what do jehovah witnesses celebrate
Hello. Welcome to solsarin. This post is about “what do jehovah witnesses celebrate“.
Jehovah’s Witnesses practices
Jehovah’s Witnesses‘s practices are based on the biblical interpretations of Charles Taze Russell (1852–1916), founder (c. 1881) of the Bible Student movement, and of successive presidents of the Watch Tower Society, Joseph Franklin Rutherford (from 1917 to 1942) and Nathan Homer Knorr (from 1942 to 1977). Since 1976, practices have also been based on decisions made at closed meetings of the group’s Governing Body.[1][2] The group disseminates instructions regarding activities and acceptable behavior through The Watchtower magazine and through other official publications, and at conventions and congregation meetings.
Jehovah’s Witnesses endeavor to remain “separate from the world”,[3] which they regard as a place of moral contamination and under the control of Satan. Witnesses refuse to participate in any political and military activity and are told to limit social contact with non-Witnesses.[4] The denomination requires adherence to a strict moral code, which forbids premarital sex, homosexuality, gender transitioning,[5] adultery, smoking, drunkenness and drug abuse, and blood transfusions.[6]
Dissident behavior
A system of judicial committees maintains discipline within congregations, exercising the power to expel members who breach the denomination’s rules and to demand their shunning by other Witnesses.[7] The threat of shunning also serves to deter members from dissident behavior.[8][9]
Members are expected to participate regularly in evangelizing work and to attend congregation meetings and conventions that present material based on Watch Tower Society publications.[10]
HISTORY AND MEANING
Jehovah’s Witnesses consider themselves to be Christian and as such recognize that Jesus Christ is the son of God and commemorate the Memorial of Jesus’ death. The purposes of the Memorial evening meal are to remember Jesus and show gratitude for the sacrifice that he made on behalf of humanity. This Memorial is also known as the Lord’s Supper, the Last Supper or the Lord’s Evening Meal.
Jesus began the Lord’s Evening Meal on the date of the Jewish Passover, and he died later that same day. Scriptures compare Jesus’ sacrifice to that of the Passover lamb in the Jewish observance of Passover. Because Jesus began the Lord’s Evening Meal on Passover and Passover was observed on a yearly basis, Jehovah’s Witnesses have an annual celebration of the Memorial based on the calendar that was used by the Jews at that time.
This means that the Memorial is held after sunset, which was the beginning of the Jewish day, on the occurrence of the first full moon after the spring equinox. The Memorial includes a talk on the meaning of the celebration and a sharing of unadulterated red wine and unleavened bread by those who have been chosen to rule with Christ in heaven. It is believed that the bread symbolizes the body that Jesus Christ gave on behalf of humanity, and the wine symbolizes the blood that redeems us from sin.
door-to-door evangelism
Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Instead, members of the religious sect take the day to increase their door-to-door evangelism.
“Since it’s a holiday from the secular viewpoint, people have time off, so usually families and individuals will put forth extra effort in the ministry to go door to door,” said Jagdish Patel, an elder with a Kingdom Hall in Jackson Heights, Queens.
He said the number of witnesses from his congregation canvassing city streets skyrockets on holidays.
“Usually, on the weekdays, there will be a group of 8 to 10 people going out in the service,” he said. “But on holidays, it can be 30, 40.”
Witnesses from the Jackson Heights congregation walk 80 territories in that neighborhood, as well as in Astoria. Each territory is comprised of three to four blocks.
Jehovah’s witnesses do not celebrate national or religious holidays or birthdays.
The only day they do memorialize is Jesus Christ’s death around the time of Easter and Passover.
9 things you likely didn’t know about Jehovah’s Witnesses
1. They are one of Canada’s wealthiest and least transparent charities
The Jehovah’s Witnesses organization is a registered charity, which means they pay no income tax. Of the 86,000 registered charities in Canada, they rank 18th with more than $80 million in donations in 2016.
2. They don’t believe in military service, national anthems or voting
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not stand for national anthems, salute flags, vote or serve in the military.
Followers believe their allegiance belongs to God alone, who runs an actual government in heaven.
3. They don’t celebrate holidays
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate most holidays or events that honour people who aren’t Jesus. That includes birthdays, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Hallowe’en.
They also don’t celebrate religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter in the belief that these customs have pagan origins.
4. They don’t accept blood transfusions
Jehovah’s Witnesses cite the Old and New Testaments as the Biblical basis for refusing transfusions. They believe it is God’s will to “abstain from blood” (Genesis 9:4; Leviticus 17:10; Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:28,29).
5. They shun those who go astray
Those who leave the religion or kicked out are subjected to an extreme form of shunning. Parents, siblings, friends instructed to cut all ties.
The organization defends shunning with this biblical passage: “Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.”
6. They limit contact with non-Jehovah’s Witnesses
Followers are discouraged from having close relationships with those who are not part of the faith. People who are “worldly” are seen as bad influences or “bad associations.”
JWs are advised not to join groups or teams outside the faith and are also discouraged from higher education.
7. They believe Satan is real and he’s here on Earth
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Satan controls the world. He uses religions, governments, commercial organizations and the media to mislead and corrupt people.
8. They believe sins require two witnesses
The subject of intense international criticism, lawsuits and a Royal Commission, the Two Witness Rule is the Jehovah Witnesses’ interpretation of scripture that, in the absence of a confession, there must be two material witnesses to a sin for them to acted upon.
9. They believe the end is near. Very near
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe Armageddon is imminent. The religion has previously provided a number of dates for the end the world as we know it, but now tell followers it will happen any day now.
They point to global conflicts, ISIS and natural disasters as signs that we are on the verge of the Apocalypse.
What Holidays Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate?
The closest Jehovah’s Witnesses come to celebrating a holiday is the observation of what they commonly call the “Memorial” — the commemoration of Jesus’ death, which falls around Easter and Passover time.
The group pays close attention to the origins of all other festivities and finds in Bible Scriptures the validation to abstain from celebrating most religious, local and national holidays.
Jehovah’s witnesses do not celebrate national or religious holidays or birthdays. The only day they do memorialize is Jesus Christ’s death around the time of Easter and Passover.Nov 23, 2011
What do Jehovah Witnesses celebrate instead of Christmas?
Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas or Easter because they believe that these festivals are based on (or massively contaminated by) pagan customs and religions. They point out that Jesus did not ask his followers to mark his birthday.
What traditions do Jehovah Witnesses have?
Jehovah’s Witnesses do not observe holidays they believe to have pagan origins, such as Christmas, Easter, and birthdays. They do not salute the national flag or sing the national anthem, and they refuse military service. They also refuse blood transfusions, even those that could be life saving.
Do Jehovah Witnesses celebrate baby showers?
This association with paganism is why the JWs don’t celebrate it. Baby Showers have nothing to do with religion, with paganism and nothing to do with the worship of ANYTHING! For this reason, the JWs feel perfectly free to celebrate the arrival of a new child.
Do JW’s celebrate New Years?
Weddings, anniversaries, and funerals observed, though they avoid incorporating certain traditions they see to have pagan origins. … The Society also directs Witnesses to shun May Day, New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day celebrations because of their pagan origins.
How do Jehovah Witnesses treat their wives?
In the Jehovah’s Witnesses religion, women supposed to be housewives and dedicate their life to witnessing (a common practice of converting new worshippers through door-to-door preaching). … Since childhood, Jehovah’s Witnesses taught to be submissive and not question anything with regards to their religion.
Do Jehovah Witnesses give gifts?
I savour a present, a thoughtful gift, I don’t want something for the sake of tradition, and I want to give others presents I’ve pondered over, or that I’ve spotted in a shop and instantly know they will love.
Jehovah’s Witness Rules
Jehovah’s Witnesses aim to live a clean and healthy life, keeping their bodies and minds pure according to their beliefs. Sex outside of marriage not allowed; however, if a person seeks forgiveness then he/she may remain in the church. They also find homosexuality and same-sex marriage to be great sins. They also consider abortion and suicide to be equally unforgivable because both considered murder.
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe they should remove themselves from the worldly influences of nonbelievers. Gambling, drinking, drugs, and tobacco forbidden by the church. They also show their separation from nonbelievers by adhering to strict rules of modest dress and grooming.
Thank you for staying with this post “what do jehovah witnesses celebrate” until the end.
