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Terrace Review —— Wednesday, December 18, 1991 23

For some people it’s just

another day in December —

by Stephanie Wiebe

The word "Christmas" does not
evoke visions of sugarplums for
everybody.

While many of us rush about in
preparation for the coming holiday,
some segments of the population
stay well-removed from the whirl-
wind of Christmas. In the Terrace
area, about 200 Jehovah’s
Witnesses ignore the entire event.

Doug Wentzell, a Jehovah’s
Witness and presiding minister at
Terrace’s Kingdom Hall, grew up
without family Christmas celebra-
tions, Wentzell says that being
surrounded by the unavoidable
Christmas hoopla is not a problem.
"How can I miss something |
never had? It’s there, we recognize
that. Naturally, everyone likes to
see pretty things. It's what they
represent — we don’t care to get
involved with that."

Why do the Witnesses shun what
many consider to be a major
Christian holiday? The December
15th issue of The Watch Tower, a
Jehovah’s Witness publication,
explains that "Undeniably, Christ-
mas is a pagan holiday”, referring
readers to its basis in ancient

December ceremonies for worship
of the sun.

The Watch Tower also notes,
"Nowhere in the Bible do we find
any command to celebrate the birth
of Christ, nor does it tell us when
or how." There is no record of a
Christmas celebration until 300
years after Jesus Christ’s death,
according to the Watch Tower. Put’
simply, Christmas is not truly a
Christian holiday, according to the
Witnesses’ Christian beliefs.

Our society’s commercialization
of Christmas makes it even less
attractive. to the eyes of non-par-
ticipants. The commercial push to
sell consumer goods at Christmas
can put great financial strain on
some families, Wentzell notes.
"There’s a lot of heartaches with
Christmas as well.”

But Wentzell explains that Jeho-
vah’s Witnesses are not Scrooge-
like in their holiday attitudes. "We
don’t condemn others for what
they believe.” Wentzell says that in
his experience, there’s an ongoing
mutual respect for the beliefs of
co-workers and acquaintances.

The issue most upsetting to many
Christmas devotees is the idea of
Witness children not participating

The Dr. R.E.M. Lee
Hospital Foundation
4720 Haugland Ave.
Terrace, B.C.

V8G 2W7

A THOUGHTFUL WAY TO REMEMBER

is with an In Memoriam gift to the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital
Foundation. Donations are gratefully accepted at the above
addtess, the Terrace Fire Department on Eby. St., or by
contacting Mrs. Helene McRae at 635-5320. Income tax receipts
are available.

HOLIDAY HOURS
Christmas Eve — noon - 8 p.m.
Boxing Day — noon - 8 p.m.
New Year’s Day — noon-8p.m.
PLEASE DON’T DRINK & DRIVE!

Remember: We offer a courtesy van every Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun night.

in holiday celebrations. Between
school concerts and projects, ad-
vertising, and all that talk about
Santa Claus, many people feel that
by not celebrating Christmas, the
Jehovah’s Witnesses are depriving
their children of an integral part of
childhood.

Do Witness children feel
cheated? Gerry de Kerf, another
Jehovah’s Witness minister, says
no. "I don’t think the children feel
that way. I think that [Jehovah’s
Witness children] feel more com-
passion for the other person that
does celebrate it." As de Kerf
explains, having learned from
infancy to ignore it gives Christ-
mas little meaning. And some

Witness children see the inevitable

dissolution of the Santa myth as a
negative factor in traditional
Christmas celebrations. “It’s the
discovery that one has celebrated
something that was never there."
As for school Christmas activ-
ities, both de Kerf and Wentzell
credit local teachers for working
closely with parents to ensure that
the differing beliefs of students are
respected. "Personal communica-
tion between parent and teacher
tnakes a difference," says Went-
zell. "We should commend the
teachers and the whole school
system for working with us."
Wentzeli notes that Witness
children receive many — gifts
throughout the year, and that there
are unique activities and special
times for Witness children. “The
one thing the Jehovah’s Witnesses -
do, is to highlight the importance
of families and getting together.
The parents are very close to their
kids." oo