Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Thanksgiving?

Why Don’t Jehovah’s Witnesses Celebrate Thanksgiving? A Look at Faith, History, and Gratitude

isn’t it wonderful how for so many families across this great nation, just hearing the word “Thanksgiving” fills the heart with warmth, brings thoughts of togetherness, and stirs up a deep sense of gratitude? It’s that special time when wonderful smells fill the air, precious loved ones gather close, and we all take a moment to count the amazing blessings God has poured out over the year.¹ It’s a beautiful tradition, often woven together with faith, giving us a chance to lift our hearts and thank our good God for His incredible provision and loving care.¹

Sometimes, amidst all these joyful celebrations, a question might pop into our minds, asked with genuine kindness and curiosity among fellow Christians: Do our neighbors, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, join in these Thanksgiving festivities? Well, the straightforward answer is that, guided by how they understand the Bible, Jehovah’s Witnesses choose not to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.⁴

But why do they make this choice? Let’s explore this together with warmth, clarity, and deep respect. By looking at their beliefs, the history behind the holiday, and the vital place gratitude holds in faith, we can build bridges of understanding. This journey isn’t about finding fault about appreciating the different ways people seek to honor God and live out their faith.

What is the Official Jehovah’s Witness Stance on Thanksgiving?

When it comes to Thanksgiving, the official view of Jehovah’s Witnesses is quite clear: they choose not to participate in the celebrations.⁴ this isn’t a decision made lightly; it comes from their practice of carefully looking into the Bible before deciding to observe any holiday. They check if a celebration lines up with what they see as scriptural principles.⁴ If they find that a holiday doesn’t align, especially if it seems connected to what they consider false worship or unscriptural nationalism, they lovingly abstain.⁴

In their writings, Thanksgiving is specifically mentioned as one of the holidays they avoid. The main reason they give is its connection to ancient harvest festivals that honored various gods. Based on how they interpret scripture, they see these origins as spiritually “unclean.”4 This view on Thanksgiving isn’t just about one holiday; it’s part of a consistent pattern in their faith. It flows from a deep commitment to keeping their worship distinct, separate from practices they associate with “the world”—which includes religious customs, national observances, and cultural traditions they believe aren’t based on Bible teachings.⁵ They see this separation as vital for keeping their worship pure and maintaining their identity as devoted servants of Jehovah God.

Why Do They Choose Not to Celebrate? (Biblical Reasons Explained)

Jehovah’s Witnesses point to some core biblical reasons for their choice not to celebrate Thanksgiving. These reasons revolve around avoiding practices they believe might displease God:

Steering Clear of Pagan Origins and False Worship:

A major concern is the belief that Thanksgiving, like many holidays, has roots in ancient pagan customs. They specifically link it to old harvest festivals where people thanked various gods for a good harvest.⁴

• They apply the Bible’s encouragement found in 2 Corinthians 6:17: “‘Get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah, ‘and quit touching the unclean thing.’” To them, joining in holidays with origins they see as pagan means touching something spiritually “unclean” and could compromise their worship.⁴
• A central pillar of their faith is giving exclusive worship only to Jehovah God. They hold fast to Jesus’ words in Matthew 4:10: “It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.” Celebrating a holiday linked, even way back in history, to the worship of other gods is seen as stepping away from this important command.⁴

Avoiding Nationalism:

Thanksgiving is known as a national holiday in the United States and Canada, often celebrating the nation’s history, identity, and the blessings believed to be upon the nation.⁸

• Jehovah’s Witnesses strive to remain completely neutral in political matters. They believe their main loyalty belongs to God’s Kingdom—a real heavenly government—not to any earthly nation or political system.⁴
• They base this neutrality on scriptures like John 17:16, where Jesus said about his followers: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.” This principle leads them to refrain from celebrations that put a strong emphasis on national identity or remember national events.⁴ Other scriptures they consider include John 15:19, John 18:36, and James 4:4.¹⁶

No Biblical Command:

Jehovah’s Witnesses observe that the Bible doesn’t contain any instruction or command for Christians to celebrate a specific Thanksgiving Day.⁴

• They emphasize that the only observance Jesus clearly told his followers to keep is the Memorial of his death, often called the Lord’s Supper.⁸ They don’t find a biblical basis for adding other yearly religious or national holidays to their worship.

The way Jehovah’s Witnesses understand these scriptures leads them to feel that avoiding Thanksgiving is necessary to keep their worship pure. Their focus is on preventing anything that might compromise their faith or bring in spiritual contamination from a holiday with origins or nationalistic tones they find questionable.⁴ Even a connection from long ago is enough reason for them to abstain, showing their dedication to strictly follow what they understand to be God’s standards.

What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Mean by ‘Pagan Origins’?

When Jehovah’s Witnesses talk about “pagan origins,” they’re referring to customs, beliefs, or celebrations that started in the religious practices of cultures before or outside of Christianity. These often involved worshipping many gods (polytheism), nature gods, spirits, or ancestors, or were based on things like magic, fortune-telling, and superstition.⁴

Thanksgiving’s Link:

When thinking about Thanksgiving, they specifically point to its roots in ancient harvest festivals.⁴ Festivals like these existed in many cultures long before Christianity and often included rituals to thank specific farming gods or nature spirits for a good harvest.¹³ One of their publications mentions a source saying that these “ancient folk traditions were taken over by the Christian church” over time.⁴ Their main objection is that the beginning lies in practices dedicated to gods other than Jehovah.

A Consistent Concern:

This concern about pagan origins isn’t just about Thanksgiving; it’s something they look at when evaluating many popular holidays and customs:

• Christmas: They connect its December 25th date and traditions (like festive lights, giving gifts) to Roman pagan festivals like Saturnalia (honoring the god Saturn) and Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (the birthday of the Unconquered Sun).⁸ They also point out that the Bible doesn’t give Jesus’ birthdate, it probably wasn’t December 25 (since shepherds were outside), and the first Christians didn’t celebrate his birth.¹⁹
• Easter: They link Easter traditions (like the name itself, eggs, rabbits) to ancient Anglo-Saxon paganism, especially fertility rites connected to a goddess named Eostre or Ostara.⁴ While they absolutely believe in Christ’s resurrection, they object to celebrating it with customs they see as coming from non-Christian sources.¹⁸
• Birthdays: They believe modern birthday parties come from ancient pagan ideas about evil spirits being a threat on someone’s birth anniversary, using candles for magic wishes, and the importance of birth dates for astrology.³³ They also note that early Christians saw birthday celebrations as a pagan custom.⁵
• Other Holidays: Their writings list many other holidays they avoid for similar reasons, like Kwanzaa (linked to African offerings to gods/ancestors), Mid-Autumn Festival (honoring a moon goddess), Nauruz (Zoroastrian roots), Shab-e Yalda (linked to Mithra/sun gods), Ivan Kupala (pagan solstice/magic beliefs), and Lunar New Year (tied to luck, gods, and spirits).⁴

The Core Principle:

The main reason for avoiding anything they see as having pagan origins is their commitment to what they call “pure worship.” Based on how they understand scriptures like Matthew 4:10 (worship only Jehovah) and 2 Corinthians 6:17 (separate from unclean things), they believe that any connection with false religious practices, no matter how long ago or how harmless it seems today, contaminates worship and displeases God.⁴ Their goal is complete separation from any hint of worship directed toward anyone or anything besides Jehovah.

How Does This Compare to Christmas, Easter, and Birthdays?

The reasons Jehovah’s Witnesses give for not celebrating Thanksgiving aren’t just about that one holiday. They actually come from applying the same core principles that also lead them to step back from other widely celebrated occasions like Christmas, Easter, and birthdays.⁴ This is because they believe that these holidays, much like Thanksgiving, have pagan origins or promote celebrations that contradict their religious beliefs. For instance, when discussing why Jehovah’s Witnesses skip Good Friday, they emphasize the importance of adhering strictly to biblical teachings rather than participating in traditions that lack scriptural support. This consistency in their convictions shapes their overall approach to holidays, leading them to prioritize their faith over cultural norms. Moreover, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that many of these celebrations have pagan roots or meanings that conflict with their spiritual beliefs. This perspective extends to celebrations such as New Year’s Eve, leading to a similar stance on holidays that hold secular significance. Consequently, Jehovah’s Witnesses and New Year’s are typically met with avoidance rather than celebration.

It’s helpful to see this consistency. The common threads running through their reasons include:

• Pagan Origins: This is a big one for all these celebrations. They view each of these holidays as having origins or customs that come from non-Christian, pagan religious practices dedicated to other gods or based on superstition.⁴
• Lack of Biblical Command: Jehovah’s Witnesses emphasize that the Bible doesn’t tell Christians to observe any of these specific days. The only observance they believe God commanded is the yearly Memorial of Christ’s death.⁸

Worldly or Unscriptural Elements:

Besides paganism, other concerns come up. Thanksgiving and sometimes other holidays are seen as mixed up with nationalism or secular culture, which they avoid as part of being “no part of the world.”4 Birthdays are also viewed as putting too much focus on the individual, which they feel goes against the Bible’s emphasis on humility, and they point to negative examples in the Bible.⁵ Christmas and Easter are further critiqued for commercialism and for including traditions not found in the Bible.¹⁸

Let’s look at this table that summarizes the main points Jehovah’s Witnesses raise about these common celebrations. It helps show how they consistently apply their principles:

This consistent approach across different holidays really shows how central the principles of keeping worship pure and staying separate from “the world” are to the Jehovah’s Witness identity and way of life. Their decisions aren’t random; they come from systematically applying their understanding of Bible commands and warnings.⁴ It reinforces their distinctiveness and their commitment to what they believe are God’s standards.

If Not Thanksgiving Day, How Do JWs Practice Thankfulness?

Even though Jehovah’s Witnesses choose not to celebrate the specific holiday of Thanksgiving Day, they place a huge emphasis on the practice of thankfulness! They see it as an essential, ongoing part of their worship and daily lives.¹⁷ They believe gratitude shouldn’t be saved for just one day but should fill a Christian’s relationship with God all the time.

A Daily, Biblical Focus:

Their focus comes straight from the encouragement found in the New Testament. They take scriptures like Colossians 3:15 to heart, which advises us to “Show yourselves thankful,” and 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which urges believers to “give thanks for everything.”24 Other passages they often refer to about gratitude include Psalm 100:4−5 (entering God’s gates with thanksgiving), Psalm 92:1−2 (it’s good to give thanks to Jehovah), 1 Chronicles 16:34 (give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good), and Philippians 4:6 (making requests known to God with thanksgiving).²⁴

Ways They Practice Gratitude:

Thankfulness shows up in several key ways for them:

• Prayer: Frequent, sincere prayers filled with thanksgiving are central. They thank Jehovah God for the big blessings – their relationship with Him, the sacrifice of Jesus, forgiveness, spiritual guidance – and also for everyday provisions, and the support they receive from fellow believers.⁸
• Meditation and Reflection: They’re encouraged to regularly take time to think deeply about God’s goodness and reflect on the specific blessings they’ve received. This helps deepen their appreciation and makes them more aware of God’s love and care.²⁴
• Bible Study and Meetings: When they study the Bible personally or attend congregation meetings, they often discuss and appreciate God’s wonderful qualities, His loving acts, and His provisions for His people. This naturally fosters a spirit of gratitude.²⁶
• Showing Thanks Through Actions: Gratitude isn’t just something they feel or say; it’s something they show. They believe thankfulness motivates them to be kind to others, reflecting the principle that “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving” (Acts 20:35).²⁴ Appreciating what others do is also part of having a grateful heart.²⁴

The Benefits They See:

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that nurturing daily gratitude brings wonderful spiritual and emotional benefits. It helps them feel happier, strengthens their relationship with God and others, helps them keep a positive outlook, pushes back negative feelings like envy or resentment, and reduces materialism by helping them focus on appreciating what they already have.²⁴

So, Jehovah’s Witnesses approach gratitude differently. Instead of joining in a yearly holiday they see as compromised, they weave thankfulness into the very fabric of their daily worship and life. Their focus stays firmly on the Giver, Jehovah, expressing gratitude directly to Him through prayer, meditation, and living righteously, rather than through cultural traditions they feel are not based on scripture.¹⁷

What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Do on Thanksgiving Day?

Since Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, the day itself doesn’t hold any special religious meaning for them. How they spend it usually depends on everyday practical things.

• Just Another Day: If Thanksgiving falls on a regular workday or school day, most Jehovah’s Witnesses will treat it just like that, going to their jobs or classes as usual.

Making Use of Time Off:

In places like the United States where Thanksgiving is a big public holiday, many Witnesses will naturally have the day off from work and school. They might use this free time in different ways that fit with their beliefs and lifestyle:

• Family and Friends: They truly value spending time with family and may use the day off to be with relatives and maybe sharing a meal together. They enjoy getting together and showing hospitality all year round, and a public holiday can simply be a convenient time for that.⁵
• Spiritual Activities: Some might use the extra time for personal Bible study worship activities, or participating in their public ministry (like sharing their faith door-to-door or in other ways), which they see as important work Implied by general JW lifestyle.
• Rest and Personal Time: Like anyone with a day off, they might just use the time to rest, relax, enjoy hobbies, or catch up on personal things.

Avoiding Holiday Traditions:

here’s the key point: while they might gather or share a meal, they consciously avoid any customs or activities specifically linked to celebrating Thanksgiving. This means:

• No special “Thanksgiving” prayers focused on the holiday itself.
• No Thanksgiving-themed decorations.
• No framing the get-together or meal specifically as a “Thanksgiving” event.⁵

What About the Meal?

The question about the meal itself can sometimes seem a bit tricky to outsiders. Some Witness families might eat turkey or have a larger meal on that day. They might mention practical reasons, like good sales at the grocery store or just the convenience of having family members home because of the holiday.⁷ But from their perspective, the crucial difference is that the meal is just food and fellowship; it’s intentionally stripped of any holiday meaning or religious significance connected to Thanksgiving Day.⁷ The gathering is fine; linking it spiritually or culturally to the holiday is not.

This practical approach shows an interesting aspect of Jehovah’s Witness life. While their beliefs require strict separation from the holiday, the reality of living in a society that widely celebrates it means they sometimes use the opportunities the holiday offers (like time off) for acceptable activities, such as enjoying time with family. This can sometimes lead to situations that might look similar to Thanksgiving celebrations from the outside, even though the internal understanding and intention are completely different—focused on ordinary fellowship rather than holiday observance.⁷ These gatherings can provide a sense of community and connection that is vital for their spiritual and emotional well-being. This dynamic reflects how weekends are structured for Jehovah’s Witnesses, often emphasizing communal activities and personal connections over traditional holiday celebrations. Ultimately, their approach showcases their commitment to maintaining their beliefs while navigating the social realities of their environment.

Conclusion: Finding Common Ground in Gratitude

So, as we’ve explored together, Jehovah’s Witnesses, acting out of sincere beliefs drawn from how they understand the Bible, choose not to join in Thanksgiving celebrations. Their reasons are consistent: they want to avoid any connection to practices they see as having pagan roots, they stay neutral regarding nationalistic celebrations, and they stick closely to observances clearly commanded in Scripture, especially the Memorial of Christ’s death.⁴ Additionally, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that holidays often promote materialism and distractions from spiritual growth. As a result, their commitment to Jehovah’s Witnesses beliefs on holidays underscores their focus on fostering a deeper relationship with God and adhering to what they perceive as biblically mandated practices. This dedication often leads to unique traditions and gatherings that align with their faith, rather than societal norms surrounding holidays.

But stepping back from the holiday doesn’t mean they lack thankfulness! Quite the opposite! They place a strong, intentional focus on cultivating and expressing gratitude to Jehovah God every single day through prayer, reflection, and living righteously. For them, thankfulness is a vital, continuous part of their worship, not just a once-a-year event.²⁴

Understanding these perspectives means looking beyond the tradition itself to the deeply held beliefs guiding their choices. In the wonderfully diverse family of faith, our practices might differ that shared desire to honor God and live according to His Word can be a beautiful point of unity.

Whether gratitude is expressed through the cherished traditions of a holiday like Thanksgiving or through the quiet devotion of daily prayer and reflection, a heart overflowing with thankfulness toward our loving Creator is truly a blessing. It’s a spirit that goes beyond specific dates and customs, uniting all of us who seek to acknowledge the Source of every good and perfect gift.¹ May we all find joy in nurturing and sharing that spirit of gratitude, always keeping our focus on the Giver of all blessings.