, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the flag salute is an act of worship, and that a "pledge of allegiance" can only made to God. Ceremonies involving national anthems can also approximate "worship" and non-neutrality.


Jehovah's Witnesses understand the bible to teach that Almighty God requires exclusive devotion; that is, he requires that worship and unrestricted allegiance belong to Him alone.

(Exodus 20:5) I Jehovah your God am a God exacting exclusive devotion

(Matthew 4:10) Then Jesus said... ‘It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.’


Of course, Jehovah's Witnesses are well-known as law-abiding persons. The Scriptures also teach that obedience is owed to secular governments, which the bible calls "the superior authorities". Of course, such subjection is RELATIVE to the unrestricted allegiance which is owed to God.

(Romans 13:1) Let every soul be in subjection to the superior authorities, for there is no authority except by God; the existing authorities stand placed in their relative positions by God

(Acts 5:29) We must obey God as ruler rather than men

It may be helpful for non-Witnesses to read all of Daniel chapter 3, and note the connections between the ceremony described there and modern pledge of allegiance.
http://watchtower.org/bible/da/chapter_003.htm

Learn more about neutrality:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_10.htm
http://www.jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcfi_e.htm
http://www.jw-media.org/edu_videos/vcut_e.htm
http://www.jw-media.org/vnr/5263723221/22812301.htm

Learn more about celebrations:
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

Holidays, birthdays or anniversaries?
Not sure about all holidays, I think they does not object Mothers Day and Fathers Day.
But on birthdays, Chirstmass (supposely to celebrate Jesus birthday however He was not born in December but that is another question/answer), Presidents Day (chosen to celebrate the birthday of the presidents), and aniversaries:
They base their position on a verse that says theat the time of the death is more important than the time of birth. And I agree with what the verse says. A person's relationship with God at that time of death determines his/her future's eternity. That time is crusial and definitely more important than the time of birth.

However, I do not see in that verse a prohibition to celebrate the birth of a new child in a family or the yearly conmemoration of that joyful event. Even God sent a chorus of angels to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

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Why do they refuse to stand up and say the Pledge of Alligence to the American flag?
They understand that national symbols like flags, antem, and the national seal are equivalent to idols. Same as the jews thought of the roman army golden eagle emblems.

Answer 3

SUPERB answers JR! I can add nothing except some reasons we don't say the pledge of allegiance.

People who serve Jehovah God in truth, as set out by the Bible, cannot pledge their loyalty and total obedience to ANY government that's now on earth. None of the governments that are around today do God's will and the Bible makes it clear that Satan is the current ruler of the world and that anyone who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
These governments are here only for awhile, then Jesus will get rid of them completely and set up God's Kingdom (government). God's Kingdom is now very real and active but isn't ruling over the entire world yet. But it will. So how *could* we pledge ourselves to anything less?
While the governments are here though we will show due respect but we will not participate other than in obeying the laws (so long as they do not disagree with what God says) We won't join the military or go to war even if we go to jail because of it... but we do pay our taxes etc.

I have people think of it this way:
If someone was visiting your country what would you expect of them? Most people understand that visitors wont say the pledge of the country their visiting... but the guest still has to obey the laws.

(If I remember, I'll look up the scriptures and post them later... it almost 4AM and I'm too sleepy to do it right now)

Answer 4

Birthdays: 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. As for Pledging allegiance to any flag, the reason we don't, is because our allegiance goes only to Jehovah God. We will stand up as a sign of respect, but will not pledge allegiance to the flag.

Answer 5

We feel that pledging our allegiance to any national emblem goes beyond the scriptural requirement to be in subjection to the secular authorities.

Jehovah's Witnesses view the pledge as an oath of loyalty that undermines our pledge of loyalty to God. For instance, God and Christ command that we Christians are to love our enemies and to pray for those persecuting us.

However, the nation we live in may demand that we kill those whom it deems to be our national enemies. Clearly, there is a conflict of loyalties in that scenario. How then could we honestly pledge our allegiance to an institution that requires such a thing?

Jehovah's Witnesses obey man's law as long as doing so does not result in our disobeying God's law. Therefore, pledging our allegiance to any flag that represents powers that are in conflict with God is something that we find objectionable.

Answer 6

A simple holiday is Christmas, it is pagan in nature.

We don't say the PoA to the flag as we don't give our alligence to a country or a flag, but to Jehovah.

Answer 7

Jesus NEVER celebrated his birthday.

The Apostles never celebrated.

We do celebrate anniversaries.

We respect the American Flag but we will not pledge allegiance to the flag.

We give exclusive devotion to Jehovah God.
We worship the God of truth.

Answer 8

Have you seen the list of 101 beliefs and practices...It is truly amazing that back in the 1950s, that Joseph McCarthy didn't have these people investigated for un-American Activities. This must have slipped pass him.
Go look at the JW web site if you really want to know.
Oh, yes, folks this is a much as a cult as the moonies,
The wack-o in Waco, Chuckie Manson and the lot.
They also do not celebrate Mother's Day or Father's Day because they believe that this will produce pride.
They are not allowed to buy Girl Scout Cookies. They do not want you to attend college and the list goes on and on.
I'll check & see if I still have that web site that I stumbled on by accident.

Answer 9

Why doesn't Jesus celebrate birthdays ?

wedding aniversary is Ok,

Jesus went to a wedding but nothing that have pagan roots is acceptable to God.

Answer 10

They believe there pagan holidays which they are (No pun intended).
They see holidays as secular.....Worldly....
Not of God.