Since You Left The Organization Do You Celebrate National and Religious Holidays?

by minimus 18 Replies latest jw friends

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  Sail Away

  Yes, I celebrate holidays. For me it's all about family, especially my grandchildren. They are visiting from Guatemala this month, and my daughter, son-in-law and husband gave me my first birthday party ever for my 60th birthday today.

  We had a picnic at the beach, playing in the waves, a raspberry cream tart with candles, presents and happy birthday songs in English and in Spanish. So much love and fun!

  We also had a barbecue at the town beach and watched the fireworks for July 4th. We celebrate Thanksgiving here in the States with our son and Christmas in Guatemala. My husband is uncomfortable with holiday, but he makes an effort for me. I don't care too much about Easter or Halloween, but might get into it if my grandchildren lived nearby.
• 

  just fine

  Yes — I do all of them. For birthdays it’s about telling someone ”I am glad you were born”. Halloween I like to give out candy and see all the kids costumes. Easter and Thanksgiving are all about the food. Christmas is so much fun to get the people you love presents they want.

  None of it is religious for me.
• 

  NewYork44M

  We have a Christmas tree and a turkey for Thanksgiving.

  I have no interest in Easter and am not emotionally vested in other holidays.
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  LV101

  Dunedain - party on! I, too, love Halloween and one of my faves. The costumes and makeup -- so much fun for little kids and big kids on the dark sideor not! I like all that scary skull/gobblin/dark decor and the little ones talk forever about it! Kids are so adorable and it's a great time to see the neighbors'/friends' Grandys (grandchildren) and give out the wonderful Halloween candy. It's the best time of the year to stock up on all those special, cute, miniature, candy bars, too. The elderly at the senior/memory care facility love receiving them - they're like little kids and so happy like little ones over so little.

  Sounds like you had a blast on the 4th! My brother in law buys the special fireworks/firecrackers in another county every year (until this year) and they're quite spectacular! You wouldn't know they'd been outlawed here -- there were 25,000 calls last night to Metro re/illegal fireworks. Fireworks are a huge, lucrative, business, today.
• 

  LV101

  Best candy/baskets/eggs/bunnies, EVA, at Easter time -- great sales day after Easter for extra or if you can hang on and wait but Easter is only once a year! Another fun time for little ones -- and big kids.

  What we sacrificed following men - WOW!
• 

  truthseekeriam

  We do!

  It's not as exciting or experienced as our neighbors... but we do try to get involved.

  Sparklers for the 4th, a little cake for a birthday and a tree with lights for Christmas. It still doesn't feel as normal as I would like but it's getting there.

  I just hope by the time my grandchildren come along we will be having the most fun celebrations :)
• 

  minimus

  Being “worldly” is cool.😎
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  joe134cd

  Although I have a day off, to be honest I really can’t be bothered celebrating it and am glad I don’t. Just seems like a lot of unnecessary work. I hate to say it but I think it’s one thing the JWs got right.
• 

  jws

  I don't celebrate with any gusto. I used to like Halloween when the kids were little. Helping them find their costume, taking them trick-or-treating - sometimes dressing up myself. And some years there will be adult parties. I do love costuming. And of course giving the kids Christmas presents. Used to take the kids to see fireworks, but they're over that. I generally make a Turkey on or around Thanksgiving (whenever I get the kids). Because it's tradition and turkeys are on sale. It's economical. Couldn't care less about Easter unless my running group is doing an Easter beer hunt.
  
  If I were on my own without the kids or a girlfriend, I'd let it all pass. Except for maybe watching my favorite Christmas movie (Die Hard) on Christmas day.
  
  Oh wait. Yes. There is one holiday I'm very passionate about. And it's technically not even mine. St. Patrick's Day. There's a big parade attended by about 125,000 people. Both families and a LOT of drunken bastards with parties and bands up and down the street. A friend lives on that street and we have a big yard party with about 4 kegs of beer and a hundred people and we grill out, drink all day long, and interact with the people walking by on their way to the bars further down past the parade route. I'm not even Irish that I know of. But that's the holiday that excites me.