Why don't Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate birthdays or holidays?

I've never been interested in celebrating either since around 15 or 16 but when I bring up the subject i'm often asked if I am a Jehovah's Witness. Asked by Lychnobite 21 months ago Similar questions: don't Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate birthdays holidays Lifestyle > Birthdays.

Similar questions: don't Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate birthdays holidays.

Because they believe everything in the Bible has been written for a reason. Birthdays are mentioned twice in the Bible. Both of them were pagan and both result in murder.In Genesis 40:20-22, you can read about a Pharaoh’s birthday.

At his birthday, he (the Pharaoh) takes two of his servants out from jail: the head of the cupbearers (which are those who would place a cup in Pharaoh’s hand), and the head of the bakers. However, Pharaoh was not being a “hero” by taking them out of jail, as he was the one who put them there in the first place. He put the head of the cupbearers back to his position as he who would put the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.

But, as we read in verse 22, the head of bakers was hung. The other case mentioned in the Bible is found in Matthew 14: 6-10. When King Herods was celebrating his birthday, Herodias’s daughter danced for Herods.

Because he enjoyed her dance so much, he told her in front of everyone in attendance that whatever she wanted, he would give to her. She asked for John the Baptist’s head on a platter.So, they refrain from celebrating birthdays because they feel that Jehovah does not approve of this type of celebration due to those two accounts recorded in the Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Christmas because they feel that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25, it is a birthday (see reason above) and Jesus said to celebrate his death not his birth.

In addition, there are a number of pagan religious practices associated with Christmas. First, the day December 25th was chosen to correspond with the worship of the Roman Sun God. Their festival on that day was called "The Birthday of the Undefeated Sun".

Also, the use of an evergreen tree in Christmas stems from pagan tree worship. Furthermore, Christmas was not celebrated by the first-century Christians, the apostles and others who actually knew Jesus, and knew him to be their Savior. If they did not celebrate this holiday.

This does not mean that they don’t have parties or give gifts to each other. They give surprise presents to each other just because. Sources: I work with a Jehovah Witness and this is how it was explained to me.

Fact is, those are things that pagans initially did, and rather than co-opt them like the Roman Catholic church did, They merely don't do them at all. But I've always felt that this was a minor thing they've made a MAJOR doctrinal issue, so I don't discuss this with them. Much more important is their re-writing the Bible to suit their preconceived notions.As for birthdays, we don't realize that these were occasions for joy among families before the days when the Rh factor in blood was discovered and a couple had an even chance of being opposite factors and (thus) having random children spontaneously abort (my mom had eleven pregnancies and only six survived.

) And that was before birth. Thanks to modern medical innoculations, we don't realize how many children (always the most vulnerable) died of whatever disease was ripping thru the community. Adolf tler wasn't his mom's first child, but he was her first child who made his fifth birthday (so yeah, he was a momma's boy).

Birthdays were a celebration, a congratulations, an indulgence by way of bribing the kid to keep trying .. To live. Ya see, J.W.'s could've made them into that but didn't. The do observe Easter/Paschal, but Christmas is not mandated in the Bible (nor are any of the other days on the Roman Catholic calendar.

) And many of them were layered on top of pagan celebrations.

1 It is based on their interpretation of the Bible. This user has been banned from Askville.

1 It is based on their interpretation of the Bible.

It is based on their interpretation of the Bible.

2 to summarize, they feel that birthdays, and the other holidays are based on pagan rituals, and to observe them is bordering on paganism - which to them is an extreme faux pas.

To summarize, they feel that birthdays, and the other holidays are based on pagan rituals, and to observe them is bordering on paganism - which to them is an extreme faux pas.

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Similar questions: Jehovah's witnesses celebrate holidays.

Because they consider holidays pagan or nationalistic Nationalism and holidaysAmong Jehovah's Witnesses, there is an avoidance of practices considered to have nationalistic or false religious origins. Examples include not singing the national anthem or not saying "bless you" when someone sneezes. Distinctive titles in address (such as Father, Pastor, Reverend, etc) are not employed.

Witnesses address one another as "Brother" or "Sister", often followed by the first or last name of the individual. Despite varied positions of service, these are not used as a title to address the person by, such as in the case, "Elder John". Weddings, anniversaries, and funerals are typically observed.

Common celebrations and religious or national holidays such as birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are regarded as pagan and not celebrated.5758 Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beliefs_and_Practices_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses#Nationalism_and_holidays .

See below Simply put, Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate holidays that involve practices or traditions that they believe are not in harmony with what is taught in the Bible. They believe that the God of the Bible, Jehovah, demands exclusive devotion, meaning that no other gods should be worshiped. Most holidays have non Christian origins and have rituals associated with worship of nonChristian Gods.

For example, as shown in this Wikipedia article, the date for Jesus birth is not in the Bible, but the holiday is associated with with preChristian festivals in which nonChristian Gods were worshiped such as the Saturnalia festivals. Another reason Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas is because Jesus is not recorded to have celebrated his birthday and Christmas was not celebrated by the first century Christians of the Bible. You can read up on the origins of Christmas at Wikipedia.It was believed that the holiday began more than 200 years after the death of Christ.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate other holidays that have similar nonChristian origins. Please look at the official website for Jehovah's Witnesses (watchtower.org) for more info about why they do not celebrate particular holdays. Also see http://watchtower.org/e/20001215/article_01.htm.

" "Is there a religion for me?" "Religion is for people who fear hell; Spirituality is for people who've been to hell. What does this mean? " "Please share with me how you celebrate your Christmas holidays and any particular traditions you and/or your family have.

How many of you like Religion and why" (11 answers).

Religion is for people who fear hell; Spirituality is for people who've been to hell. What does this mean?

Please share with me how you celebrate your Christmas holidays and any particular traditions you and/or your family have.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.