One of the rules in Jehovah's Witnesses' faith is not to celebrate holidays. Can anyone explain why?

Question

My sister is a Jehovah's Witness and I'm not. One of the first things she was taught was not to celebrate any holidays except easter. Does anyone know why, and furthermore, where is it written in the bible?

Answer 1

I believe I know why just like I don't. I'm not a Jehovah Witness, but I know that most of these holidays come from paganism and are other gods/goddesses.
Here are the texts of gods/goddesses that should not be worshipped:
EXOD.20:23; 32:3,4,8-10,19-23,3
DEUT.4:19,28-31; 11:26-28; 17:3
2KINGS 23:5
1JOHN 5:21 = "Little children keep yourselves from idols."
DAN. 3:1-18 (tried to make Daniel's friends to bow to the image, but they didn't)
JER.10 (talks about Christmas Tree; it's an idol)
EZEK.8:13-18
GAL.4:8-10 (pagan feasts are: New Year's, Valentine's-Cupid, Patrick's Day, Easter-Ishtar, Halloween, Christmas, Sunday-sun{from sunset Sat. to sunset Sunday = GEN.1:5), Monday-moon-{worship after sunset Sunday which would be Sunday evening(Sun.even to Mon.even)= considered to be Monday according to GEN.1:8}. Birthdays come from pagan origin too. = (only 2 birthdays are mentioned in Bible; they are: Pharoah and King Herod)
You can find most of things in sources like encyclopedias, history, etc. that tell you it's pagan or that it comes from pagan origin.

1. It tells us in the Bible not to have other gods.
Exodus 20:3 = "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."

2. Galatians 4:8-10 = "Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggerly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years."

3 Jeremiah 10:2-5, 8 = "Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them: for they cannot do evil, neither also in them to do good. But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities."
http://family.webshots.com/photo/2532653990049373547YEwsAc
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New Years is a pagan belief.
(Pagan means no religious beliefs; in the 1984 New Concise Webster's Dictionary--Pagan defined : "A heathen; one having no religious beliefs")
http://www.hope-of-israel.org/newyear.html
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/newyearhistory.html
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=New%20Years%20pagan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year's_Day
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art13463.asp
http://paganwiccan.about.com/
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How Christmas came about. Is it related to Valentine's?
VALENTINE'S (CUPID)
CENTURIES BEFORE CHRIST, THE PAGAN ROMANS CELEBRATED FEBRUARY 15 & THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 14 AS AN IDOLATROUS & SENSUOUS FESTIVAL IN HONOR OF LUPERCUS, THE "HUNTER OF WOLVES". THE ROMANS CALLED THE FESTIVAL "LUPERCALIA"; CUSTOM OF EXCHANGING VALENTINES & OTHER TRADITIONS TO HONOR LUPERCUS, THE "HUNTER OF WOLVES". THE ROMANS CALLED THE FESTIVAL "LUPERCALIA"; CUSTOM OF EXCHANGING VALENTINES AND OTHER TRADITIONS IN HONOR OF LUPERCUS (THE DEIFIED HERO-HUNTER OF ROME). IT WAS ALSO BONDED ANCIENTLY WITH THE PAGAN PRACTICE OF TEENAGERS "GOING STEADY" THAT USUALLY LED TO FORNICATION. TODAY, "GOING STEADY" IS A REBIRTH OF AN OLD CUSTOM THAT CAME FROM THE TOMAN FESTIVAL LUPERCALIA THAT WAS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY BY DRAWING YOUNG WOMEN'S NAMES OUT OF A BOX BY MEN AS CHANCE DIRECTED.-- ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA, ARTICLE, "ST. VALENTINE'S DAY."

WHEN CONSTANTINE MADE CHRISTIANITY THE OFFICIAL RELIGION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE THERE WAS SOME TALK IN CHURCH CIRCLES OF DISGARDING THIS PAGAN FREE-FOR-ALL. BUT THE ROMAN CITIZENS WOULDN'T HEAR OF IT! SO IT WAS AGREED THAT THE HOLIDAY WOULD CONTINUE AS IT WAS, EXCEPT FOR THE MORE GROSLY SENSUAL OBSERVANCES. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE REIGN OF POPE GELASIUS THAT THE HOLIDAY BECAME A "CHRISTIAN CUSTOM." AS FAR BACK AS 496, POPE GELASIUS CHANGED LUPERCALIA ON FEBRUARY 15 TO ST. VALENTINE'S ON FEBRUARY 14."--("CUSTOMS AND HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD", PG.172 BY LAVINIA DOBLER)(BY HERMAN L. HOEH; THE PLAIN TRUTH;FEBRUARY 1966).

LUPERCUS BORNE THE NAME VALENTINE AMONG THE HEATHEN ROMANS. THE GREEKS CALLED HIM "PAN"; THE SEMITES "BAAL" ACCORDING TO THE CLASSICAL DICTIONARIES". IN THE BIBLE; "BAAL" IS MENTIONED OFTEN; ANOTHER NAME FOR HIM IS CALLED "NIMROD, "THE MIGHTY HUNTER" (GENESIS 10:9). ANOTHER NAME FOR NIMROD WAS "SANCTUS" OR "SANTA", MEANING "SAINT", COMMON TITLE FOR A HERO-GOD. NIMROD KNOWN AS BAAL OR sun god OF ANCIENT PAGANS WAS BORN AT THE WINTER SOLSTICE. IN ANCIENT TIMES THE SOLSTICE OCCURED ON JANUARY 6; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/epiphany
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oGkmL4t5pFr1kAAr9XNyoA?p=jan.6+pagan&prssweb=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=slv8-&x=wrt
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=pagan%20epiphany
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oGkmL4t5pFr1kAAr9XNyoA?p=jan+6+epiphany&prssweb=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=slv8-&x=wrt
THIS WAS HIS BIRTHDAY UNTIL THE SOLSTICE CHANGED & THEN IT WAS CELEBRATED ON DECEMBER 25. "IT WAS THE CUSTOM OF ANTIQUITY FOR THE MOTHER OF A MALE CHILD TO PRESENT HERSELF FOR PURIFICATION ON THE 40TH DAY(See Lev.12:2,4 = {33+7=40 as Jan.6 to Jan.31= 25 days+15days in Feb.= 40 days of purification period) AFTER THE DAY OF BIRTH. THE 40TH DAY AFTER JAN.6--NIMROD'S ORIGINAL BIRTHDATE---TAKES US TO FEB.15, THE CELEBRATION OF WHICH BEGAN ON THE EVENING OF FEB.14--THE LUPERCALIA OR ST. VALENTINE'S DAY." --(HERMAN L. HOEH) NIMROD'S OTHER NAME WAS "CUPID" WHICH MEANS "DESIRE"---ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA", ART., "CUPID".
Encyclopedia Americana, article, "St. Valentine's Day."
Encyclopedia Britannica, art., "cupid."
http://family.webshots.com/photo/2989184140049373547wOnMRn
http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/valentin.html
http://home.swbell.net/kelkay/valentines
http://home.sprynet.com/~pabco/stvalen.htm
http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/commentary/tw-comm.cgi?category=Commentary1&item=1105039340
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ST. PATRICK'S DAY
http://www.chaliceuu.org/sermons/Archive/stpat.htm
http://www.yahsaves.org/learn/Booklets/stpatty.htm
http://www.crystalinks.com/stpatricksday.html
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=St.%20Patrick%27s%20Day%20%3d%20pagan%20god%20or%20godess
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EASTER NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE
"The English word 'Easter' came from the Anglo-Saxon Eastre or Estera, a Teutonic goddess to whom sacrifice was offered in April, so the name was transferred to the Pashal Feast. The word does not properly occur in Scripture although the AV (King James Translation) has it in ACTS 12:4 where it stands for 'Passover' as it is rightly rendered in RV (Revised Version). There is no trace of Easter celebration in the New Testament..." (INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA VOL.2, P.889). The word 'Easter' has confused some but the word in the original form is "Pascha" meaning "Passover". It occurs 29 times in the New Testament & everytime it's translated Passover except in Acts 12:4. If you read carefully (ACTS 12:1-4); it says that Herod killed James and was trying to kill Peter in an effort to "vex the church"(Please the Jews). Then in VERSE 3 "were the days of unleavened bread"; see LEV.23. He put him in prison intending to try him "after Easter" (KJV). Now if Herod was trying to "please the Jews" & "vex the church" Why would he have delayed the trial until after 'Easter?'" If this was a "christian holy day", especially one in honoring Christ's resurrection, he would surely not be pleasing the Jews, Wouldn't it be more pleasing to the Jews to vex the church by killing one of it's Apostles on it's own "holy-day," would it not?

ORIGIN OF EASTER: WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
Easter was never observed by the Apostles of Christ or Christ's Religion. "The name 'Easter' comes to us from the mythlogical writings of the Ancient Teucrians (who lived 1200BC along the southern coast of Palestine) where it's known as 'Ostern'" BY GROVER STEVENS. "The name 'Easter' is merely the slightly changed English spelling of the name of the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian idol goddess, Ishtar (pronounced eesh-tar)." WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY says "Easter is from the pre-historic name of a pagan spring festival." THE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH ETYMOLOGY says, "Easter is derived from the name of goddess whose feast was celebrated at the vernal equinox." THE SCHOLARY NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA says, "This goddess is also widely known as Astarte...The cult originated in Babylonia and spread to Assyria, Mesopotamia, Syria & Palestine, then through the Phoenicians to all of the Meditteranean peoples...Ishtar was in fact primarily and chiefly identified as Venus, the most beautiful of celestial objects & from the terrestrial side, the primarily motive of the worship of Ishtar was the impulse to deify sensuous and sensuality." ALEXANDER HISLOP SAYS IN THE TWO BABYLONS (P.103), "Easter bears its Chaldean origin on its forehead. Easter is nothing else than Asarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven..."
http://family.webshots.com/photo/1370351068049373547hLMhYB
http://www.matrifocus.com/IMB04/spotlight.htm
http://www.albatrus.org/english/festivals/easter/is_easter_pagan.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishtar
http://www.lcg.org/search/search.php?query=easter&type=and&results=10&search=1
http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/cgi-bin/tw/telecast/tw-telecast.cgi?category=Media1&item=1104435600

The Easter Bunny and eggs deal with fertility of the goddess Ishtar. "Eggs, the obvious symbols of fertility and reproduction, were used in ancient fertility rites. They were painted with various magickal symbols and then cast into fires or buried in the earth as offerings to the Goddess. In certain parts of the world, Spring Equinox eggs were painted yellow or gold (sacred solar colors) and used in rituals to honor the Sun God. Easter, like every other Christian religious holiday is rich with an abundance of Pagan overtones, customs and traditions such as Easter eggs and Easter bunny. Eggs, as previously discussed were ancient fertility symbols and offerings to the Goddess of the Pagans and Witches in both western and eastern cultures, including the Goddess Ostara, whose escort was a rabbit. "
http://www.nobleknights.com/~eagle1/eostre1.htm

Easter Bunny Origination
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=easter%20bunny%20come%20from--Ishtar--pagan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Bunny

EASTER EGGS
Note: these sites tell where Easter Eggs came from.
http://www.nobleknights.com/~eagle1/eostre1.htm
http://www.rightdivision.com/html/easter_pagan_influences.html

VERSES-- DEUT.4:19,28-31; 11:26-28; 17:3 & GAL.4:8-10.
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http://www.lcg.org/search/search.php?query=halloween&type=and&results=10&search=1
IS HALLOWEEN HARMLESS FUN?
(Psalm 37:27; 97:10; Prov.3:7; 3John 11; 1Thess.5:22; Deut.18:9-12)
http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/halloween1.html
http://www.themodernreligion.com/misc/hh/halloween.html
http://family.webshots.com/photo/2362358050049373547ouUlEa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain
http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&client=pub-6807258685122891&channel=9400434304&cof=FORID%3A1%3BGL%3A1%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fintl%2Fen%2Flogos%2FLogo_50wht.gif%3BLH%3A74%3BLW%3A163%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BLP%3A1%3BLC%3A%230000ff%3BVLC%3A%23663399%3BGFNT%3A%230000ff%3BGIMP%3A%230000ff%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3B&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&q=god+of+halloween&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&client=pub-6807258685122891&channel=9400434304&cof=FORID%3A1%3BGL%3A1%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fintl%2Fen%2Flogos%2FLogo_50wht.gif%3BLH%3A74%3BLW%3A163%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BLP%3A1%3BLC%3A%230000ff%3BVLC%3A%23663399%3BGFNT%3A%230000ff%3BGIMP%3A%230000ff%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3B&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&q=Greek+God%2Fgodess+of+Halloween&btnG=Search
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CHRISTMAS
Christmas isn't Jesus's birthdate; it was the birthday of the sun god. Scripture doesn't mention Jesus's birthdate or any christians celebrating His Birthday. The only birthday mentioned besides (Gen.40:20)Pharoah is the heathen king Herod(Mark 6:21). "Christmas" means "mass of Christ"; the celebration coexisted in Rome before there was any in Jerusalem. The early Roman Church however did establish a pagan festival that (Jer.10) coexisted with Jesus's Birth and that was the birthday of the sun god. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th ed., article: "Christmas"). The Catholic sources admit that Christmas didn't co-exist with the earliest festivals. Jesus wasn't born Christmas; even scripture makes this evident. "On the night of Jesus's birth, the shepherd's were still keeping watch over their flocks." (Luke 2:8). The rainy season in Ancient Israel began after the Feast of Tabernacles which generally is early October. In November, it would be cool and wet; the flocks from the pasture had already been brought and kept in winter quarters by the shepherds. This tells us the shepherds were no longer in the fields at night. Another peice of evidence is overlooked is in Luke 1:35-36; it tells us John the Baptist was born to Mary's cousin Elizabeth six months before Jesus. And as we look further in verse 5-17, we see Zacharias an elderly priest burning incense on the altar and then an angel appearing to him and telling him that he and his wife would have a son to prepare Christ's Way. We know however when this announcement was made by the angel because of Zacharias was "of the course of Abijah" Please look at 1Chron.24:1-19; it tells us that King David divided these priests into 24 "courses" that served in the temple by rotation. The Course of Abijah would be the 8th of the 24 courses which usually would occur around the end of May. Pentecost came the week after the 8th course served and he had to serve all 24 courses during the three festival seasons. So Zacharias came home approximately after the first week of June; in which John the Baptist was conceived around mid-June and 9 months later would be his birth. John Baptist's birth came around mid-March while Jesus's was around mid-September. Also notice every year people claim 3 wise men seen Jesus in a stable; is this really true? The Bible nowhere states "3 wise men" or "that the wise men visited Jesus in a stable". Read for yourself: (Matt.2:11); these Magi came from the east beyond the Euphrates River which in the 1st century was called the Parthian Empire (the eastern border of the Roman Empire). Several weeks after Jesus's birth, the Magi arrived in Jerusalem, the king's palace searching for Jesus. The "star" in the east led them to take their trip to Judea. After hearing about the timing of the "star's appearance" from the Magi; King Herod ordered the slaughter of all children two years and younger(Matt.2:16). When Jesus was 40 days old: His parents presented him in the temple (Luke 2:22)(Lev.12:2-4). After the Magi came, the family fled to Egypt. {Jesus six weeks old.}
WHEN WAS JESUS'S BIRTH?
http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/magazine/tw-mag.cgi?category=Magazine33&item=1104261794
http://family.webshots.com/photo/1342393463049373547FazWzQ
Are these holidays dangerous to people?
http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/magazine/tw-mag.cgi?category=Magazine9&item=1103909093

Answer 2

Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas or Easter because they are NOT Christian but rather have pagan origins. Jesus instructed his followers to commemorate his death, not his birth or his resurrection. (Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28) So Jehovah's Witnesses appropriately commemorate the Lord's Evening Meal (the memorial of Christ's death) once each year on the date that corresponds to Nisan 14 on the Hebrew calendar. (This is not to be confused with Easter, which is far different and of pagan origin.)

The word “Easter” appears in the King James Bible at Acts 12:4; this, however, is an error of the translators. The original Bible word pascha simply means “passover,” and that is the way modern translations render it. So Easter is not really mentioned in the original Greek of the Christian Scriptures.

The word "Christmas" is nowhere to be found in the Bible. You will find the story of Jesus' birth (Matt 2:1-18), but there were no "wise men" (who were really astrologers) at his birth; they arrived months later when "they went into the house they saw the young child with Mary its mother." It is also important to note that neither Jesus nor his disciples celebrated his birth.

Answer 3

They do not rejoice vacations considering such a lot have pagan origins. When Constantine the pagan Emperor of Rome grew to become a Christian he attempted to additionally stay a pagan and he mixed pagan and christian vacations to deliver approximately "team spirit." Then the Roman Catholic Church went alongside or even further many different blends. I like to mention that Constantine christianized the pagans and paganized the the Christians. What a multitude!!! A lot of the vacations , holy days or even sacraments aren't within the Bible. Jehovah's Witnesses began in New York within the early 1900's , in Brooklyn I believe. My grandmother was once one. We under no circumstances noticed her. She was once both ostracized or simply left on her possess. I met her one time whilst she was once an excessively historical girl. I believe it was once very unhappy. Anyway you'll appear it up on the web. They placed Christians to disgrace considering they are living such well healthful lives. But many in their precise teachings are fake. Hope that is helping. Cathy out.

Answer 4

Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate any holidays this would also include Easter.

The holidays have unchristian roots, they are drenched in paganism.

Eph. 5:10,11 "Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; and quit sharing with them in the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness, but, rather,even be reproving them."

2Cor. 6:14-18: (read this from your Bible).

Please ask your sister to sit down with you and show you from the Bible why she (JW"S ) do not celebrate any holidays. also yo can go to

The one and only official website of Jehovah's Witnesses at WWW.WATCHOTWER.ORG

Answer 5

Only one day is told by Jesus to celebrate. That is Jesus' death. It was just after Passover had finished that he started the new covenant with his followers. 1 Corinthians 11:20-26 is the record where he says "keep doing this in remembrance of me."

The rest of the holidays we know today have something if not everything, to do with paganism. This false religious worship is forbidden in the Bible for true worshipers of Jehovah. (1Tim. 4:1; Eph. 5:10-11; Zeph. 1:4-6; Titus 1:16)

Answer 6

Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate holidays because they have pagan origins.

First Christians didn't celebrate Christmas or other holidays. They have been 'introduced' into Christianity years later.

True Christians should celebrate Christ’s Memorial. Jehovah's Witnesses are the only ones who do that.

"... Keep doing this in remembrance of me." -- Luke 20:19


http://www.watchtower.org/e/19990315/article_01.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/e/20001215/article_01.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/e/19980315/article_01.htm

Answer 7

Your sister is right;about celebrating holidays:
Christmas,Easter,Thanksgiving,Good Friday
and the like.Because they're not in the Bible.
All these holidays were made by man.

Answer 8

They reject holidays because they are of pagan origin. There are no such prohibitions in the Bible, but it might be mentioned that the only birthday mentioned was that of the very horrible man, Herod, which led to John the Baptist's martyrdom. http://www.religionfacts.com/jehovahs_witnesses/holidays.htm

Answer 9

No where in the Bible is it written for celebration of popular religious and secular holidays that are celebrated in many parts of the world today. Their origin is pagan. If you have access to a library, you will find it interesting to note what reference books say about holidays that are popular where you live. Consider a few examples.

Easter. “There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament,” states 'The Encyclopædia Britannica.' Easter is rooted in pagan worship. While this holiday is supposed to commemorate Jesus’ resurrection, the customs associated with the Easter season are not Christian. For instance, concerning the popular “Easter bunny,” "The Catholic Encyclopedia" says: “The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility.”

New Year’s Celebrations. The date and customs associated with New Year’s celebrations vary from one country to another. Regarding the origin of this celebration, 'The World Book Encyclopedia' states: “The Roman ruler Julius Caesar established January 1 as New Year’s Day in 46 B.C. The Romans dedicated this day to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings. The month of January was named after Janus, who had two faces—one looking forward and the other looking backward.” So New Year’s celebrations are founded on pagan traditions.

Other Holidays. It is not possible to discuss all the observances held throughout the world. However, holidays that exalt humans or human organizations are not acceptable to Jehovah. (Jeremiah 17:5-7; Acts 10:25, 26.) Keep in mind, too, that the origin of religious celebrations has a bearing on whether they please God or not. (Isaiah 52:11; Revelation 18:4) Bible principles will help you to determine how God views participation in holidays of a secular nature.

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 25th 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 25th 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 December 25th, 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.

'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.

Is there any objection to sharing in celebrations that may have unchristian roots as long as it is not done for religious reasons?

Eph. 5:10, 11: “Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; and quit sharing with them in the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness, but, rather, even be reproving them.”

2 Cor. 6:14-18: “What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Be′lial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? . . . ‘“Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,” says Jehovah, “and quit touching the unclean thing”’; ‘“and I will take you in, . . . and you will be sons and daughters to me,” says Jehovah the Almighty.’” (Genuine love for Jehovah and a strong desire to be pleasing to him will help a person to break free from unchristian practices that may have had emotional appeal. A person who really knows and loves Jehovah does not feel that by shunning practices that honor false gods or that promote falsehood he is in any way deprived of happiness. Genuine love causes him to rejoice, not over unrighteousness, but with the truth. See 1 Corinthians 13:6.)

Compare Exodus 32:4-10. Notice that the Israelites adopted an Egyptian religious practice but gave it a new name, “a festival to Jehovah.” But Jehovah severely punished them for this. Today we see only modern practices associated with holidays. Some may appear harmless. But Jehovah observed firsthand the pagan religious practices from which these originated. Should not his view be what matters to us?

New Year’s celebrations are objectionable for Christians. Both the date and the customs associated with New Year’s celebrations vary from one country to another. In many places revelry and drinking are part of the festivities. However, Romans 13:13 counsels: “As in the daytime let us walk decently, not in revelries and drunken bouts, not in illicit intercourse and loose conduct, not in strife and jealousy.” (See also 1 Peter 4:3, 4; Galatians 5:19-21.)

If you would like further information & learn more - please contact Jehovah's Witnesses at the local Kingdom Hall. Or visit

Answer 10

THE BIBLE IS JEHOVAH'S WITNESS AND JESUS IS THE GREATEST
Rev.1:1-3; 3:14;

We that believe in Jesus are to imitate him and those that do are the holy prophets and apostles that set an example for us. 2Pet.3:2; Philip.2:5,9-12;
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. 14:6 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. 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. 14:8 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.
14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

If the bible people are our example, what do they do and what do they say to do, we either believe or we don't?

Answer 11

Organisation's control issue. And also they claim it to be pagan so that members would have a good reason not to celebrate the birth of God, the Word in flesh