List of Things Jehovah's Witnesses Can't Do, and Why

Witnesses say these choices come from the Bible, not from a rulebook. Some are firm standards that can affect a person's place in the congregation. Others are personal decisions where two Witnesses may choose differently. Knowing which is which clears up a lot of confusion.

There is no official list of 100 things. The list below covers what Witnesses actually avoid, grouped by area, with the reason they give and where they say it. It also covers the changes made between 2023 and 2026, because several old rules have moved.

Things Jehovah's Witnesses can't do at a glance

Area	What Witnesses avoid	Firm rule or conscience?
Holidays	Christmas, Easter, Halloween, New Year customs, national days	Firm standard
Birthdays	Birthday parties and celebrations	Firm standard
Blood	Whole blood transfusions, eating blood	Firm; blood components became conscience in 2026
Politics	Voting for parties or candidates, running for office, campaigning	Firm standard
Military	Joining the armed forces, going to war	Firm standard
Flag and anthem	Saluting the flag, pledges, singing the anthem	Firm standard
Tobacco and drugs	Smoking, other tobacco, recreational drugs, drunkenness	Firm standard
Gambling	Betting, lottery and games of chance for money	Firm standard
Interfaith	Joining worship of other religions	Firm standard
Sex and marriage	Sex outside marriage, marrying a non-Witness, divorce without sexual immorality	Firm standard
Spiritism	Fortune-telling, charms, occult treatments	Firm standard
Entertainment	Content that promotes spiritism, immorality or violence	Mostly conscience

Holidays: Christmas, Easter and other celebrations

Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas, Easter or most other religious and national holidays. They say many of these have roots in other worship, superstition or the honouring of humans and nations.

The jw.org page on holidays groups its reasons like this:

• Roots in other gods or worship: Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and similar days. Matthew 4:10 is cited: worship belongs to God alone.
• Luck and superstition: customs such as Lunar New Year, citing Isaiah 65:11.
• Belief in an immortal soul: All Souls' Day and festivals for the dead. Witnesses teach that the soul can die (Ezekiel 18:4).
• Links to the occult: Halloween, citing Deuteronomy 18:10 to 12.
• Exalting humans or nations: a ruler's birthday, Independence Day, Youth Day, Women's Day, days honouring soldiers. Jeremiah 17:5 and John 17:16 are cited.
• Wild behaviour: carnivals, citing 1 Peter 4:3.

The one event they do keep is the yearly Memorial of Jesus' death (Luke 22:19). Witnesses also say they do not tell others to stop celebrating; each person makes their own choice (Joshua 24:15).

Why Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate birthdays

Witnesses do not hold birthday parties. They give four main reasons on jw.org.

1. Early birthday customs were tied to spirits and astrology, which the Bible condemns (Deuteronomy 18:14).
2. The first Christians did not celebrate birthdays.
3. Christians are told to remember Jesus' death, not his birth (Luke 22:19), and Ecclesiastes 7:1 says the day of death is better than the day of birth.
4. The only two birthday parties in the Bible were held by men who did not serve God, and both ended in an execution (Genesis 40:20 to 22, Mark 6:21 to 29).

Witness parents still give gifts and hold family outings at other times of the year.

Blood transfusions: what Witnesses accept and refuse

Witnesses refuse transfusions of whole blood and do not eat blood. Since September 2026, accepting the four main blood components (red cells, white cells, plasma and platelets) is a personal decision for each Witness.

The reason is religious, not medical. Jw.org says God views blood as representing life, and cites Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:10, Deuteronomy 12:23 and Acts 15:28, 29, which tells Christians to keep abstaining from blood. Food made with blood is avoided for the same reason.

The position has shifted in steps:

• Before 2026: small blood fractions (such as albumin or clotting factors) were already a matter of conscience. Whole blood and the four main components were refused.
• March 2026: storing a person's own blood for their own later treatment became a personal decision, according to the blood banking body AABB.
• September 18, 2026: the Governing Body said accepting red cells, white cells, plasma or platelets, and donating blood to provide them, is now each Christian's decision. The refusal of whole blood transfusion stays in place.

Witnesses accept most other medicine. Jw.org says they go to doctors and hospitals, some members are doctors, and the only other treatments they reject are those involving occult practices.

Can Jehovah's Witnesses vote or join politics?

No. Witnesses do not vote for parties or candidates, run for office, campaign or lobby. They call this political neutrality.

They point to Jesus refusing to be made king (John 6:15) and saying his followers are "no part of the world" (John 17:16, 18:36). They still obey the law, pay taxes (Romans 13:1, Mark 12:17) and pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1, 2). Jw.org adds that they do not disrupt elections or stop others from voting.

Military service and war

Witnesses do not join the army or take part in war.

Reasons given on jw.org: Isaiah 2:4 says people would learn war no more, Jesus told Peter to put away his sword (Matthew 26:52), and Witnesses see themselves as one worldwide brotherhood, so going to war could mean fighting fellow believers (John 13:34, 35). They also say they do not protest against governments or interfere with people who choose to serve.

Flag salute, pledge and national anthem

Witnesses do not salute the flag, say a pledge of allegiance or sing the national anthem. At school or public events, they respectfully decline to take part.

They say these acts are a form of worship that belongs only to God (Luke 4:8) and that saluting a national symbol is idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14). Jw.org stresses that they do not insult, burn or damage flags, and that they respect other people's right to take part.

Smoking, drugs and alcohol

Witnesses do not smoke or use tobacco in any form, and do not use drugs for pleasure. Alcohol is allowed in moderation, but drunkenness is a serious sin.

The Bible does not name tobacco or marijuana. Jw.org reasons from principles: God disapproves of habits that harm the body and make it unclean (2 Corinthians 7:1), life is a gift to respect, and smoke harms the people around you, which goes against loving your neighbour.

Gambling, betting and lottery

Witnesses do not gamble. That covers betting, lottery and any game played for money where luck decides the result.

Jw.org admits the Bible does not directly mention gambling. It argues that gambling, even for small amounts, feeds greed and the love of money, puts trust in "luck", which it treats as a form of idolatry, and goes against the Bible's call to earn through hard work rather than get something for nothing.

Interfaith worship and other churches

Witnesses do not join in the worship of other religions, such as interfaith services or prayers led by other churches. They will still discuss beliefs with anyone, respectfully.

They cite 2 Corinthians 6:14 to 17, which warns against being unequally yoked with unbelievers, and say true Christian unity rests on shared belief, not only shared values (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Sex, dating and marriage

Witnesses do not have sex outside marriage, and they marry only a baptised fellow Witness. Divorce with freedom to remarry is accepted only on the ground of sexual immorality.

• No sex before or outside marriage: jw.org says this includes intimate acts short of intercourse.
• Dating: seen as a step toward marriage, for those old enough to marry. Couples avoid being alone in tempting situations, often going out in groups or with a chaperone.
• Marry only in the Lord: 1 Corinthians 7:39. A partner who only respects the faith is not enough; they should be a baptised Witness.
• Divorce: Matthew 19:9. A person who divorces for other reasons is not seen as free to remarry. Elders do not have to approve a divorce, and separation is accepted in extreme cases such as serious physical abuse or refusal to provide.

Spiritism, charms and fortune-telling

Witnesses avoid anything tied to spirits or magic: fortune-tellers, horoscopes, charms and occult healing. They cite Deuteronomy 18:10 to 12, which forbids divination and consulting the dead.

For readers in Nigeria and Ghana, this means a Witness will not use protective charms or spiritual baths, even ones other Christians see as harmless.

Movies, music and entertainment

There is no list of banned films, songs or books. Jw.org says the organisation does not review entertainment for members.

Each Witness is expected to avoid content that promotes spiritism, sexual immorality or violence (Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:8) and to train their own judgment (Hebrews 5:14). Parents may set stricter rules at home. So one Witness may watch a film another would skip.

Disfellowshipping and shunning: what changed

A baptised Witness who commits a serious sin and does not repent can be removed from the congregation. Since 2024 the word "disfellowshipped" is no longer used; Witnesses now say "removed from the congregation".

Sins listed on jw.org include adultery, drunkenness, theft, domestic abuse and murder. After removal:

• Members do not socialise with the person or eat with them (1 Corinthians 5:11).
• Since 2024, a Witness may use their conscience to greet a removed person at a meeting or invite them to one, but not hold long conversations.
• No greeting at all is given to apostates or those who actively promote wrongdoing (2 John 10, 11).
• Family life in the same home continues. Husband, wife and children keep their normal family bond.
• Elders now visit removed persons, including people removed years ago, to encourage them to return.

Anyone removed can be reinstated after showing they have changed. Witnesses who simply stop attending are not treated the same way; jw.org says they are contacted and encouraged.

Recent changes Jehovah's Witnesses made (2023 to 2026)

Several long-standing rules have changed. If an old list says otherwise, it is out of date.

• November 2023: no more hours. Ordinary publishers stopped reporting how many hours they spend preaching. They now just report whether they shared in the ministry. Pioneers still count hours.
• December 2023: beards. A Governing Body update on dress and grooming is widely reported to have made beards a personal decision for brothers.
• 2024: removal and greetings. "Disfellowshipped" became "removed from the congregation", greetings at meetings became a matter of conscience, and elders began reaching out to people removed long ago.
• 2026: blood. Storing your own blood (March) and accepting the four main blood components (September) became personal decisions. Whole blood is still refused.

Things Jehovah's Witnesses can do

Many people are surprised by what is allowed. Witnesses can:

• Drink alcohol in moderation.
• See doctors, have surgery and take medicine.
• Give gifts and hold family gatherings at any time of year.
• Watch films, play sport and listen to music within Bible principles.
• Talk about faith with people of any religion.
• Choose for themselves whether and whom to date, within the guidelines above.

For more on Christian belief and practice, see our faith section.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a list of 100 things Jehovah's Witnesses can't do?

No. Jehovah's Witnesses have no official list of 100 things. The "100 things" lists online are made by other people and often repeat the same point several times or include old rules. The main areas are the dozen covered above.

Can Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate birthdays?

No. They do not hold birthday celebrations because of the custom's links to spirits and astrology and because the Bible only commands remembering Jesus' death.

Can Jehovah's Witnesses take blood now?

They still refuse whole blood. Since September 2026, red cells, white cells, plasma and platelets are a personal decision, and smaller blood fractions were already left to conscience.

Can Jehovah's Witnesses vote?

No. They stay politically neutral, so they do not vote, join parties or stand for election, but they obey the law and pay taxes.

Can Jehovah's Witnesses drink alcohol?

Yes, in moderation. Drunkenness is treated as a serious sin.

Can Jehovah's Witnesses talk to disfellowshipped family?

Family in the same home keep normal family life. Since 2024, members may greet a removed person at meetings, but they do not socialise with them.