What reasons you gave for not celebrating Thanksgiving when u were a dub?

by hubert 10 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • hubert
    hubert

    I know two reasons, from my Bible-study daughter.

    Indians were killed.

    Pagan origins.

    What were some of the reasons you gave when you were a j-dub, to get out of celebrating Thanksgiving with non-j.w. family/relatives?

    Hubert

  • Double Edge
    Double Edge
    Pagan origins.

    How could that be when the first Thanksgiving was from religious immigrants? Also, when Abraham Lincoln declared it a National Holiday during the civil war, it was proclaimed as a day to give thanks to God for our blessings.

    I've never been a JW, but my JW friend tells me that "we don't celebrate Thanksgiving on a certain day because WE give thanks EVERY day"..... However, they then tell me that their family gets together and has turkey, etc.....

  • blondie
    blondie

    Actually, I thought the Indians were killed the following year. I visited Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts and that is what I understood.

    but

    It is considered a national holiday and so is considered a breach of neutrality.

    We always celebrated it. After all what is there but eating turkey and watching football.

    Usually what JWs do is go out to eat together or over to each other's homes but not celebrate with the non-JW friends and relatives...hypocrites.

    Blondie

  • hubert
    hubert

    Yeah, that's their biggest cop-out. They do that at Christmas time, too...... "We can give gifts anytime".

  • hubert
    hubert

    Blondie, I think what they meant is, they killed the Indians eventually...maybe years later, so that's why they don't celebrate Thanksgiving.

    It's like them saying, "We don't celebrate birthdays, because of the apostle that got beheaded on a princesses or queens birthday. (I think). Forgot who. Paul, Peter? Sorry, not good at Bible verses.

    It's also like saying, "I saw someone deliberately running over somebody with their car, so I'm not going to drive anymore". (duh)???

    Hubert

  • Purza
    Purza
    It is considered a national holiday and so is considered a breach of neutrality.

    This is the reason we never "officially" celebrated it. Every year though my parents would invite the people in the hall who did not have a family and my mother would serve turkey (dad was an elder too). Reason given: turkeys were cheap.

    Purza

  • Scully
    Scully

    When I was growing up, we had an excuse to "observe" Thanksgiving with Worldly? relatives - it was the long weekend and usually was usually very close to a wedding anniversary of these relatives. It was a kind of family reunion, and it was just accepted by other JWs that this was our family's position on the matter.

    Love, Scully

  • morty
    morty

    We always had turkey at this time of year.....

    It was the only time of year they were cheap enough in price to buy....

    So, there seemed to be alot of gatherings at this time of year because of the cheap turkeys .....

  • blondie
    blondie
    Blondie, I think what they meant is, they killed the Indians eventually...maybe years later, so that's why they don't celebrate Thanksgiving

    I understand, hubert.

    It is another hypocritical cop-out as you illustrate.

    I always hated it when individual JWs would have their own reason that did not jive with the official WTS one. It made me look like a fool too.

    This is one holiday JWs bend a lot of rules to "observe." I checked once on the price of turkeys and they are just as cheap at Christmas and believe it or not some JWs make that a reason to gather with JW friends and relatives...but not the non-JWs...they might get the "wrong idea."

    Blondie

  • Mulan
    Mulan
    It is considered a national holiday and so is considered a breach of neutrality.

    We always celebrated it. After all what is there but eating turkey and watching football.

    That was us too. "turkeys are cheap, everyone has the day off, it's just another day" those were the explanations.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit