JW's, can you give references to why celebrating birthdays are pagan? Thankyou.?

Answer 1

Christmas is supposed to be Christ birthday. What gifts do you give to Jesus on DEC 25th? None. You give gifts to everyone but Jesus. All people are thinking about on the 25th is what gift am I getting. That is not showing respect to Christ.

Did the 3 wise men give gifts to Jesus parents for his birthday? Since the Magi arrived some 25 days after Jesus birth this scripture makes more sense then thinking it is for his birthday.

Mat 2:2 - Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.


If we were going to pinpoint a starting point for the birthday party similar to what we think of today we would probably do so at the pagan times in Europe. These were a superstitious lot who believed in evil spirits and used various rituals to keep them away. One their friends’ birthdays they would gather to share best wishes and to give gift or presents to them. Their motives were not altogether altruistic since they believed or at least hoped that this would keep evil spirits from influencing their lives negatively.

http://www.thercg.org/articles/abcc.html

Answer 2

I am a Witness. Through my research as to the origin of the birthday celebration, these are two of my favorite references about the pagan origins of the customs. They are a little long, but you can just scan them:

“The various customs with which people today celebrate their birthdays have a long history. Their origins lie in the realm of magic and religion. The customs of offering congratulations, presenting gifts and celebrating—complete with lighted candles—in ancient times were meant to protect the birthday celebrant from the demons and to ensure his security for the coming year. . . . Down to the fourth century Christianity rejected the birthday celebration as a pagan custom.”—Schwäbische Zeitung (magazine supplement Zeit und Welt), April 3/4, 1981, p. 4.

“The Greeks believed that everyone had a protective spirit or daemon who attended his birth and watched over him in life. This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born. The Romans also subscribed to this idea. . . . This notion was carried down in human belief and is reflected in the guardian angel, the fairy godmother and the patron saint. . . . The custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeks. . . . Honey cakes round as the moon and lit with tapers were placed on the temple altars of [Artemis]. . . . Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowed with special magic for granting wishes. . . . Lighted tapers and sacrificial fires have had a special mystic significance ever since man first set up altars to his gods. The birthday candles are thus an honor and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune. . . . Birthday greetings and wishes for happiness are an intrinsic part of this holiday. . . . Originally the idea was rooted in magic. . . . Birthday greetings have power for good or ill because one is closer to the spirit world on this day.”—The Lore of Birthdays (New York, 1952), Ralph and Adelin Linton, pp. 8, 18-20.

Another reason why I personally do not celebrate birthdays: I believe that everything in the scriptures is there for a reason. Therefore, when I look at the fact that the only 2 birthday celebrations mentioned in the Bible (Pharoah and Herod) end with someone being killed, I take that as a signal that perhaps God does not look favorably on birthday celebrations.

I hope this information answers your question :-)

Answer 3

First off to Wizards: We do believe in Jesus that he is the Messiah. And we have no problem with giving or receiving gifts. It's only on certain occasions that we would object.

Birthdays and Christmas (which is suppose to be Jesus birthday)
are not celebrated because of their pagan origins.

Regarding birthdays, there are only two mentioned in the bible and they were being celebrated by pagans. Also in both instance, someone was killed.

Gen. 40:20-22: "Now on the third day it turned out to be Pharaoh's birthday, and he proceeded to make a feast ....Accordingly he returned the chief of the cupbearers to post of cupbearer....but the chief of the bakers he hung up."

Matt 14: 6-10 "When Herod's birthday was being celebrated the daughter of Herodias danced at it and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Then she, under her mother's coaching said: "Give me here upon a platter the head of John the Baptist....He send and had John beheaded in the prison."

Everything in the bible is there for a reason. Jehovah's Witnesses take note the God's Word reports unfavorably about birthday celebrations and so shun these.

How did the earily Christians and Jews view birthdays?

"The notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians of this period in general." The History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the Three first Centuries, Augustus Neander p190

"The later Hebrews looked on the celebration of birthdays as a part of idolatrous worship, a view which would be abundantly confirmed by what they saw of the common observances associated with these days." The Imperial Bible-Dictionary p. 225

We follow the early Christian and Jews stand on birthdays.

What is the origin of birthday customs?

"The various customs with which people today celebrate their birthdays have a long history. Their origins lie in the realm of magic and religion. The customs of offering congratulations, presenting gifts and celebrating - complete with lighted candles-in ancient times were meant to protect the birthday celebrant from the demons and to ensure his security for the coming year...down to the fourth Century Christianity rejected the birthday celebration as a pagan custom." Schwabische Zeitung April 3/4, 1981 p. 4

"The Greeks believed that everyone had a protective spirit or daemon who attended his birth and watched over him in life. This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born. The Romans also subscribed to this idea...This notion was carried down in human belief and is reflected in the guardian angel, the fairy godmother and the patron saint..The custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeks...Honeycakes round as the moon and lit with tapers were placed on the temple altars of (Artemis)...Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowed with special magic for granting wishes...Lighted tapers and sacrifical fires have had a special mystic significance ever since man first set up altars to his gods. The birthday candles are thus an honor and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune...Birthday greetings and wishes for happiness are an intrinsic part of the holiday...Originally the idea was rooted in magic...Birthday greetings have power for good or ill because one is closer to the spirit world on this day." The Lore of Birthdays, Ralph & Adelin Linton pp. 8, 18-20

Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate any birthday or holiday that has a pagan background. Which is all of them.

You can look up birthdays or holidays in an encylopedia and it will tell you the origins.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Jehovah's Witnesses believe strongly in God Jehovah and in his Son Jesus Christ.

Regarding birthday celebrations, bible students are encouraged to consider:
: 0% of faithful biblical Jews celebrated birthdays
: 0% of first century Christians celebrated birthdays
: 100% of birthdays celebrated in the bible were by debauched enemies of God (See Mark 6:17-29; Gen 40:19-22)

Bible historians (M'Clintock, Strong, and others) have noted that faithful Jews of the bible did not celebrate birthdays, and that ancient pagan birthday celebrations were at least partially intended to honor the patron gods of the particular day.

By comparison with such paganisms, the bible does not even tell us the birthdates of Jesus or ANY of his apostles!

Since such celebrations are not required in true worship, and can easily become a distraction, so Jehovah's Witnesses focus their attention elsewhere. In particular, they are focussed on the preaching work which *IS* a requirement for Christians:

(Luke 10:1-17) [Jesus] the Lord designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come. 2 Then he began to say to them: “The harvest, indeed, is great, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

Answer 5

As one of Jehovah's Witnesses I am in agreement with the answers from our own resources, but as an additional source here are some references from a non-JW pro-birthday source, found at the link at the bottom:

Evidence of birthday observances dates back before the rise of Christianity. In pagan cultures, people feared evil spirits - especially on their birthdays. It was a common belief that evil spirits were more dangerous to a person when he or she experienced a change in their daily life, such as turning a year older. As a result, birthdays were merry occasions celebrated with family and friends, who surrounded the person of honor with laughter and joy in order to protect them from evil. Instead of gifts, most guests brought positive thoughts and happy wishes for the upcoming year. However, if well-wishers did bring gifts, it was considered an especially good influence for the birthday person.

Two of the most significant factors throughout history, however, have been geographic location and spiritual beliefs.

The majority of American children, however, celebrate birthdays with a cake topped with lighted candles. Most families use the candles to represent how old a person is turning, (i.e., one candle for a one-year-old, etc.). When the cake is set before the guest of honor, he or she is supposed to make a wish (without telling anyone what it is) and blow out the candles. If all the candles go out with one breath, it's believed that the wish will come true!

Some children receive birthday "spankings", which were originally based on superstition, but are now more a birthday prank or joke. Hundreds of years ago, spankings were given for each year of the birthday child's life. Beyond that number, a child received another spanking to grow on, one to live on, one to eat on, one to be happy on, and yet another spanking to get married on. At one time, it was considered back luck if the birthday celebrant was not spanked because it was believed to "soften up the body for the tomb." Historians are unsure if the practice of swatting the birthday girl or boy was treated as a joke, as people view it today.

These are just a few excerpts from a pro-birthday source from the link below:

Answer 6

Happy Birthday Riegan!

Answer 7

Do Bible references to birthday celebrations put them in a favorable light? The Bible makes only two references to such celebrations:

Gen. 40:20-22: “Now on the third day it turned out to be Pharaoh’s birthday, and he proceeded to make a feast . . . Accordingly he returned the chief of the cupbearers to his post of cupbearer . . . But the chief of the bakers he hung up.”

Matt. 14:6-10: “When Herod’s birthday was being celebrated the daughter of Herodias danced at it and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Then she, under her mother’s coaching, said: ‘Give me here upon a platter the head of John the Baptist.’ . . . He sent and had John beheaded in the prison.”

Everything that is in the Bible is there for a reason. (2 Tim. 3:16, 17) Jehovah’s Witnesses take note that God’s Word reports unfavorably about birthday celebrations and so shun these.

“The later Hebrews looked on the celebration of birthdays as a part of idolatrous worship, a view which would be abundantly confirmed by what they saw of the common observances associated with these days.”—The Imperial Bible-Dictionary (London, 1874), edited by Patrick Fairbairn, Vol. I, p. 225.

What is the origin of popular customs associated with birthday celebrations?

“The various customs with which people today celebrate their birthdays have a long history. Their origins lie in the realm of magic and religion. The customs of offering congratulations, presenting gifts and celebrating—complete with lighted candles—in ancient times were meant to protect the birthday celebrant from the demons and to ensure his security for the coming year. . . . Down to the fourth century Christianity rejected the birthday celebration as a pagan custom.”—Schwäbische Zeitung (magazine supplement Zeit und Welt), April 3/4, 1981, p. 4.

“The Greeks believed that everyone had a protective spirit or daemon who attended his birth and watched over him in life. This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born. The Romans also subscribed to this idea. . . . This notion was carried down in human belief and is reflected in the guardian angel, the fairy godmother and the patron saint. . . . The custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeks. . . . Honey cakes round as the moon and lit with tapers were placed on the temple altars of [Artemis]. . . . Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowed with special magic for granting wishes. . . . Lighted tapers and sacrificial fires have had a special mystic significance ever since man first set up altars to his gods. The birthday candles are thus an honor and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune. . . . Birthday greetings and wishes for happiness are an intrinsic part of this holiday. . . . Originally the idea was rooted in magic. . . . Birthday greetings have power for good or ill because one is closer to the spirit world on this day.”—The Lore of Birthdays (New York, 1952), Ralph and Adelin Linton, pp. 8, 18-20.

Wholesome gatherings of family and friends at other times to eat, drink, and rejoice are not objectionable

Eccl. 3:12, 13: “There is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good during one’s life; and also that every man should eat and indeed drink and see good for all his hard work. It is the gift of God.”

See also 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Answer 8

Well everytime a birthday occassion was recorded in the bible, it usually resulted in deaths,as well as bithdays originated after Jesus died, it was originated by the Romans where they offered gifts to THEIR PAGAN GOD'S. And the traditional blowing out of candle was done to get protection from demons

Answer 9

In response to your question.JW's and birthday celebrations....do all these Witnesses on here realize that "Job' one the most faithful of all Gods servants celebrated his birthday?????? I guess they forgot about that one. Why not ask them why they don't celebrate "Mothers day and Fathers day" They will simply say...because we are supposed to honor our Mothers and Fathers Everyday...blah, blah, blah. Give me some where in the bible that says that it is forbidden...that it is a sin and shouldn't be done.Just like the scribes that would wear their hems extra long and added extra rules, so many rules in fact that they made it impossible for the people back then to follow. Witnesses are the modern day scribes. They say that you can do this and you cant do that because they want to be so DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD. THEY ARE TAKING THEIR WORD AND MAKING THEM LAW....where is the proof from the bible that says that a person should not attend college??? Years ago the organization "Frowned" on furthering your education.....now they have changed those rules too...they change their minds just as much as other people. they just use the excuse that the "Light" has gotten brighter. Maybe it's actually the "Elders" have seen that in order to keep their numbers growing they need to get rid of some their man made rules...

Answer 10

I'm not a JW, but I had a friend at work who was one, and I asked her this. She said that they are not into celebrating anything materialistic. Christmas is not celebrated, because obviously they don't believe in Jesus as Christians know Him, but also because of the gifts.