•  How Jehovah Witness them de decide whether they go do any celebration?

•  Jehovah Witness still love their families even if they no join them for some celebrations?

•  Jehovah Witness people de tell other people say make they no do some celebrations?

 Before Jehovah Witness people decide whether they go join to do any celebration, them de first check wetin Bible talk. E dey clear say some celebrations no follow wetin dey for Bible. And if na so, Jehovah Witness them no de join for that kind celebration. But if na another kind of celebration, each Jehovah Witness de decide for e self whether e go join or e no go join, so far as e “get clean conscience before God and man.”—Acts 24:16.

 This questions for down na some questions wey Jehovah Witness them de ask theirself when they want decide whether e good to do some celebration or e no good. a

•   The celebration come from teaching wey Bible no support?

   Advice for Bible: “Jehovah talk say, ‘Comot for their side, and make wuna separate wunaself, stop to de touch dirty thing.’”—2 Corinthians 6:15-17.

   Jehovah Witness people want really separate theirself from teachings wey no agree with wetin Bible talk. Because of this one, they no de join for any celebration wey get any of this things:

   Celebration wey connect with some belief or worship of other gods. Jesus talk say: “Na Jehovah your God you must worship, and na only him you go serve.” (Matthew 4:10) Jehovah Witness them de obey this command, and na e make they no de celebrate Christmas, Easter, or May Day, because this celebrations come from the worship of other gods wey no be Jehovah. Jehovah Witness no still de join for this other celebrations:

  •  Kwanzaa. One book wey them de call Encyclopedia of Black Studies talk say this name Kwanzaa “come from this word for Swahili matunda ya kwanza, and e mean ‘first fruits’ and [this one] show say the celebration start from the first harvest celebration wey dey for record for the story about Africa.” Even though say some people de talk say Kwanzaa no be celebration wey concern religion, the Encyclopedia of African Religion talk say Kwanzaa be like one festival for Africa wey them de gather the first things wey they harvest and “give-am for the gods and the ancestors to show say them de thank them.” This book still talk say: “Na still this same idea to talk thank you, de make the people for America wey get African skin de do this Kwanzaa celebration, because them de do-am to thank their old-old ancestors for the blessing of life.”

  •  Mid-Autumn Festival. This one na “festival to honor goddess of the moon.” (Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary) For this celebration, them de do one ritual “wey the women for the house go de bow for front of the goddess, and na this one them de call kowtow for Chinese.”—Religions of the World—A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices.

  •  Nauruz (Nowruz). “This festival first start for one religion wey them de worship Zoroaster, and they believe say the day wey them de do the celebration na one of the days wey e holy pass for the Zoroaster calendar. . . . As the tradition for the worship of Zoroaster be, they believe say for cold season, the Spirit of Winter don pursue the Spirit of Noon wey them de call [Rapithwin] comot, and na as them de do this celebration for afternoon for the day of Nowruz, them de welcome the Spirit of Noon come back.”—United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

  •  Shab-e Yalda. One book wey them de call Sufism in the Secret History of Persia talk something about this celebration – winter solstice, wey them de do around December. E talk say the celebration “clear say e connect with the worship of Mithra,” the god of light. Some other people don still talk say this celebration fit connect with the worship of the Roman and Greek sun gods. b

  •  Thanksgiving. Like Kwanzaa, this celebration come from old-old harvest celebrations wey people de do to honor different-different gods. As time de go, “they take this old-old tradition and bring-am inside Christian religion.”—A Great and Godly Adventure—The Pilgrims and the Myth of the First Thanksgiving.

   Celebrations wey connect with things wey people believe wey no be true or about good luck. Bible talk say people wey de “set table for the god of Good Luck” dey “among people wey them de leave Jehovah.” (Isaiah 65:11) So, because of this one, Jehovah Witness no de join for this kind of celebrations:

  •  Ivan Kupala. One book wey them de call The A to Z of Belarus talk say, “the thing wey plenty people believe na say, for the time wey this celebration [Ivan Kupala] de happen, plenty magic de happen on e own and any person wey e dey bold and wey e dey lucky fit get that magic power.” Before, this celebration na pagan celebration wey them de use to celebrate the period wey sun really come out plenty times (summer solstice). But the book Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian Culture talk say, “e really blend with the celebration wey Church people de do [the “saint’s day” of John the Baptist] after the Christian religion start.”

  •  Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year or Korean New Year). “For this time of the year, the main thing wey family, friends and other family members really want na good luck, to make sure say good things happen to them inside that new year, to show respect for the gods and spirits and to wish good things for the year wey de come.” (Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts—Festivals of China) Na the same thing with the Korean New Year, them “de worship ancestors, do ritual to pursue evil spirit and wish for good things for the New Year, and them de ask the gods to know the things wey go happen for the New Year.”—Encyclopedia of New Year’s Holidays Worldwide.

   Celebration wey people de do because they believe say the soul no de die. Bible talk-am clear say the soul fit die. (Ezekiel 18:4) So, Jehovah Witness no de do all this celebration wey de support the belief say the soul no de die:

  •  All Souls’ Day (Day of the Dead). The New Catholic Encyclopedia talk say this one na day to “remember all the people wey don die. From about 500 C.E to about 1500 C.E, plenty people believe say the souls wey dey for purgatory fit appear for this day. They fit appear as some spirit creatures, as witch, as toads, etc, to people wey don do them bad when them dey alive.”

  •  Qingming Festival (Ch’ing Ming) and Hungry Ghost Festival. Them de do this two festivals to honor ancestors. The book, Celebrating Life Customs Around the World—From Baby Showers to Funerals talk say for Ch’ing Ming, “them de burn food, drinks, and paper wey go be like money for dead people to make sure say food or water no de hungry them and to make sure say the dead people get money to spend.” The book still talk say “for the month wey them de celebrate Hungry Ghost, especially for the night wey full moon dey, [people wey de do the celebration believe say] dead people and people wey dey alive get plenty connection for that night pass any other night, so e dey important to make the dead people happy and to honor the ancestors.”

  •  Chuseok. The book The Korean Tradition of Religion, Society, and Ethics talk say for this festival, them de “give the souls of people wey don die food and wine.” This one de show their belief say “after person die, e soul go still continue to live.”

   Celebrations wey connect with spiritism. Bible talk say: “Anybody wey e de use power of the spirits to know about the future or wetin people no know, or anybody wey e de do magic, or de look for sign to know wetin go happen for future, or anybody wey e de do witchcraft, anybody wey e de charm people, or anybody wey e de talk to or receive message from spirits, anybody wey e de talk wetin go happen for future, or anybody wey e de talk with the dead, . . . Jehovah no want take eye see the person at all.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) To comot hand from any thing wey connect with spirits, even to de read stars (wey na still part of to de do things with demons), Jehovah Witness them no de celebrate Halloween or this other celebrations:

  •  Sinhala and Tamil New Year. “Some rituals dey wey them de do for this celebration . . . and them de do-am for time wey people wey de read stars believe say na that particular time they go fit get plenty success.”—Encyclopedia of Sri Lanka.

  •  Songkran. Na for Asia this festival come from, and “they get the name from one word for Sanskrit language . . . and e mean ‘movement’ or ‘change,’ and [the festival] de mark how the sun de move go the area wey one group of stars wey them de call Aries dey.”—Food, Feasts, and Faith—An Encyclopedia of Food Culture in World Religions.

   Celebrations wey connect with worship as e dey for the Law of Moses but the death of Jesus don already end-am. Bible talk say: “Christ be the end of the Law.” (Romans 10:4) The Law of Moses na the law wey God give Israel people that time. Christians for this our time still de gain from the advice wey dey for this Law of Moses. But, they no de celebrate the festivals, especially the festival them wey them de do because they still de expect the Messiah, because now, Christians believe say the Messiah don already come. Bible talk say, “those things de show wetin de come, but na the Christ be the real thing.” (Colossians 2:17) The reason why them be de do this festivals don already happen, and now, them de even do some things wey Bible no support for this festivals. Because of this one, Jehovah Witness them no de join to celebrate all the different festivals like this ones:

  •  Hanukkah. Them de do this festival to remember the second time wey they dedicate the Jew people temple for Jerusalem. But Bible talk say Jesus don be High Priest of “the tent [or, temple] wey perfect and wey great pass, and wey they no make with hand, this one mean say, no be this earth they make-am.” (Hebrews 9:11) For Christians, na that spiritual temple don replace the temple wey they use hand build for Jerusalem.

  •  Rosh Hashanah. This na the first day of the year for Jew people. For those days, when them de do this festival, them de give God different-different special sacrifice. (Numbers 29:1-6) But Jesus Christ, wey na the Messiah, don end sacrifice and other offerings. E don make those things no get any use or value again for God eye.—Daniel 9:26, 27.

•   The celebration go make us de worship with religion wey get other beliefs wey Bible no support?

   Advice for Bible: “Wetin person wey de worship God get to do with person wey no de worship God? And wetin concern God temple with idols?”—2 Corinthians 6:15-17.

   Na true say Jehovah Witness them de try to get peace with their neighbors and they respect the right wey every person get to choose wetin e go believe. But they no de join for celebrations wey go make them de worship God with religion wey get other beliefs wey Bible no support, like this ones:

   Celebration of person for any religion or celebration wey de bring people from different religion to worship together. The time wey God de lead e people go one new land wey the people for there get another religion, God tell e people say: “Make you no ever get any agreement with them or their gods. . . . If you serve their gods, e go surely be trap for you.” (Exodus 23:32, 33) So because of this one, Jehovah Witness no de join for all this different celebrations like:

  •  Loy Krathong. For this Thai people festival, “people de use leaves make bowls, they go add candles or incense sticks, and they go put the bowls ontop water. They believe say the boats go carry bad luck comot. The festival na really to remember the holy things wey Buddha don do.”—Encyclopedia of Buddhism.

  •  National Repentance Day. For one Papua New Guinea newspaper wey them de call The National, one government person talk say people wey de do this celebration “agree with things wey the Christian religion de teach.” E still talk say na for that day, they go de remind the people for the country about “the fine-fine things wey they suppose de follow as Christians.”

  •  Vesak. “People wey de worship Buddha believe say na this day holy pass any other day. Na for this day them de celebrate the day wey they born Buddha, the day wey e begin understand things and the day wey e die or wey e enter Nirvana.”—Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary.

   Celebrations wey come from religions and na about some belief wey Bible no talk about. Jesus tell the leaders for religion say: “Because of wuna tradition, wuna don make people no de follow the word of God again.” (Matthew 15:6, 9) Because Jehovah Witness them de follow this warning from Bible, e get plenty celebrations wey connect with religion wey they no de do.

  •  Epiphany (Three Kings’ Day, Timkat, or Los Reyes Magos). People de celebrate this one to remember the three men wey come visit Jesus the time wey e be baby, or to remember the baptism of Jesus. This festival don “change some pagan festivals to Christian celebration. Like some pagan festival wey them de do for season wey plants de start to grow again (spring), to honor the gods of water wey de flow, rivers and streams.” (The Christmas Encyclopedia) Another celebration wey resemble this Epiphany na Timkat. That one too “get deep connection with tradition.”—Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Ancient World.

  •  Celebration for Virgin Mary As E Go Heaven (Assumption). Them de do this celebration because of the belief say Jesus mama go heaven with e flesh body. The book wey them de call Religion and Society—Encyclopedia of Fundamentalism talk say, “This belief no dey for Bible and nobody be de do-am for the time of the first-first Christians.”

  •  Immaculate Conception. Them de do this celebration because of the belief say Mary no get sin for the time wey they born-am. The New Catholic Encyclopedia book talk say, “Bible no really teach say [Mary] no get sin when they born-am . . . Na the leaders for Church be decide this one.”

  •  Lent. For the time of Lent, people de do things to show say them dey sorry for the bad things wey they don do and they no go chop any food. As the New Catholic Encyclopedia book talk, they start to do Lent “for the fourth century,” more than 200 years after they don write Bible finish. The book still talk about the first day of Lent say: “Na since the time of the Synod of Benevento for 1091, na e they start to give the faithful people ashes for Ash Wednesday.”

  •  Meskel (or, Maskal). The book Encyclopedia of Society and Culture in the Medieval World talk say, this festival wey them de do for Ethiopia na to celebrate “how they find the True Cross (the real cross wey Jesus die ontop-am). For this celebration, they go light fire and they go de dance round the fire.” But, Jehovah Witness no de use cross for their worship.

•   The celebration na to honor human, organization or something wey de represent any country?

   Advice for Bible: “This one na wetin Jehovah talk: ‘Good thing no go follow the man wey e put e trust for people, e trust the power wey people get, and e no trust Jehovah.’”—Jeremiah 17:5.

   Even though all this celebration fit be to show some people say they value them and even to pray for them, Jehovah Witness no de join for any celebration like:

   Celebrations wey de honor person wey de rule or another important person. Bible talk say, “For wuna own good, make wuna stop to put wuna trust for ordinary man, person wey e no fit live if e no de breathe. Why wuna even need to think about ordinary man?” (Isaiah 2:22) Because of this one, Jehovah Witness them no de celebrate, for example, birthday of person wey e de rule as king or queen.

   Celebrations of flag for any country. Jehovah Witness no de celebrate Flag Day. Why? Because Bible talk say: “Make wuna run from idols.” (1 John 5:21) Some people no de count-am say flag na idol, or something wey them de worship, but one man wey de write history wey e name na Carlton J. H. Hayes talk say: “Flag na important sign of faith and na one main thing wey every person wey like their country de worship.”

   Celebrations to honor holy people (saint). Wetin happen when one man wey e de fear God bow down for apostle Peter? Bible talk say Peter carry the man up, and “e say: ‘Stand up; I be person like you.’” (Acts 10:25, 26) As Peter or any of the other apostles no gree make people treat them like God or bow for them, Jehovah Witness people no de join for any celebration wey people de do to honor holy people, celebrations like this ones:

  •  All Saints’ Day. The New Catholic Encyclopedia book talk say: “Them de do this one to honor all the holy people . . . We no know how this celebration start.”

  •  Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Them de do this celebration to worship the “person wey e holy pass for Mexico.” And some people believe say this person na Mary, Jesus mama. They talk say na Mary appear to one poor farmer for the year 1531.—The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Latino Literature.

  •  Name Day. People wey de do this celebration believe say every day for the year get the name of one holy person (saint). Because of that one, the book Celebrating Life Customs Around the World—From Baby Showers to Funerals talk say, “Name day na the day wey them de celebrate the holy person wey e get the name wey them de give pikin when e baptize, or when e don confirm-am say e don join the church.” The book still talk say, “for this day, people de really do some serious things wey concern religion.”

   Celebration of things wey people de do for politics to support or question government for their country. Bible talk say, “E better to hide under Jehovah than to trust man.” (Psalm 118:8, 9) Jehovah Witness no de join for celebrations wey de support politics or campaign for change for government like Youth Day or Women’s Day because we believe say na God fit solve the problems for this world, no be any man or woman. Because of this same reason, we no de join for Emancipation Day or any other celebration like this ones. Instead we de wait for the Kingdom of God to solve all the problems for the world like things wey de divide people or de make some people feel say they important pass other people.—Romans 2:11; 8:21.

•   The celebration de make one country or tribe high pass other country or tribes?

   Advice for Bible: “God no de do partial, but for every country, the person wey e get the fear of God and de do the right thing, God de accept the person.”—Acts 10:34, 35.

   Even though say plenty Jehovah Witness like their country, they no de join for any celebration wey de show say na their country better pass other countries. Celebrations like this ones:

   Celebrations to honor army or people wey de fight war. Jesus no support war, instead, e tell e followers say: “Make wuna continue to love wuna enemies and pray for people wey de suffer wuna.” (Matthew 5:44) So Jehovah Witness them no de join for any celebration to honor soldiers or this other celebrations:

  •  Anzac Day. The book Historical Dictionary of Australia talk say “Anzac mean Australian and New Zealand Army Corps,” that one na the people wey de fight war for Australia and New Zealand. E still talk say “small-small, Anzac Day don turn to day wey them de use to remember all the people wey they don kill for war.”

  •  Veterans Day (Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday, or Memorial Day). Them de use this day to honor “all the soldiers wey don dey for army for long time and the ones wey don die when they go fight war for their country.”—Encyclopædia Britannica.

   Celebration of independence or the story about the country. When Jesus de talk about e disciples, e talk say: “They no be part of the world, just as I no be part of the world.” (John 17:16) Even though say Jehovah Witness them de like to learn about the story of any country, they no de join for celebrations like this ones:

  •  Australia Day. As the book wey them de call Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life talk, this celebration na to remember “the day when English soldiers raise their flag for 1788 and talk say Australia don be one new country wey dey under England.”

  •  Guy Fawkes Day. This one na the “day wey them de remember wetin happen for 1605, when Guy Fawkes and other people for the Catholic church wey de support-am try to kill King James I and the people wey de join-am to rule for England, but they no succeed to kill them.”—A Dictionary of English Folklore.

  •  Independence Day. For many countries, this one na the “day wey they don choose for the whole country to celebrate the time wey the country comot from the control of another country and start to do things on e own.—Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary.

•   For the celebration, them de do bad things wey God no like?

   Advice for Bible: “The time wey don pass dey enough for wuna to do the things wey people of the nations want, when wuna de do shameful things, de get desire to do bad thing, de over drink, de do wild parties, de do competition for drinking, and de worship idol.”—1 Peter 4:3.

   To obey this advice, Jehovah Witness them no de join for any celebration wey people de over drink and de make plenty noise. Jehovah Witness them de like to enjoy good time with their friends, and if at all, they choose to take some drink wey get alcohol, them de make sure say they no over drink-am. Them de do their best to follow this advice for Bible: “Whether wuna de eat or de drink or de do any other thing, make wuna do everything for the glory of God.”—1 Corinthians 10:31.

   So, Jehovah Witness them no de join for carnivals or other party wey people go de do things wey Bible no support. One festival wey Jew people de do wey them de call Purim na one example. Even though say for long time, them de do Purim to remember the time wey the Jews dey free for the fifth century B.C.E., now, no be so e be again. The book Essential Judaism talk say even though them de call-am Purim, they fit “just describe-am as the celebration of Mardi Gras or Carnival wey Jew people de do.” The book still talk say for people wey de like party, “them de wear different-different kind cloth (like make man wear woman cloth), they no de control the way them de behave, they go de over drink, and de make plenty noise.”

 Yes. Bible teach us say make we love and respect all our family members, no matter their religion. (1 Peter 3:1, 2, 7) Na true say, when one Jehovah Witness stop to join e family members for some celebrations, some people for the family fit de feel sad, e fit de pain them or they fit even feel say the person don do them bad. So many Jehovah Witness them de make sure say they let their family members know say they still love them. They go try explain to them with respect, the reason why they no de join them. And they go still visit their family members for other time wey they no de do those celebrations.

 No. We believe say each person must decide wetin e want do by e self. (Joshua 24:15) Jehovah Witness de “respect all kind of people,” no matter their religion or the thing wey they believe.—1 Peter 2:17.