Ancestor Appreciation Day 2024 is on Friday, September 27, 2024: Do Jehovah Witnesses receive gifts for any occasion?

Friday, September 27, 2024 is Ancestor Appreciation Day 2024. Denise's Life in the Past Lane: September 2011 Ancestor Appreciation Day 2011

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Yes, of course.

Gifts are mentioned in favorable terms quite often in the Scriptures, including during a trying time or in appreciation for some assistance.

...(Job 42:11) They began to eat bread with [Job] in his house and to sympathize with him and to comfort him...and they proceeded each one to give him a piece of money and each one a gold ring.

...(Genesis 24:19-22) When she was finished giving him a drink, then [Rebekah] said: “For your camels too I shall draw water until they are done drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the drinking trough and ran yet again and again to the well to draw water, and kept drawing for all his camels. All the while the man was gazing at her in wonder, keeping silent to know whether Jehovah had made his trip successful or not. Consequently it came about that, when the camels had finished drinking, then the man took a gold nose ring of a half shekel in weight [and gave it to her] and two bracelets for her hands

...(Acts 20:35) Bear in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, when he himself said, ‘There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.’”

...(2 Corinthians 9:7) God loves a cheerful giver.

By contrast, gifts that are plainly associated with pagan celebrations are objectionable to true Christians, as are gifts given with ungodly motives.

...(Isaiah 1:23) Your princes are stubborn and partners with thieves. Every one of them is a lover of a bribe and a chaser after gifts.

Regarding birthday celebrations, bible students are encouraged to consider:

: 0% of faithful biblical Jews celebrated birthdays

: 0% of first century Christians celebrated birthdays

: 100% of birthdays celebrated in the bible were by debauched enemies of God (See Mark 6:17-29; Gen 40:19-22)

Bible historians (M'Clintock, Strong, and others) have noted that faithful Jews of the bible did not celebrate birthdays, and that ancient pagan birthday celebrations were at least partially intended to honor the patron gods of the particular day.

By comparison with such paganisms, the bible does not even tell us the birthdates of Jesus or ANY of his apostles!

Jehovah's Witnesses practice strict political and nationalistic neutrality, so they do not celebrate nationalistic holidays such as Independence Day and Memorial Day.

Other holidays derive from false religion, and so are incompatible with pure worship as adulterating interfaith. For example, Easter derives from the pagan god Oestre and celebrates "rebirth" and "fertility" instead of commemorating Christ's Last Supper and death as Jesus commanded:

(Luke 22:1-22) [Jesus] dispatched Peter and John, saying: “Go and get the passover ready for us to eat.” ...14 At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”

Seemingly innocuous holidays may have only a tangential connection with false worship, such as Mother's Day and Father's Day (although arguably derived from ancestor worship). Understated observance of these is not generally considered interfaith by Jehovah's Witnesses, but it is too easily misunderstood in some cultures.

Since such celebrations are not required in true worship, and can easily become a distraction, so Jehovah's Witnesses focus their attention elsewhere. In particular, they are focussed on the preaching work which *IS* a requirement for Christians:

(Luke 10:1-17) [Jesus] the Lord designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come. 2 Then he began to say to them: “The harvest, indeed, is great, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

Learn more:

Non-religious Thanksgiving Prayers?

You could go with a nice toast...

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude. ~E.P. Powell

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

Our rural ancestors, with little blest,

Patient of labour when the end was rest,

Indulged the day that housed their annual grain,

With feasts, and off'rings, and a thankful strain.

~Alexander Pope

Why a cigar is offered to a new father ?

Here are two versions explaining how the tradition came to be.

One version is that cigars in the early days were regarded as valuable and something to be treasured. Thus when people pass cigars to new fathers, it's meant to sincerely congratulate the person and show and deep appreciation.

Another version is attributed to tradition of the old days when tobacco is used by our ancestors to mark important events. This includes weddings and the welcoming of a new baby to the family.