WHILE Christmas day is set aside for remembering the birth of the saviour, there can be no doubt that the world has commercialised this occasion to the point that the day brings to mind little of the holy event for many.
Nevertheless, for the Christian, the day IS a special time of the year.
For the Jehovah's Witness, Christmas is much different than it is for the Christian.
While Christians are gathering together in the name of the Lord to celebrate the first advent of Christ, Witnesses must abstain not only from the celebrations itself, but from everything associated with the season.
They are taught Christmas is part of the false religious system and are given specific commands regarding religious celebrations
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"Do you want to be part of Satan's world? Or are you for God's new system, you will be separate from the world, including its false religion. You will heed the command: "Get out of her [Babylon the Great], my people." (Revelation 18:4). However, getting out of Babylon the Great, the world empire of false religion, includes more than simply cutting off connections with false religious organisation. It also means having nothing to do with the religious celebrations of the world. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Christmas is a prominent religious holiday today."
You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982, p.212.
The Watch Tower Society places the birth of Jesus secondary to the memorial of His death.
They claim that Jesus told His followers to observe a memorial of his death, not of His birth. You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, 1982, p.213.
But, has the Watch Tower Society always thought this way?
It is a fact that early Watch Tower leaders joined the festive season and were quite proud to admit it.
The Watchtower magazine of 1 December 1904, stated:
Watchtower - 1 December 1904
Watch Tower books were also suggested, in one edition, as possible Christmas presents, with orders being made several months in advance, obviously to avoid the expected Yuletide rush for books, nearer Christmas.
In another instance, second President J.F Rutherford even printed a letter, in the Watchtower of 15 January 1919, thanking JW members for sending him: "numerous Christmas presents."
And if there is any doubt about it, we even print here a picture of Mr Rutherford and friends (they're the ones hiding amongst the Christmas decorations and piles of presents) tucking into a nice Christmas dinner at the Society's Bethel headquarters in 1926.
We will finish this brief article with the words of the Watchtower magazine of 15 December 1926, which says:
"The event is so important that it is always appropriate to call it to the minds of people, regardless of the date."
One Reply to “Christmas”
It is worth delving in to some of the older literature and reminding them of what they used to believe. When they say that ‘new light’ has been received, ask them to be specific. They have always known about some of the pagan customs but they used to say that the event of the Saviour’s birth was worth celebrating. What has changed?