Why do Jehovah's Witnesses not celebrate Christmas?

Answer 1

One reason Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Christmas is because of it's many pagan origins. Also, in the Bible, we are NOT told to commemorate Jesus' birth, but we ARE commanded to commemorate his death.

December 25 was the date of pagan festivals in ancient Rome - Mithra - the birthday of the invincible sun, and - Saturnalia - the festival of the Roman god Saturn.

When the Roman catholic church began, these festivals were given "christian" themes and names, even though most of the customs (lights in trees, mistletoe, giving of gifts, drunken merriment, etc) were kept the same as the pagan traditions.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe true Christians should not celebrate holidays based on the worship of false gods. And, because they believe what the Bible says about honoring Jehovah and Jesus in every aspect of their lives, this would also include entertainment. See Matthew 15:8,9 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

In addition, according to Bible chronology, Jesus was born sometime in the fall, NOT on December 25th. In Luke chapter 2 we are told that, at the time of his birth, there were shepherds outside, but December is a very cold, rainy month in that area, sometimes even snowing, so during the winter season, the sheep would NOT be kept out-of-doors, especially at night.

The vast majority of "Christians" around the world celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th. Christmas is a "Christian"festival that replaced the old pagan festivals near the winter solstice during the time that "Christianity" replaced pagan religions as the official religion in most of the Western World many hundreds of years ago.

Nevertheless, we know from God's holy word, the Bible, that any mixing of customs from false (pagan) religions with those of true Christianity in unacceptable in God's eyes. (See 1 Corinthians 10:21 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.)

Answer from one who is not one of Jehovah's Witnesses

To "Christians", Christmas is not simply a celebration of Christ's birth. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is 'God with us' - Emmanuel (as the prophecies state) - so that the coming of Christ into the world is not simply a 'birthday' but the time when God himself took o human flesh in the amazing miracle of the Incarnation (from the Latin 'in carne' - 'becoming flesh'). However, the group that call themselves Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to accept that Christmas is now a Christian festival and still regard it as somehow 'pagan' and so refuse to take part in any festivities at Christmastime, nor allow their children to take part in such a celebration. This is partly due to their misunderstanding of Christianity taking over paganism (the light overcoming darkness as testifies in John 1) but also they regard the birth of Christ as just that - a birthday - rather than a unique event in history when God took on human flesh in the Incarnation as believed by Christians since the earliest Church Many Christians regard this non-acceptance of Christmas, and, especially the forbidding of their children to take part in Christmas events, as cruel as Witnesses' children grow up not knowing the love, the wonder and the excitement of Christmas - not are they allowed to celebrate their own birthdays either, as JWs regard these too as contrary to scripture (based on very shaky evidence). On a personal note, as a retired teacher of nearly 30 years' experience, I taught many children of JWs. Almost without exception they were unhappy souls, often bullied, simply because their peers saw them as 'different' or even 'weird'. Many Christians, therefore, regard JWs as misguided and lacking Christian love because of the unwillingness to accept the true meanings of scripture rather than their mistranslated, misguided doctrines.

Of course, all who truly wish to follow in Christ's footsteps know to expect opposition, persecution, and sometimes even bullying. (See 2 Timothy 3:12.)

One event that JWs DO celebrate, though, is the death of Jesus Christ, as he commanded us to do so at Luke 22:19, but "Christian Churches" call this Good Friday. See also 1 Corinthians 11:24-26. However, JWs do not celebrate Easter, the day of the Resurrection, because of its 'pagan' connections with the god of fertility, new life and Spring. To "Christians" this is bizarre that they should celebrate his death but not the single event in history that marked Jesus as divine - his conquering of death and his everlasting reign.

Of course, it was only by his willingly undergoing death, that we have forgiveness of sins and the hope of everlasting life. Neither his death nor his resurrection alone give us those guarantees.

The specific date of Jesus' birth is not mentioned in the scriptures. According to Bible chronology some believe that he was born sometime in the fall (autumn), perhaps corresponding to our modern month of October.

The giving of presents on a specified day to specific people does not constitute love. If you wish to give someone a gift, why not do it whenever you want to? (J's Ws give gifts all throughout the year to whomever they wish, whenever they want.)

Jehovah's Witnesses refrain from most traditional holidays, and anything that hints of pagan roots. (See Matthew 15:8,9 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.)

However, there is one celebration mandated by Jesus which J's Ws DO celebrate, and that is the anniversary of his death, celebrated annually on the modern date corresponding to Nisan 14 on the Jewish calendar. This observance is typically called the Lord's Evening Meal, the Last Supper, or the Memorial of Christ's Death. You will find this command at Luke 22:19 and 1 Corinthians 11:24.

Answer

First, let me say that Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians, and we have very strong faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our leader and our King and is divine, but, although like his heavenly Father in personality, Jesus is NOT God, nor is he equal to him. He is, in fact, just as the Bible states numerous times, God's SON. We also believe that Jesus' birth is one of the most important events in history. However, we do NOT believe that the common traditions of Christmas have anything to do with Jesus, nor do they honor him in any way.

If you were a mighty king in heaven, would you want people to continually be talking about your birth as a wee babe, or would you rather they learn about your current and future achievements and speak about those? Besides, of all the gifts you give at Christmastime, how many of them are given to and received directly by Jesus Christ himself?

Jesus was not born on December 25. In fact, the Bible does not say when he was born, but it gives enough information that historians and Bible scholars alike have been able to figure out that he was NOT born anytime in the winter.

If you read Luke chapter 2, you find that at the time of Jesus' birth, the shepherds in the area were LIVING OUTDOORS AT NIGHT with their flocks. In the winter, in that part of the world at night, shepherds kept their sheep in caves or enclosed stables. This is because, in that particular region, winter is a very cold, wet season, often with temperatures that drop below freezing.

There are several other indicators that confirm that Jesus wasn't born in the winter; in fact, he was likely born in the fall, possibly October. Why is this important? Not because of the fact that Jesus was not born on December 25, but because of what December 25 really was.

You see, about 300 years after Jesus died, Roman religious and political leaders decided to institute a celebration of the birth of Christ and decided to take an already existing holiday, which happened to be the pagan celebration of Saturnalia. They changed the name to "Mass of Christ" or "Christ's Mass", which eventually became known as Christmas.

The Saturnalia was a pagan holiday to honor the birth of the sun god. It was a week of festivities where people exchanged gifts, decorated their homes, engaged in general merry-making, and culminated on December 25. For many pagans this was their biggest holiday, and was already in existence when Jesus lived on earth. The religious leaders decided that if they could "christianize" this holiday, this would be a great way to convert pagans to the Catholic Church. (And for many, this worked.)

Jehovah's Witnesses feel that this violates a Bible command to not mix worship of other gods in with christian worship. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) In fact, mixing true worship with pagan rituals was why God punished the Israelites many years before the time of Jesus. God considered it spiritual fornication for ones to include pagan worship with their service to Him. (Hosea 4:12; 5:4)

It is interesting that because of the pagan origins of Christmas, the holiday was actually outlawed by the Quakers and Puritans who first came to America. They considered themselves to be Christians and yet, they considered Christmas to be an unchristian holiday, so they did NOT take any part in its celebration. Jehovah's Witnesses likewise consider themselves to be Christians, and regardless of the name that the Catholic Church has attached to it, we consider Christmas to be an unchristian holiday, therefore we do not celebrate it.

Additional Answer

It was not until several hundred years after Jesus lived on earth that people began to commemorate his birth on December 25. But that was not the date of Jesus' birth, for it evidently took place in October. So why was December 25 chosen?

Some who later claimed to be "Christian" "wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival marking the 'birthday of the unconquered sun.'" (The NewEncyclopædia Britannica) In winter, when the sun seemed weakest, pagans held ceremonies, appealing to their gods, to get this source of warmth and light to come back from its distant travels. December 25 was thought to be the day that the sun began its return. In an effort to convert pagans, religious leaders adopted this festival and tried to make it seem "Christian."

The pagan roots of Christmas have long been recognized. Because of its unscriptural origin, Christmas was banned in England and in some of the American colonies during the 17th century. Anyone who even stayed home from work on Christmas Day had to pay a penalty. Soon, though, the old customs were back, and some new ones were added. Christmas once again became a big holiday, and that is what it still is in many lands. Because of the connections that Christmas has with false religion, however, those who want to please God do not celebrate it or any other holiday that has its roots in pagan worship. For more information go to www.watchtower.org.

Another Answer

I really like what It says at Luke 2:8: "There were also in that same country shepherds living out of doors and keeping watches in the night over their flocks." This scripture also brings out that the shepherds were 'abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night'. Since December is cold and rainy in Judea, the shepherds would have sought shelter for their flocks at night."

So, if Christmas is so important for Christians to comemorate, don't you think Jesus or at least his disciples would have mentioned it somewhere in the scriptures?

The Bible tells us at (2 Timothy 3:16, 17) "All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial . . . that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work." Again, if Christmas were of divine origin, wouldn't Jehovah God have inspired the Bible writers to say something about Christmas so that true Christians could be "completely equipped for every good work" like it brought out in 2 Timothy? I hope this answered your question on Christmas.

Another Answer from a former witness

Witnesses don't celebrate Christmas but they once did. The founders of the religion, Charles Taze Russel and Judge Rutherford, both celebrated Christmas and even handed out magazines and tracts as gifts.

Later, after much research and prayer, they reasoned that Christmas was not a holiday that true Christians should take part in.

Today the watchtower and tract society and all it's followers would allow a child in need of a blood transfusion to die. Apostates believe that it is impossible to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th, due to the historical origins of secular figures and traditions found in the modern day celebration. They also dispute the date of birth of Christ.

Jesus preached to the Jews and Gentiles alike. It is only fitting that his birth be celebrated in the same manner; inclusive of Gentile or Roman traditions, but the Jehovah witnesses do not follow Jesus, they follow the apostate teachings of the watchtower and tract society.

Of course, as we know from the scriptures, Jews and Gentiles alike had to make many changes based on their new knowledge, and one of the biggest challenges for them was to give up their pagan traditions. But, to become a Christian, they willingly did this, and more.

Further Answers about JW's with a deeper insight:

Please note that there are several religious groups that are of Christian Denomination that also believe that the observance of Christmas is wrong because it is bibically inaccurate, also that observing Christmas violates/goes against Bible scripture. There are several Biblical scriptures that are very specific in saying that Christians are not to mix man made traditions with the observance or worship of God. Matthew 15 verse 9 says, "But in vain they do worship me, they are teachings for doctrines the commandments of men." and also Mark 7 verse 7. So in the end, every Christian must ask themselves, does celebrating Christmas really honor Christ when the Bible clearly says NOT to mix pagan traditions with the worship of God or His son, Jesus Christ?

Additionally a Christian has to ask themselves: Does lying to your children about Santa, excessive spending, yearly greed and commercialism, the very fact that it is 100% proof positive that Christ was not born on December 25th, and so much more, with stuff like this that is associated with a holiday that is supposed to honor Christ? The true question is....does Christmas really honor Christ, or is Christmas more to appease the children and the desires of what the original pagan festival represented?

Or the better question to ask is, "What would Christ do"? Does any Christian really think that Jesus himself would approve of anything that is surrounded with lies, half truths and directly goes against scripture? Although I myself am not a JW, I agree that the observance of Christmas is truly wrong and blasphemous. The JW's are Biblically correct about Christmas being wrong, and Christians should NOT observe it. But at the same time, JW's also misunderstand many other scriptures such as the 4th commandment of the Bible, the clean meat laws, and totally mis-interpret the Bible by way of thinking man-made holidays like Thanksgiving and the 4th of July are also wrong to observe, when there is nothing Biblically wrong with those particular holidays, nor with observing birthdays.

Jehovah's Witnesses are border line at times of being extremely self-righteous and can be quite stubborn. My experience with Jehovah's Witnesses is that they are very convicted in their beliefs but when you question some of their beliefs or challenge what they believe in, challenge beliefs versus Bible scripture, the majority of them cannot support or answer questions on their own. Sadly most JW's cannot on their own, answer in-depth questions about their beliefs, for when you question them on things like the 4th commandment, the Sabbath as example, the general masses of JW's have to go to an elder or a group of elders to help assist them when questioned. My experience is even elders within the JW organization still have difficulty explaining their beliefs.

Although JW's observe the death of Christ, they do not observe it completely as outlined in the scriptures, the way Christ explained how to observe it. For example, in the observance of Christ's death each year, JW's do not participate in the "foot washing ceremony" as well as partaking of unleavened bread and wine. (1 Corinthians 11:24-30) Jehovah's Witnesses do not observe the other "Holy Days" God commanded all Christians to observe, such as The Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Booths, etc. JW's believe that these Holy Days were forgone with the death of Christ but that simply is not Bibically accurate either. The original Passover in Exodus 12:1-14 says "it shall be a FEAST you shall keep for all your generations as an everlasting ordinance....". Exodus 12:17 says that, "This shall be a PERMANENT LAW.....For GENERATION TO GENERATION", but JW's mistakenly believe Christ's death overrides this but no where in scripture does it say that all the aforementioned Holy Days are done away with. This also applies the the 4th commandment, The 7th day Sabbath, the 7th year Sabbath, and the Jubilee year, and other laws such as eating things like pork and shellfish for example. These are examples of questions you can ask a JW and they simply cannot answer and will default upon elders in their congregations and even the elders do not fully understand what they preach and practice. So in closing, even though JW's are correct that Christmas is a pagan holiday that Christians should NOT observe under ANY circumstance, they also are not in complete understanding of ALL the laws, Holy Days, the sacrificing of animals at the altar, and the way to commemorate Christ's death correctly each and every year.
Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas for a few reasons. First, they believe in celebrating Jesus' death and resurrection (Easter) over his birth. They also reject the pagan roots of modern Christmas, and, as for the "Christmas spirit" believe in espousing kindness and goodness as a part of life, not simply as a feeling to be remembered once a year.

Although they do not celebrate Christmas themselves, Jehovah's Witness' core beliefs encourage respect and free thought, and so, as an official stance, respect others' choice to celebrate it without interference.