Jehovah's Witnesses Spend Thanksgiving Knocking on Doors

Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate Thanksgiving. Instead, members of the religious sect take the day to increase their door-to-door evangelism.

"Since it's a holiday from the secular viewpoint, people have time off, so usually families and individuals will put forth extra effort in the ministry to go door to door," said Jagdish Patel, an elder with a Kingdom Hall in Jackson Heights, Queens.

He said the number of witnesses from his congregation canvassing city streets skyrockets on holidays.

"Usually, on the weekdays, there will be a group of 8 to 10 people going out in the service," he said. "But on holidays, it can be 30, 40."

Witnesses from the Jackson Heights congregation walk 80 territories in that neighborhood, as well as in Astoria. Each territory is comprised of three to four blocks.

Jehovah's witnesses do not celebrate national or religious holidays or birthdays.  

The only day they do memorialize is Jesus Christ's death around the time of Easter and Passover.