If you are not a Jehovah Witness, dont bother to answer.
If you are, and especially if your children WERE used to having Christmas before, but now you are a Jehovah Witness, who believe Christmas is a pagan holiday, how do you explain that to your children? I want my kids to understand WHY we are no longer celebrating Christmas at my house (though they will be celebrating it at thier dad's - we are separated), yet dont know really the best way to say it. My daughter "knows" (I think) that Santa, along with Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, are all fake, but I am not 100% sure of that....... I don tknow how to explain all this to them.......how did you do it? What did you say? What kind of questions were brought up from your children, how did you answer?
FYI: Children are 3-Boy, and 9-Girl
2007-12-11 06:21:04 · 15 answers · asked by it'sjustme79 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Hi, I was in the same situation when I first started to study. I was a single parent of 2 daughters, ages 10 & 5. (divorced and no help from father) As I grew in knowledge and my girls had their own study too, I told them that the coming Christmas was going to be the last one that we put up a tree and the like. ( I loved Christmas too.) It even felt weird putting up that tree. My girls slowly grew to appreciate that Christmas was pagan. The following year I still got them gifts but gave it to them the day before christmas. I made sure that after that I gave them gifts through out the year. It's important that you children have their own bible study and come to appreciate the truth for themselves. Today, these girls are 24 (not in the truth) and 19, baptized since she was 13 and still doing her best.
2007-12-11 07:19:31 · answer #1 · answered by DEBBO 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Edge, Thank you once again for your question. To address your question to Debbie, the angels certainly didn't send the shepherds to Herod first did they? No the angel that made the announcement was very clear where the baby could be found, even how he was adorned wrapped in cloths. The announcement was immediate, joyful and proud, no ambiguous star up to two years later. Please don't take this rude, that is not my intention but I would really love for you to answer why the astrologers were sent to Herod first, then Jesus? Maybe it will be addressed in your next question. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Troll: no disunity in the answers. As Edge stated himself that this is his second question, please look at his questions and answers already provided before making an uneducated statement. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~... I want to make a side note. This is the exact same situation that brought my husband to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses at 40 years of age. He was shown in his bible that the star could not have came from God. He was stunned. He wondered what other man made traditions he was following that would be displeasing to Almighty God. Everything just fell like dominoes. I ask you Edge to just read the account carefully. Use your God given sense and be very honest with yourself. What makes sense....question, question, question. You seem very intelligent but I don't think anything we say will make a difference but perhaps you can come to your own conclusion that is in unity to the scriptures.
2016-05-23 02:08:21 · answer #2 · answered by migdalia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An alternative to saying No to children is to say Yes to fun. Year round one can do treasure hunts…
Hide clues all over the house and have the kids locate the prize at the end. This can be done at any time and the kids do not have to wait for a National Holiday to take place to have fun with the family.
2007-12-11 08:13:29 · answer #3 · answered by keiichi 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I was Jewish and so where my children when they where young. my middle child is mentally handicapped and she understood about the holidays. when we became Jehovah Witnesses and Xmas or passover came around, she would say. Jehovah does not want us to celebrate it because we love Jehovah and Jesus Christ. and she was much younger then. children understand more than we relies. there is nothing wrong with getting a gift for your children after the holidays. we give gifts all the time and the children love it because they don't have to wait for a reason either.
2007-12-11 06:58:53 · answer #4 · answered by lover of Jehovah and Jesus 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Such lovely answers!!! I celebrated Christmas until I was 16 (when I met Jehovah's Witnesses) and I'll keep in mind the things said here for when (if- lol) I have my own children.
2007-12-11 09:21:17 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
It is best to research why JWs do not celebrate Christmas. Have a heart to heart talk with them. The explanation depends also upon the kid’s age.
For older kids, you probably can say that December 25 or Christmas is not really Jesus birthday. It is his enemy’s birthday (Saturnalia), and the way they do things at Christmas are almost very similar to the celebration of Jesus’ enemy. God and Jesus would be pleased if we don’t get involved in that. You know the best occasion that we can please Jesus? It is the memorial of his death.
For young kids probably, you can say “Christmas is not really Jesus’ birthday but of his enemy. We can show we love Jesus by following him and not celebrate the birth of his enemy”.
Then like Job, you can have a special day for both of your kids to enjoy but not on the pagan holidays. Make sure that you give your kids alternatives, go for a vacation or buy them gifts when they do good.
During Christmas, people give gifts to each other, but they forget to give gift to Jesus which is to follow him in doing God’s will.
Best to emphasize that the best gift that they can give to Jesus is to follow him and be obedient to him and his Father (John 14:1).
2007-12-11 07:30:51 · answer #6 · answered by trustdell1 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
First off, this is not exactly a prime place to go for help in this matter.
First, be honest, and talk to your children. Ask them how they feel about Christmas.
Read them some Bible examples, like the story of Shadrach, Mishack and Abednigo. This is a good example of the importance of follow Jehovah's wishes.
2007-12-11 06:50:16 · answer #7 · answered by Ish Var Lan Salinger 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
My parents are divorced and my mom celebrates Christmas and my dad doesn't. She gets drunk and has parties and she has been married quite a few times. When we celebrated christmas at her house it wasn't all that great.
she pretty much told the kids to shut up and go play in your room. I think it was more for the grownups. We got a few toys and a dead tree in the house. But I never remember being happy. I do remember getting a doll once I wanted.
then my dad got custody and said, that he didn't celebrate Christmas. He studied with me and I liked learning about Jehovah and how he loves children. When dad gets off for Christmas vacation he made me a sled and we go sleding.
We laugh and he is kind of crazy in the snow. I miss my half brother and sister. But not enough that I want to go back there. It is so much better here with him. We make brownies and hot cocoa. He has lot's of nice friends and we go visit them. He asked me if I missed the holidays. I don't want to lie so I had to think about it for awhile. But I don't really.
The lights are pretty, to hear the music is nice. But it is like a really pretty present the box is wrapped up in colored paper and it has a ribon on it. But when you open it there is nothing inside? that was the only way I can describe it.
He doesn't tell me to go play in my room, he actually talks to me and asks how is school. He put me in a home schooling with private teacher and I learn on computer. In other words paids for my schooling. I wasn't doing so good in public school and I hated to go and my grades were bad.
Now I am where I should be grade wise.
But my dad teaches me about the bible and how things should be. We have real friends not a bunch of losers.
When I think about it my dad is the best present I ever got, he doesn't come in a box with a ribon and bow.
Mom says he doesn't make enough money, but he works hard at his job and he pays the bills. I don't have to worry about getting kicked out in the street.
He hid at the end of my bed and makes the teddy bear dance and he pretends the teddy bear is talking and singing.
Like I am this little kid. He lets me leave the light on until I go to sleep and sneaks in and turns it off after I go to sleep.
He even tried to have the talk about inproper touching, with his face beet red he says maybe you should just read the book. Who cares about Christmas how could you not love someone like that? Oh, and as far as the lies about men.
I had already figured out there wasn't a Santa Claus.
the idea of some strange man coming down the chimmney into our home at night was a little scary to me. Glad my dad doesn't lie to me and cleared that up.
I know I am just a kid, but I would think it wouldn't be a good idea to lie to kids cause when they do find out and they do.
Will they trust the other things you tell them is the truth?
You probably shouldn't lie to kids.
2007-12-11 07:28:48 · answer #8 · answered by cloud 7 · 9⤊ 0⤋
I came into the truth when my daughters were 4 and 13 and had no problems at all. The little one came home and said herself " I dont want christmas I dont like it" after she heard at the meeting the reason why, she realised she got presents all year when she wanted them, and didnt have to wait. The elder too made her own decision entirely on her own
2007-12-11 09:08:19 · answer #9 · answered by Purple triangle 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
just tell them the truth and show them from the bible.. your 9 year old will understand...
show them the scripture that says jesus was born outside with animals around... and he would probably not be born in december because it would be too cold!
she can understand that
tell them that this holiday started with the celibration of a sun-god... and that jehovah said that worshiping other gods is a bad thing.
show her that scripture too.. find one of the scriptures that tells us that we are only to worship god and no one else...
your doughter might understand....
your son might be a little bit harder.. hes so young...
just tell him you cant do presents this year because
jehovah doesnt like it.
another helpful thing would be to give them a present day...
tell them were gonna have present day once a year!! and pick a day. maybe spring break or something like that so you can spend the day together.
i hope this helps!
2007-12-12 04:39:45 · answer #10 · answered by Kyrstin 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋