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Original poster

Not celebrating birthdays or Christmas?

189 replies

Doglover321 · 27/11/2024 08:31

I was working an agency shift yesterday when one of my colleagues confessed that she doesn’t celebrate her children’s birthdays or Christmas. They are only 8 and 4, and will be hearing from school friends all about Christmas and how many presents they’re going to get, etc. She said it’s because she’s a Jehovah’s Witness and wants to raise her girls as Witnesses also, but I can’t help but feel sad for them.

OP posts:
TheBeesKnee · 27/11/2024 09:03

Yes it's awful. Did religion which has damaged a lot of people, including 2 I know personally.

JurassicPark4Eva · 27/11/2024 09:02

I have two friends who are ex JW. One has HUGE celebrations of absolutely everything because they didn't get to do it as a kid. The other celebrates nothing and seems to find little joy in life outside of red wine and communism (yes really).

Both were badly damaged by being raised in what amounts to a cult irrespective of whether they had birthday parties or gifts on Xmas day. Plenty of religions have celebrations through the year but JW seems to be especially dour and joyless.

romdowa · 27/11/2024 09:00

A girl in my school was raised like this by her witness parent. As soon as she was a teenager she went to her friends for Christmas day and her friends used to celebrate her birthday in secret. She definitely feels that being brought up like this harmed her . I always felt bad for her too

theeyeofdoe · 27/11/2024 08:59

The not celebrating birthdays thing is weird.
They are allowed to choose another special day though and celebrate that!

Lots of religions don't celebrate Christmas...

whatagirlwants89 · 27/11/2024 08:56

Georgyporky · 27/11/2024 08:46

The only good thing that came out of COVID was to stop the JWs knocking on my door.

Ha! I had them knocking at my door yesterday. They clearly didn’t care about the fact that I said that I wasn’t religious and kept going on and on and on. I had to shut the door in the end.

In response to the op, it is sad but you can’t decide how someone else lives. You just have to trust that these adults are looking after their children in the best way.

DurhamDurham · 27/11/2024 08:56

One of my school friends was brought up in a Jehovah Witness household. She did feel like she missed out on celebrations but was randomly treated through the year to toys, games and days out. They went on holiday every year at Christmas time to get away from it all.
She now celebrates birthdays and Christmas, unfortunately her family no longer have contact with her because of this.

SpanThatWorld · 27/11/2024 08:52

They may not be celebrating Xmas or birthdays but they're all going to Paradise without the rest of us...

Mydoglovescheese · 27/11/2024 08:48

I was a teacher and had several JW children in my class over the years. It is hard for them to be surrounded by Christmas activities and other children being excited about presents etc.

The children I taught were all members of the same extended family (siblings or cousins) and they received presents on their parents wedding anniversaries. I don't know whether this is the usual custom with JWs.

Georgyporky · 27/11/2024 08:46

The only good thing that came out of COVID was to stop the JWs knocking on my door.

Catza · 27/11/2024 08:45

Any children brought up in a hmm... religious cult are a concern. Not celebrating birthdays or Christmases are a small inconvenience by comparison to other things they might be subjected to. I would give up every birthday and Christmas for a simple opportunity to have a blood transfusion in a medical emergency, for example.

NineDaysQueen · 27/11/2024 08:45

Not your business. Would you post this about other religions which do not celebrate christmas?

Original poster
Doglover321 · 27/11/2024 08:37

SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 27/11/2024 08:36

It sounds hard for the children feeling left out but perhaps their parents make it up to them in other ways? You could ask your colleague who might be glad to talk about her faith

She said she just attends weekly meetings on her own and does door-knocking. Nothing for the kids :(

OP posts:
SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 27/11/2024 08:36

It sounds hard for the children feeling left out but perhaps their parents make it up to them in other ways? You could ask your colleague who might be glad to talk about her faith

Lifeglowup · 27/11/2024 08:33

You confess to or a crime. Following your religious beliefs isn’t a crime.

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