Can Jehovah Witness go to family get togethers at Christmas when the family are exchanging gifts?

Answer 1

No, they don't. When asked questions about Jehovah's Witnesses, and why we do not celebrate Christmas, or give and receive gifts, I like to give a little more information on the matter. First, we do not have a problem with giving and receiving gifts in general. That is not the issue with the Christmas holiday for us. We are often seen giving gifts for wedding anniversaries, house warming, baby and bridal showers, and other occasions.

The issue for us with Christmas is the origin of the holiday. The fact is, the holiday does not come from The Bible or Christianity. It was originally known as the Saturnalia, which was a pagan celebration in honor of the sun god. This celebration was around even before Jesus was on earth. Every December, pagans celebrated the birth of the sun god in a celebration that lasted about a week, and came to a climax on December 25. They decorated their homes, exchanged gifts, even venerated things such as the evergreen tree, holly, mistletoe, and ivy because they believed that these plants possessed special powers, as they do not die even in the winter. Ever wonder why people are supposed to kiss under the mistletoe? This is a modern-day ritual that originated with the pagan belief that mistletoe possessed special powers of fertility. Pagans believed that this plant could help people and even their livestock have a lot of babies.

About 300 years after Jesus died, the recently formed Catholic Church decided to hijack this pagan holiday, and change it into the "Mass of Christ, Christ's Mass," or Christmas. They adopted all the trappings of the pagan ritual, and tried to make it seem "Christian." It was because of the pagan-ness of the holiday that the early "Christian" Quakers and Puritans in the colonies of the Americas actually outlawed Christmas. They refused to celebrate it, and even planned for December 25 to be a day of hard work.

Jesus was not born in December as the Bible evidence tells, but it is more likely that he was born sometime in the fall, however nobody really knows when he was born. Bible scholars do agree, however, that he was not born in the winter. So, Christmas has nothing to do with Jesus, and has everything to do with honoring an ancient pagan sun god.

Because of its non-Christian and non-Biblical roots, we do not celebrate Christmas, nor do we engage in any of the customs associated with Christmas, including the holiday gift giving.

Answer 2

'Exchange?' You mean like: 'I give you, and in return - you give me?'

We pretty much shy-away from the concept of 'exchange'; not that it's necessarily wrong; but such a concept is basically founded on 'selfishness'; and we recognize that. It fosters some unhealthy attitudes with regards to what gift-giving should be all about.

As far as 'gift-giving': -- we're not going to have 'the world' stipulate on what days we are to give gifts. That's on the order of 'forced-giving' based on 'peer pressure' to give; again another unhealthy Bible attitude.

We encourage our gift-giving to be based on 'love' and 'un-selfishness'. We give when we want to give; not when we're 'told' to give.

Also 'gift-giving' should be based on TRUTH. Therefore we would not tell our sons and daughters that a mythical Santa Claus brought them the gifts. That is obviously a 'lie'. Instead we tell them the truth, that their gift is from their parents; or from grandma or grandpa, etc.

A FEW years ago the assistant managing editor of the U.S. Catholic magazine wrote:

"Whereas the true lesson of Christmas is a message of divine mercy and sacrifice, Santa is the front man for greedy corporations, and the tutor in greed for millions of American children. He is the saint of gimme. . . . He has become a total sellout to materialism and greed. He is in the pay of the big toy manufacturers and department stores. . . . A greedy child is never appeased. A spoiled child appreciates nothing. An overindulged child is convinced that the major figure of Christmas is not Christ, but himself."

This editor thought that Santa should have been left at the North Pole. Actually, the entire Christmas celebration should have been left in pagan Rome. Christ was not born on December 25, but it was the day on which the Romans worshiped the sun-god. Their December festival, the Saturnalia, featured gift giving and wild parties. A few centuries after Christ the Catholic Church incorporated the day and the festival into apostate Christianity, and called it "mass of Christ," or Christmas. (as reported in Awake magazine 1979 12/22 p. 3 Does Xmas Promote Greed?)

Answer 3

no they think Christmas is pagan but they will take a Christmas bouns

Answer 4

Baptized and dedicated Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas nor do they give or receive Christmas gifts.