Thanksgiving?

by freeflyingfaerie 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  freeflyingfaerie

  Here in the U.S. of A., come one week from today, families will come together to feast in celebration of the day in 1621 when pilgrims and native Americans shared feasting for three days..

  ...and then the natives were slaughtered and driven out of the lands in the coming years

  I wondered if native Americans themselves celebrate Thanksgiving... (interesting findings out there)

  Cast your votes as to whether or not I'm a freakazoid for not celebrating it! (although, if I did have family to just spend time with on a day off and feast and enjoy each others' company without doing it in celebration of any conquests and such, I suppose that'd be great)

  (finding where I stand on holidays)
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  jgnat

  Instead of deleting, why not add one?

  • Native American or Indian Celebrations or Holidays by Brownielocks

    www.brownielocks.com/nativeamerican.... Here are some of the rituals or observances that the American Indians do.
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  confusedandalone

  will be gathering with my non dub family and my wifes as well.

  none of us really give much concern to the meaning of they real holiday because we see it as disrespectful. However we all have the time of and we do our own thing, which has nothing to do with the pilgrims
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  braincleaned

  I don't celebrated for two reasons; one (and main one), for the same reason than you. Two, I'm vegan! :D
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  freeflyingfaerie

  jgnat~ those are beautiful celebrations..thank you for sharing

  c&a~ maybe that's the way most people seem to be with it, especially since many get a long weekend from school/work. It may be more a matter of practicality than a time of relfection, for most
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  freeflyingfaerie

  cleanbrain~ Ha! I'm a pesco/ovo vegetarian.

  Finding that I was a strange being living the life of a JW for all those years...and now, still a strange being. Going against the grain on a lot of subjects, biting my tongue at times. Daydream about living in the wild.. or at least maybe coastal Oregon or something :)
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  rebel8

  I just try to not delve into the past meanings of holidays, after being in a religion obsessed with that.

  I don't feel it's disrespectful today to engage in a harvest dinner with loved ones. That's what it really is.
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  fakesmile

  the slaughtering has not stopped. just see black friday
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  skeeter1

  daydreaming about living out in the wild...

  Have you watched, "Into the Wild"? Don't do it, unless you know what in the hell you are doing. Cuz, you'll end up starving, and a Thanksgiving feast with friends and family around ..... you will discover that togetherness is the truest meaning in life.

  It was the Native Americans who showed the Pilgrams the feast, so isn't it a passing of a Native American tradition? Just like Christmas, which was a melting of many traditions.

  Skeeter
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  Gopher

  Here's enough reason to AVOID celebrating Thanksgiving. No it isn't enough, I'm just joshing you.
  
  The WTS uses the old "no part of the world" scripture to try to forbid any activity THEY don't like.

  From the "School" Brochure page 21:

  National Holidays

  Other holidays are somewhat different in nature. These are not so universally celebrated, but may be unique to a particular country. For example, there may be national days of thanksgiving. In some places there may also be a certain day set aside to memorialize a nation’s war dead, or a day to remember the birth of a country or certain prominent presidents, rulers or national heroes.

  Jehovah’s Witnesses also respectfully refrain from participating in such national holidays. Though we respect the authorities in whatever country we may reside, for conscientious reasons we do not give them what we view as worshipful honors. We remain neutral toward all such celebrations. This is in keeping with Jesus’ words regarding his followers: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.”—John 17:16.