Do Jehovah Witnesses celebrate New years Eve/ New years Day? I know they aren't supposed to celebrate any holidays. Just wondering because my neighbors are JW and they are having a party tonight?????
2007-12-31 15:29:25 · 16 answers · asked by Kim 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Go next door and ask them...then get back to us..Thanks.
LOL... I couldn't do that, they do not get along with us...everything we do is offensive to them. Just thought it was odd they were throwing a "party" on New Years Eve.
2007-12-31 15:42:23 · update #1
No.
It seems quite possible that family and friends can celebrate a wedding anniversary, graduation, or simple reunion which coincidentally occurs on the date others celebrate for pagan reasons.
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
2008-01-02 09:47:06 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate New Years because the celebrations originate with worship of pagan gods. Besides, new years is often associated with heavy drinking, something else that Jehovah's Witnesses do not participate in. As for your neighbors, it is possible that they simply had friends over since people often have time off from work at New Years. However, I cannot speak for them, and everyone must answer for their own actions.
2008-01-02 11:48:28 · answer #2 · answered by Mrs.McMahon 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just because they are having a party doesn't mean much. I cannot speak for them though. Here is why we do not celebrate New Years.
*** bh p. 223 par. 2 Should We Celebrate Holidays? ***
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.
2008-01-01 06:32:57 · answer #3 · answered by no name 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Like Halloween and Christmas, the wild celebration of New Year's Eve dates far back to ancient Babylon, an early source of false religion. This has been admitted by churches but few take it seriously. However, Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to have anything to do with pagan and false religion. Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, in the first centuries AD the Romans continued celebrating the new year. The early Catholic Church condemned the festivities as paganism. But as Christianity became more widespread, the church began having its own religious observances blend with many of the pagan celebrations, and the popularity of the holiday caused the Church to cave in in order to keep their pagan converts. Traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth. This pagan custom of ancient sun-worship was celebrated over 2000 years before the birth of Jesus. The celebration of New Year's is never once commanded in the Bible. Jesus and the apostles never observed it. Moses forbade it! Don't say "it doesn't matter." It does matter to God whether we adopt the customs of the heathen. Your Bible says, "Learn not the way of the heathen" (Jeremiah 10:2) JWs celebrate weddings and anniversaries and often have parties or gatherings but they are not connected with pagan worship. That's the deal. The Bible is our guide and pagan holidays have been written about in our Bible study aids as well as the Watchtower countless times because our worship must be clean and pure, not tainted with false religion.
2016-05-28 08:06:38 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO, we do not celebrate ANY holidays, except the one Jesus commanded us to : The Memorial of His Death each year on Nisan 14, according to the Jewish Calendar.
Maybe they are having their regular Bible Study that is conducted at certain homes each week.
Right now we are studying the Revelation book.
2007-12-31 15:48:10 · answer #5 · answered by ? 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Many people "celebrate" holidays on the surface for business reasons - our Jewish boss used to have a Christmas party every year.
2007-12-31 15:39:11 · answer #6 · answered by Brent Y 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
The only thing he JW's celebrate are their wedding anniversaries. I have a friend that is a JW
2007-12-31 15:35:42 · answer #7 · answered by hexa 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
My in-laws are JW they do not celebrate any holiday including New Years nor do any other JW's I know (I know several through my in-laws)...
Them not celebrating has been fantastic they are always willing to babysit should my husband and I choose to go out....
2007-12-31 15:34:44 · answer #8 · answered by Diane (PFLAG) 7 · 8⤊ 0⤋
I would think that they would, it's not a religious holiday but more of a calendar holiday i guess you could call it.
2007-12-31 15:34:02 · answer #9 · answered by tystonge 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Crash their party and ask them. be sure to bring a side dish and something to drink if it is that kind of a party.
2007-12-31 15:33:09 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 4⤋