Do Jehovah's Witnesses Celebrate Birthdays, Christmas or Other Holidays?

No. Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays, Christmas or Easter, and jw.org, the Witnesses' own website, names many other holidays they avoid, from Halloween and May Day to Flag Day and Independence Day. Holidays that jw.org does not rule out are left to each Witness's conscience. The one commemoration jw.org says Christians are required to keep is the Memorial of Jesus' death, which Witnesses hold once a year after sundown on Nisan 14 of the Bible's lunar calendar, a date that falls in March or April. Gifts and family gatherings are not off limits; Witnesses hold them at other times of the year. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]

This article follows on from the site's overview of what Jehovah's Witnesses believe, linked at the end of this page, and quotes jw.org directly so readers can check the wording.

What They Observe and What They Do Not

jw.org explains its approach: "Some holidays and celebrations clearly violate Bible principles. When that is the case, Jehovah's Witnesses do not participate. Regarding other holidays, each Witness makes his or her own choice, striving 'to maintain a clear conscience before God and men'". [4]

Not observed. Birthdays, Christmas, Easter and a long list of other days set out below. jw.org says its holidays article "does not list all holidays that Jehovah's Witnesses refrain from celebrating". [4]

Observed. One annual commemoration: the Memorial of Jesus' death, also called the Lord's Evening Meal. [1][5]

Left to conscience. Other holidays, as noted above, and wedding anniversaries, which are left to each couple. [4][8]

Parties and presents are not the objection in themselves. jw.org's undated school brochure says: "Enjoying a feast or a party and generous giving to loved ones are certainly not wrong". The objection, as Witnesses explain it, is to the origins and meanings they see in particular days, and to celebrations that feature "overdrinking and wild partying". [7][4]

Birthdays: The Reasons in Their Own Words

jw.org says: "Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God." It grants that "the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays," and then sets out four features of birthday celebrations that it says the Bible helps Witnesses reason on. [1]

Pagan roots. "Birthday celebrations have pagan roots," the page says. It cites Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, which it says traces these celebrations to the belief that on a person's birthday "evil spirits and influences have the opportunity to attack the celebrants." It also cites the book The Lore of Birthdays on horoscopes and on birthday candles "endowed with special magic for granting wishes". [1]

Early Christian practice. "The early Christians did not celebrate birthdays," jw.org says, quoting The World Book Encyclopedia that "they considered the celebration of anyone's birth to be a pagan custom". [1]

A death, not a birth. "The only commemoration that Christians are required to keep involves, not a birth, but a death," the page says, citing Luke 22:17-20 and Ecclesiastes 7:1. [1]

No example among God's servants. "The Bible never refers to a servant of God celebrating a birthday," according to jw.org. It says the Bible does record two birthday celebrations, at Genesis 40:20-22 and Mark 6:21-29, both "by those not serving God," and that "both of those events are presented in a bad light". [1]

For children, jw.org says Witness parents "express love to their children throughout the year, including giving them gifts and having enjoyable gatherings". [1]

Christmas

jw.org's reasons for not celebrating Christmas include these. First, "Jesus commanded that we commemorate his death, not his birth," citing Luke 22:19, 20. Second, Jesus' apostles and early disciples did not celebrate it; the page quotes the New Catholic Encyclopedia that "the Nativity feast was instituted no earlier than 243 [C.E.]," which the page says was more than a century after the last apostle died. Third, "There is no proof that Jesus was born on December 25; his birth date is not recorded in the Bible." Fourth, "We believe that Christmas is not approved by God because it is rooted in pagan customs and rites". [2]

The page adds: "Although we choose not to celebrate Christmas ourselves, we respect each person's right to decide for himself in this matter. We do not interfere in the Christmas celebrations of others". [2]

Easter

jw.org says: "The Easter holiday celebration is not based on the Bible." As with Christmas, it points to Jesus' instruction to remember his death: "Jesus commanded that we commemorate his death, not his resurrection." It adds that Witnesses believe "the origins of Easter customs, which come from ancient fertility rites, make Easter unacceptable to God". [3]

Declining Easter is not a rejection of the resurrection. jw.org says: "We believe in Jesus' resurrection; we recognize it as core to the Christian faith and highlight it in our preaching". [3]

Halloween, New Year and Other Holidays

jw.org's holidays page sorts the days Witnesses avoid under five questions that it says Witnesses ask themselves when deciding whether to celebrate a holiday: whether the holiday is based on an unscriptural teaching, whether it promotes interfaith, whether it exalts a human, an organization or a national symbol, whether it elevates one nation or ethnic group above others, and whether it is characterized by unrestrained or lewd behavior. This section covers the first, second and fifth questions. The next section covers the third and fourth, which deal with rulers, saints, flags and nations. [4]

Under the first question, on unscriptural teachings, jw.org lists five kinds of holiday. [4]

Worship of other gods. "Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas, Easter, or May Day, since these holidays are rooted in the worship of gods other than Jehovah," the page says. It adds Kwanzaa, the Mid-Autumn Festival, Nauruz (Nowruz), Shab-e Yalda and Thanksgiving to this group. [4]

Superstition and luck. jw.org lists Ivan Kupala and Lunar New Year as holidays "based on superstition or on the belief in luck," citing Isaiah 65:11. [4]

The idea of an immortal soul. jw.org lists All Souls' Day (Day of the Dead), the Qingming Festival, the Hungry Ghost Festival and Chuseok as holidays that "promote belief in the immortality of the soul". [4]

The occult. jw.org lists Halloween, Sinhala and Tamil New Year, and Songkran as holidays "linked to the occult". [4]

Worship under the Mosaic Law. jw.org also lists "observances related to worship under the Mosaic Law," such as Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah; Hanukkah, it says, "commemorates the rededication of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem". [4]

The second and fifth questions cover two more groups.

Interfaith. Under the question "Does the holiday promote interfaith?", jw.org lists "celebrations of a religious figure or events that encourage united worship among people with different religious beliefs," naming the Thai festival Loy Krathong and the Buddhist festival Vesak among others. Under the same question it lists "observances that are based on religious traditions not endorsed by the Bible," such as Epiphany, Lent and the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. [4]

Unrestrained or lewd behavior. Under the question "Is the holiday characterized by unrestrained or lewd behavior?", jw.org says Witnesses "avoid celebrations that feature overdrinking and wild partying" and do not take part in "carnivals or similar festivals that promote indecent conduct condemned in the Bible." It includes the Jewish festival of Purim in this group, while noting that Purim "has long commemorated the deliverance of the Jews in the fifth century B.C.E.". [4]

The school brochure, which quotes works dated as late as 1982, also names New Year's Day, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. For New Year's Day it quotes The World Book Encyclopedia (1982) that in ancient Rome "the first day of the year was given over to honoring Janus." For Valentine's Day it quotes The World Book Encyclopedia (1973) that the customs connected with the day "probably come from an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia." For Mother's Day it quotes a passage it attributes to Encyclopaedia Britannica (1959), describing the day as "a festival derived from the custom of mother worship in ancient Greece". On the modern holiday, Britannica's current article on Mother's Day says: "In its modern form the holiday originated in the United States. It was established by American social activist Anna Jarvis, who sought to honor her mother. The first Mother's Day church service was held on May 10, 1908". [7][14]

National Days, Flags, Rulers and Saints

The third and fourth questions on jw.org's holidays page cover days that honor people, symbols and nations. [4]

Exalting a human, an organization or a national symbol. Under the question "Does the holiday exalt a human, an organization, or a national symbol?", jw.org lists holidays that honor "a ruler or other notable figure," giving a sovereign's birthday as an example; celebrations of a nation's flag; events that honor "those considered to be saints," such as All Saints' Day, the Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Name Day; and celebrations of political or social movements. On Flag Day it explains: "Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Flag Day. Why not? Because the Bible says: 'Guard yourselves from idols.'" (1 John 5:21). It also says Witnesses do not join in "Youth Day or Women's Day celebrations that support political or social campaigns," or in "Emancipation Day or similar celebrations". [4]

Elevating one nation or ethnic group. jw.org says that although many Witnesses "are fond of their homeland, they avoid celebrations that elevate nations or ethnic groups" in the ways it goes on to list. Under the question "Does the holiday elevate one nation or ethnic group above others?" it lists celebrations of a nation's history or independence, such as Independence Day, Australia Day and Guy Fawkes Day. Citing Matthew 5:44 on loving one's enemies, it also says "Jehovah's Witnesses do not observe celebrations that honor soldiers," naming Anzac Day and Veterans Day, also given as Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday or Memorial Day. That national Memorial Day is unrelated to the Witnesses' own Memorial. [4]

The school brochure says of national holidays generally: "Jehovah's Witnesses also respectfully refrain from participating in such national holidays. Though we respect the authorities in whatever country we may reside, for conscientious reasons we do not give them what we view as worshipful honors". [7]

The Memorial of Jesus' Death

jw.org calls the observance "the Lord's Evening Meal, which is also known as 'the Lord's supper,' the Last Supper, and the Memorial of Jesus' death". It says Jesus "introduced the observance after sundown on Nisan 14, 33 C.E., according to the Bible's lunar calendar," and that Witnesses "continue to observe the Memorial on this date each year". [5]

How the date is set. Witnesses fix Nisan 14 "using the same method as was used in the time of Jesus, rather than applying the method used for the modern Jewish calendar," with the month beginning when the new moon was first visible in Jerusalem. jw.org says this is one reason the Memorial does not always coincide with the date modern Jews use for Passover. [5]

Dates. In 2026 the Memorial was scheduled for Thursday, April 2, after sunset. As of September 2026, jw.org lists the next dates as Monday, March 22, 2027; Sunday, April 9, 2028; and Thursday, March 29, 2029. [9][10]

What happens. "Everyone is welcome," jw.org says. The event lasts "about one hour," there is no fee, and there is no collection: "We never take collections at our meetings". The program features "an encouraging talk about the importance of Jesus' death" and begins and ends with song and prayer. Bread and wine are passed around, but jw.org says "only a small fraction of us partake," while the vast majority of Witnesses, whose hope is to live on earth, do not. The site's overview of Witness beliefs, linked below, explains the 144,000 teaching behind this. [10][5][6]

The numbers. For the 2025 service year, which ran from September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2025, jw.org reports worldwide Memorial attendance of 20,635,015 and 24,576 partakers, roughly one partaker for every 840 people present. Attendance was more than twice that year's peak of 9,205,326 publishers, the Witnesses who take part in the preaching work. The 2024 report gave 21,119,442 in attendance and 23,212 partakers. [11][12]

Weddings, Anniversaries and Gifts

Weddings are celebrated. jw.org says Witness weddings "often consist of a simple and dignified ceremony that features a brief talk based on the Bible," which may be followed by a reception. The talk runs about 30 minutes, many Witnesses choose to hold the ceremony in a Kingdom Hall if one is available, and there is no charge for the ceremony or for use of the Kingdom Hall. [8]

Witnesses "are happy to give and receive wedding gifts," jw.org says, but they "avoid soliciting gifts or publicly announcing the names of the givers." There is no rice throwing, since Witnesses "avoid practices connected with superstition". [8]

Anniversaries are up to each couple: "Because Bible principles neither approve nor forbid wedding anniversaries, Witness couples decide for themselves whether or not to celebrate their anniversary". [8]

At School and at Work

jw.org's brochure School and Jehovah's Witnesses has a section on holidays and celebrations. The page shows no publication date, and the works quoted in that section carry dates from 1848 to 1982. It says: "We take no part in Christmas parties, plays, singing, exchanging of gifts, or in any other such activity that is associated with Christmas." It also says Witnesses "do not share in birthday festivities (the parties, singing, gift giving, and so forth)." Of the other holidays it discusses, it says Witnesses "for conscientious reasons do not take any part in these holiday activities". [7]

The jw.org pages cited here do not address workplace parties directly. In general terms, they say holidays that "clearly violate Bible principles" are avoided, other choices are personal, and Witnesses "do not interfere in the Christmas celebrations of others". [2][4]

How Encyclopaedia Britannica Describes the Practice

Britannica's article on the Witnesses, written by J. Gordon Melton, Distinguished Professor of American Religious History at Baylor University, says they are "popularly known for their door-to-door evangelism, called witnessing, as well as their rejection of traditional Christian holidays and birthdays". Its section on beliefs and practices says Witnesses do not participate in many traditional Christian holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, "believing them to be 'pagan' accretions to Christianity that developed after the foundation of the tradition," and that "they also do not celebrate birthdays, for the same reasons". Britannica puts "pagan" in quotation marks. [13][6]

Britannica describes the Memorial as "an annual commemoration of Jesus' death around the time of Passover," celebrated on 14 Nisan "of the Jewish calendar," in March or April, at which "only those thought to be among the 144,000 corulers eat and drink the bread and wine". jw.org, as noted above, says it does not use the modern Jewish calendar's method to set the date. [6][5]

Britannica also notes that Witnesses "do not salute the flag of any nation, believing it an act of false worship". jw.org, explaining why Witnesses do not celebrate Flag Day, cites the Bible's words "Guard yourselves from idols". [6][4]

Being a Considerate Friend or Colleague

A few points from jw.org itself bear on everyday situations.

You do not need to stop celebrating. Asked whether Witnesses tell others not to celebrate certain holidays, jw.org answers: "No. They believe that each person must make his own decision". [4]

Gifts and visits at other times. The school brochure says Witnesses "enjoy giving gifts and having good times together throughout the year". The holidays page says many Witnesses reassure relatives of their love and "visit their relatives on other occasions". [7][4]

Ask rather than assume. For holidays jw.org does not rule out, "each Witness makes his or her own choice," so two Witnesses may decide differently. [4]

For teachers. The school brochure says: "we do not object to others celebrating such holidays nor try to hinder them. We appreciate it very much when teachers kindly excuse our children from participation in all activities that in any way commemorate these holidays". [7]

If you are invited to the Memorial. Expect an event of about an hour, open to everyone, with no fee and no collection. The bread and wine are passed around, and only a small fraction of those present eat or drink. [10][5][6][11]

In short, Witnesses avoid most holidays for reasons they ground in the Bible and in their reading of history, keep a yearly commemoration of Jesus' death, and say they leave others free to celebrate as they choose. Individual Witnesses are the best guide to their own choices.