Last month, a member of our online Bible study was invited to a housewarming party by a Jehovah’s Witness and did not know whether to carry a gift or not.
She came to the forum for advice since she did not want to offend her host. Having interacted with Jehovah’s Witnesses in my many Christian missions, I was in a position to advise the member accordingly.
I realized that most members were interested in knowing whether Jehovah’s Witnesses accept gifts and which kind of gift to offer them.
So, I decided to write this article that answers the question: can Jehovah’s Witnesses accept gifts?
According to the Watch Tower Society, Jehovah’s Witnesses accept gifts and encourage people to give voluntarily and cheerfully. However, they cannot accept birthday gifts or gifts associated with national or religious holidays.
In this article, I will discuss what you should avoid giving Jehovah’s Witnesses as a gift. I will also discuss some gift ideas for Jehovah’s Witness.
Read on to know these and more.
What should you avoid giving a Jehovah’s Witness as a gift?
A cross
According to their religious writings, Jehovah’s Witnesses are not allowed to wear or own a cross. Owning or wearing a cross is forbidden according to their 141 rules of life.
They say that the cross should not be used to identify a Christian. Instead, Christians should be identified by love.
They also claim that the Bible teaches that Jesus did not die on the cross but a simple stick.
Religious pictures
Most people say that you should avoid giving a Jehovah’s Witness a religious picture as a gift because they strictly follow the teaching that one should not use any form of image for worship.
They classify such images as idols and hence cannot own them.
Religious statue
Based on their beliefs, Jehovah’s Witnesses should not own a religious statue. Hence, you should avoid giving them such as a gift.
They believe that religious statues are wrongly used as idols and, hence, should be avoided.
Religious books
Most people believe that you should avoid giving Jehovah’s Witness religious books or magazines as a gift because, according to their 141 rules of life, they are forbidden from reading religious materials from other religions.
However, you can give them religious books from Jehova Witness.
Can Jehovah’s Witness accept birthday presents?

Based on their teaching about birthdays and gifts, Jehovah’s Witnesses cannot accept birthday gifts. They believe that birthdays should not be celebrated because they displease God.
They say that the only recorded birthday celebrations in the Bible were marked with executions. Therefore, they consider birthdays to be ungodly celebrations.
Can Jehovah’s Witness accept wedding gifts?
According to Jehovah’s Witness teachings, a Jehovah’s Witness can accept wedding gifts. They say that giving a wedding gift is a way to express generosity.
Hence, it is acceptable.
They say that according to Psalms 37:21, the righteous ones give generously: “The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.”
Therefore, wedding gifts provide an opportunity for them to exercise generosity. However, they warn against soliciting wedding gifts or announcing the names of the givers.
Can you give Jehovah’s Witness money as a gift?
Most people believe that you can give Jehovah’s Witness money as a gift because their teachings and doctrine do not prohibit monetary gifts.
According to the Watch Tower Society, money can be used as a gift.
Their teachings indicate that their church giving and contributions are in the form of money. Thus, they may not have a problem with gifts that are in the form of money.
10 gift ideas for Jehovah’s Witness
A tie
Jehovah’s Witness emphasizes modest and official dress, especially in their Kingdom Halls. Gifting a gentleman a tie enhances a decent official dress code.
A below-the-knee long dress
Jehovah’s Witnesses emphasize modest dressing. A long dress is a good gift because it fits excellently with their dress code.
A Service bag or a ministry bag
Such a gift is good for a Jehovah’s Witness gentleman because they use such to carry a Bible and other religious literature. It is also good because it is useful during their door-to-door evangelism.
A notebook
A notebook is an excellent gift because most Jehovah’s Witness followers use notebooks to take notes during their religious teaching.
It will also aid the person when doing personal Bible study.
Customized leather Bible cover
This is an excellent gift because it helps preserve one of their most treasured books: the Bible. Also, it makes their Bible beautiful, and such may increase their desire to read it.
JW Bible earrings
The JW Bible earrings are unique and beautiful. Also, they help ladies to portray their love for Jehovah’s Witness.
JW labelled wall clock
A wall clock that has the Jehovah’s Witness label is good because it communicates their faith to their guests. It is a gift that they remember for a long time because they see it a lot as it is on their wall.
A JW Kid’s preaching hardback storybook
A Jehovah’s Witness child would learn a lot of Bible stories from a Jehovah’s Witness preaching storybook. The gift would complement the Jehovah’s Witness teachings to a child.
A wristwatch
A wristwatch significantly complements the official dress code that is desirable among the Jehovah’s Witness. Also, it will help with time management.
A shopping vouchers
A shopping voucher gives the receiver the liberty to choose their gift. It also helps them purchase what they need at the time.
Do Jehovah’s Witnesses accept Christmas gifts?
Jehovah’s Witness teachings indicate that they do not accept Christmas gifts. According to the Watch Tower Society, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate any religious holidays except for the death of Jesus.
They argue that Christmas is not a Biblical holiday and, hence, should not be celebrated.
Therefore, they cannot accept Christmas gifts because they claim that doing so would go against their religious beliefs about Christmas and religious holidays in general.
Do Jehovah’s Witnesses accept birthday gifts?
Jehovah’s Witness doctrine dictates that they should not accept birthday gifts. Their teachings on birthday implies that birthday celebrations are displeasing to God.
They say that the only two references to birthdays in the Bible show that such celebrations were used for execution of good people.
Can you give a Jehovah’s Witness a retirement gift?

Most people believe that you can give a Jehovah’s Witness a retirement gift because they do not teach against it. Additionally, they emphasized generous giving; hence, a retirement gift is an opportunity to give.
Additionally, many people believe that since a retirement gift is not used to celebrate any religious or national holiday, it will not violate their teachings.
Can you give money to a Jehovah’s Witness as a gift?
The Jehovah’s Witness religious teaching on giving implies that you can give a Jehovah’s Witness money as a gift. They teach that church donations can include money donations.
In their description of generous giving, they mention money as an acceptable gift.
Do Jehovah’s Witnesses accept wedding gifts?
Based on their teaching and the Jehovah’s Witness weddings that I have attended, they accept wedding gifts. In their teachings, they consider wedding gifts as a way of showing love and expressing generosity.
However, they emphasize that you should only give such gifts voluntarily and cheerfully and should not expect special recognition or favor.

As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.