This Is My FIRST Year Celebrating Christmas
Growing up a Jehovah's Witness and combatting those beliefs to start my own Christmas traditions.
I was raised as a Jehovah's Witness. If you're not familiar, it's like a lighter version of Mormonism, with the perk that alcohol is acceptable.
The core belief revolves around spreading 'the truth' and promoting kindness to survive Armageddon, as opposed to the Mormon emphasis on family expansion. While a direct comparison between the two might not be the most enlightening from a historical or theological standpoint, growing up in a state where extreme religious influences seemed to touch every aspect of life, it's natural for me to draw this parallel.
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A Super, Duper Brief Theology Lesson:
Jehovah's Witnesses identify as Christians, but their beliefs diverge from mainstream Christianity in several ways. Notably, they affirm that Jesus is the son of God but reject the concept of the Trinity. Emphasizing that all worship should be directed toward Jehovah, they distinguish him from the idea of the Trinity, placing a greater focus on God over Christ.
But most notably, they're the group of early risers who knock on your door to spread the wise truth of their Watchtower literature. Dressed in neutral kicks with hot coffee breath, they make weekly door-to-door visits to recruit others to participate in a bible study. I often partook in these family outings with a bright smile, mainly because I knew we'd be grabbing Denny's afterward for grand slams. Sundays at grandma's in elementary school were the best, whether gospel-sharing in my favorite corduroy skirt or not.
And yep, you guessed it. Jehovah's Witnesses cannot celebrate national holidays, partake in the military, or accept blood transfusions.
No birthdays.
No Christmas. No Thanksgiving. No Halloween. No Valentine's Day.
No attending parties relating to holidays or birthdays, either.
No standing for the flag.
No voting (or having any political opinion, for that matter).
No military.
No blood transfusions, no matter the emergency.
Simply put – Jehovah's Witnesses don't participate in anything "worldly".Â
The stigma of celebrating certain events can be linked to their pagan or non-religious origins. Additionally, there's a belief that holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, were crafted to exploit the public's faith in a higher power. Jesus never celebrated his birthday, so why would we? Secular contamination is steeped everywhere, so complete exclusion is safest.
Witness leadership also discourages higher education because they believe it wastes time. And not necessarily from an anti-capitalist idealistic standpoint; they think you should be spending more time spread the good word and devoting your time entirely to the religion.
Respectively, give me a f*cking break.
Forget the traditions of trick-or-treating, decorating Christmas trees, participating in Easter egg hunts, and exchanging Valentine's goodie bags. Birthday celebrations, whether in the form of parties or dinners, are also off the table. Steer clear of expressing political opinions, voting, pursuing higher education, and always remain seated during the national anthem at a baseball game. And should you ever opt for a blood transfusion, be aware that you've compromised a once-pure lifeline for the sake of convenience, contradicting God's word.
It's a lonely life, to be honest. I chose to walk away at 16 and haven't looked back since.
But, My Time Is Now
This is the first year I've felt truly in the Christmas spirit.
Last year, I was too busy building a home to move into; the preceding years were marked by the peculiarities of COVID-19. In those earlier times, settling into household traditions wasn't a priority, as Reyce and I were still young, simply adhering to the family's schedules.
But this year is entirely different. As I write this, I'm about 25 weeks pregnant with our daughter. Our home exudes a beautiful sense of calm with newly installed interior doors, fresh paint, updated plumbing, and kitchen cabinets — our dogs, as laid-back as ever, lounge on our brand-new, snug couch. Everything is just unbelievably perfect.
As Halloween neared, typically my favorite Holiday due to my fondness for indie horror genres and witchy lore (it's a love-it-or-hate-it situation), my thoughts unexpectedly shifted to Christmas. Despite my enthusiasm for gore and haunted houses, I wondered how a Christmas tree would fit into our new home.
Where will the stockings be?
Are we following Reyce's grandpa's footsteps with chili pepper lights on the outside?
Do I get my dogs matching Santa sweaters?!Â
I've waited nearly 28 years to celebrate this holiday precisely as I want with my family. While I value the traditions we've built with family and friends since my departure from the church, there's an exhilaration in starting the year fresh with new rules—MY rules. While we could have established these traditions earlier in our previous home, this year genuinely feels like the fresh start I've longed for.
So here's what I'm doing to do:
Re-watch Dash & Lily, Christmas with the Kranks, Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, and whatever Hallmark comes out with because these are my favorites.
Dry up my dad's oranges to make a garland.
I also really want to learn how to make a pecan pie.
Get 1st place in our annual Gingerbread House competition with Reyce's family.
Our 6th annual Secret Santa with friends.
For every gift, I'm sliding in a blind date with a book.
Admire my lovely heirloom tree skirt from Schoolhouse.
Score a 55" Frame TV for Black Friday, lol.
Put on Kasey & Lana's Christmas Special on repeat.
Build our sweet little nursery.
Play my curated Holiday playlist on Spotify.
Cheer on the Holiday performance at Reyce’s school.
I purchased my first pair of house slippers.
Drink this non-alcoholic wine at the raging Christmas party Reyce and his co-workers plan yearly (it gets wild).
Collect unique ornaments that represent that year. This year, it'll either be something to represent a home or a baby. I'm still looking!
Beautifully written 🤎 thank you for sharing!
Here’s to making our own rituals 🧡