With the holiday season rapidly approaching, have you stopped to think about those who don't celebrate the holidays?
Recently, I asked a few of my closest friends about their experiences during the holiday seasons and also reflected on my own personal experiences. These friends I interviewed shall remain nameless, and the information that was gathered is a collection our thoughts.
As Jehovah's Witnesses, we do not celebrate any holidays, and confessing that to people who have celebrated their whole life seems confusing—so, here are some commonly asked questions along with their answers describing what it is like to grow up in a house without holidays.
Do you celebrate your own holidays?
I mean, kind of. As of recently, my family does these things that could be considered mock holidays. Around the same time as the initial holiday—say Thanksgiving—we will have a family get together and bond together with a huge dinner, movies, and board/card games. We don't do it in the name of the holiday but rather because our parents don't want us to feel left out and would rather we spend time with our family, anyway.
Do you get offended by Christmas commercials?
No, not really. Instead of paying attention, I just check my phone or make small talk with the people who are watching TV with me. It doesn't bother me that there are Christmas commercials, not one bit. I don't much care for what others do. It doesn't affect how much or how little I believe in my religion. People will be their own individuals and no one can change what they want to believe in.
What about the radio, do you listen to Christmas music if it's being played on the radio?
This is what I love about living in an age of technology, instead of listening to Christmas music which is incessantly played, I can plug in the auxiliary cord into my phone and listen to the music on my phone or CDs. Plus, then I get to beat out all of the commercials and listen solely to the music I want to without interruption.
Is there anything in particular that upsets you about the holidays?
Actually, yes. It wasn't until recently with the whole Starbucks red cup fiasco, where people genuinely got upset because Starbucks refused to put "Merry Christmas" on their cups. To be honest, when I first saw them I was relieved. It was nice that for once, in a country that does not have a declared religion, they were not forcing beliefs on their patrons.
However, some people cannot accept a belief that isn't their own. To the people who wish to see more of the Christmas spirit in retail stores, they should seriously rethink what their priorities are. Christmas is not celebrated by everyone and shouldn't be shoved down other people's throats because it has been a tradition in your religion for a certain number of years. Although I would like to point out that people call our religion "annoying," "suffocating," and "intolerant to other beliefs," the religions that condone Christmas essentially shove that spirit down your throat because of the media incessantly trying to appeal to the masses.
There is a lot to think about before the holiday season comes upon us, but maybe one of the things society needs to reflect on is their ideals, what is important about society. We live in a free country, with freedom to religion, and maybe it's time people put the effort into seeing how other other religions practice.
