Easter is by far the most prominent celebration for most Christian churches, but Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrate the Lord’s Supper, which they call “The Memorial of Christ’s Death.” Do Christians need to celebrate these events, and, if so, when?

“The Lord’s Supper . . . do this in remembrance of me . . . For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”—1 Corinthians 11:19,26 NIV

While the dates from year to year vary within certain guidelines, for the year 2020, most Christian churches observed Easter on April 12th, and Jehovah’s Witnesses (JW’s) observed “the Lord’s Supper” (1 Corinthians 11:20), which they call the “Memorial of Christ’s Death,” on April 7th. For the year 2024, these dates were March 31st, and March 24th, respectively. The guidelines regarding the dating of these celebrations of these events are rigidly set and observed each year, and carry a very huge importance. Please see the article: “What Is Memorial Day for Christians?” on this website for further details regarding the proper Biblical celebration of “the Lord’s Supper.” Also, please see the article, “Is Easter a Biblical Celebration?” on this website.

The facts are that “the Lord’s Supper” is Biblically commanded to be celebrated, while Easter is not. Easter, which is not even mentioned in the Bible, is said to be the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, but mixes in ancient pagan springtime fertility rites. Christians “must no longer live as the Gentiles do” (Ephesians 4:17 NIV), and should not incorporate pagan practices into their celebrations.

While the Memorial of Christ’s Death is mentioned under the name of “the Lord’s Supper” in the Bible (1 Corinthians 11:20), the way the Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrate it is somewhat different from the Biblical model. How? First, they limit the partakers to just a few thousand out of their more than seven million members on earth, with the rest relegated to being merely observers. The Bible, on the other hand, says that “we all share one loaf” (1 Corinthians 10:16,17 NIV). Second, the meticulous way the JW’s calculate the date, and the way they prescribe in minute detail how the celebration is to be performed, are things not found in the Bible. In this regard, “their teachings are merely human rules” (Matthew 15:9 NIV; Mark 7:7 NIV). While it is true that the JW’s draw some of these meticulous details from the passover celebration of the Old Covenant and also “the Lord’s Supper”, Biblically, it is clear that Christians, who are under the New Covenant, are not bound by that Old Law, nor did Jesus prescribe meticulous rituals for “the Lord’s Supper.” Christians “have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:6 NIV), and are commanded “not to go beyond what is written in Scripture” (1 Corinthians 4:6 GWT).

The Coronavirus Pandemic, with social distancing orders in place in many countries in the spring of 2020, threw a huge “monkey wrench” into these two celebrations. If the Biblical Celebration of “the Lord’s Supper” was celebrated at various times throughout the year, as it Biblically could be, the absence of its being celebrated in the Spring presents no problem. However, when Christian groups unscripturally prescribe one huge annual springtime celebration, they have painted themselves into a corner, so to speak. This is evidence that their celebrations are not exactly in harmony with the Bible, but they have instead gone “beyond what is written in Scripture” (1 Corinthians 4:6 GWT).

While Christians are commanded to celebrate the “the Lord’s Supper,’ but not Easter, the Bible does not prescribe any particular day or time as to exactly when “the Lord’s Supper” should be celebrated. Jesus simply said, “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:26).