“I know that all of the holidays have bad backgrounds. Jesus wasn’t born on Christmas. My family doesn’t have to do anything to compensate for such holidays. My family is always there for me whenever I need them. That is worth more to me than any gift that they could ever give me.”—Josh, age 15.
“Christmas. I’m not deprived because it’s not really Christian anyway. I’d rather know my parents gave me a present than some mysterious Santa figure. “ - Katie, age 10.
“As a youth I have never felt bitter about missing the celebrations of worldly holidays. I have not been told by my parents that ‘you can’t do this or that because you’re one of Jehovah’s Witnesses,’ but I have been familiarized with the Bible and Jehovah’s views on these holidays. As for gifts, in our house, gift-giving is all year long.”—Ryan, age 17.
“I’m going into fifth grade and I’m not sad to admit that I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. One time a boy said to me that I must feel bad because I didn’t get any gifts at Christmas, but I said I get gifts all year. Then he said I was lucky. I think there should not be a Jehovah’s Witness who feels sorry about being a Jehovah’s Witness.”—Jeff, age 10.
“My sister and I made celebrating our parents’ anniversary our own family holiday. I got the greatest joy out of planning presents and cards and things and helping my parents plan things to surprise each other than I ever did getting gifts from anyone. Giving is better than receiving.”—Rachel, age 16.
“When I was younger, some holidays were hard for me. But later I realized that the holidays can cause greed, arguments, and sadness. When there are set times for giving, you are never surprised with a gift. I would rather get special gifts at any time of the year. To celebrate or not to celebrate is just a small part of a much larger decision: whether or not to dedicate yourself to serve Jehovah. When I think of it like that, the right choice is clear.”—Ben, age 13.
“I love to get presents, and I do receive them all through the year. I’m not missing much when it comes to parties. I’m making Jehovah happy when I take a stand for the truth.”—Julia, age 12.
“Do I feel deprived? No, because we have other parties, and when people celebrate Christmas, the kids mainly think about Santa Claus, or at Easter they think about the Easter bunny, but I know they are from pagan religions. I like field service because it helps me focus on the truth.”—Sharon, age 8.
“I can honestly say that I have never felt uncomfortable about being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. My family and I have lots of fun. When there are parties at school my mom takes me out to lunch. My parents bring treats to school for no special reason and all the kids then know we have fun. I’m very close to my parents and when kids ask why I don’t celebrate holidays I tell them that I celebrate every day. How could any Witness feel left out?”—Megan, age 13.
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