Why don't Jehovah's witnesses celebrate birthdays?

Question

The poor kids ... How sad ... ohhhhh ...

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate birthdays. The Bible makes only two references to such celebrations: Pharaoh's birthday and Herod's birthday (Genesis 40:20-22, Matthew 14:6-10). The Bible doesn't put these celebrations in a favourable light so the Jehovah's Witnesses shun them.

Not even Jesus Christ celebrated his birthday. Actually the exact day of his birth is not mentioned in the Bible.

Also, their origins lie in the realm of magic and pagan religions.

A true Christians shouldn't wait for a certain day to show his love or to offer gifts to those he loves. He must do that constantly in a way that pleases God.


For more information go to:
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2002/12/15/article_02.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/1999/3/15/article_01.htm
http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2005/2/8a/article_01.htm

Answer 2

Because we as Christians feel it best to not celebrate pagan customs. Several things often done in B-Day celebrations have pagan connections. Also the ONLY 2 references in the Bible to B-Days involved murder and debauchary.

In other words we don't for the same reason most people do/don't do things. We feel it is wrong and thus don't do it. We still have parties. We still love each other. We still give/receive gifts.

I know I never had a problem with not celebrating birthdays. Most people have some things they don't do that other do choose to do. Some keep Kosher. Some do/don't wear beards. Others make choices that might not be for a religious reason. Some people decide to not buy newspapers. So really it isn't that sad.

Answer 3

Jehovah's Witnesses are quite thankful for the gift of life, and regularly thank the Almighty for life in their prayers. Witnesses are also taught to honor their parents, partly because of the parents' role in giving life. But a birthday celebration does not honor the true God or parents, it honors oneself.

A Witness would be very likely to take special note of such birthdays as 16, 21, 30, 40, etc. His family and perhaps a few close friends would likely take note as well and perhaps even congratulate him privately.

However, Jehovah's Witnesses would not stage an ego-centric gathering around such an occasion. 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!

Admittedly, the bible doesn't specifically forbid birthday celebrations, which is why they rarely results in 'disfellowshipping'. Still, the practice is certainly 'frowned upon' and against the consciences of most Jehovah's Witnesses.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_11.htm

Answer 4

I think there are 3 reasons.
1) John was beheaded on a birthday.
2) there was another birthday during pharoah's time where a man that was in jail got out of jail to be killed .
3) People celebrate the birth of Christ, on a certain day that is not really his birthday and the way they celebrate it has nothing to do with Christ.
I'm not a JW, that is just how I understand them to teach it.The JW's aren't the only people that don't celebrate it, I know of another group that doesn't celebrate it either.
They both teach that it is pagan.

Answer 5

Many other witnesses have explained it quite well. I just wanted to address the "poor kid" remark.

Just because Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays, does not mean that their children do not get gifts or go to parties. They probably get more, because they don't have to wait for their birthday or x-mas. They get gifts anytime, just because they are loved. It's always a nice surprise when they're not expecting it.

Answer 6

Birthday celebrations stem from pagan customs of honoring "guardian" gods that were supposedly assigned to protect you from your date of birth.

Let's not 4get that the Bible makes 2 references to birthday celebrations:
1. Pharaoh had either his baker or his cupbearer decapitated. (Genesis)
2. Herod, keeping his promise to his daughter (who was influenced by Herodias) had John the Baptizer decapitated.

Now maybe its me, but I would think that if the Bible really is the inspired Word of God and the only two references to birthday celebrations are by non-believing people who ordered people to be killed, it probably means that he doesn't approve.

People usually sympathize with children of JWs, assuming that a lack of birthday celebrations somehow means that they are deprived. There's really no deprivation, especially if family/friends provide adequate attention and gifts to the children at random times throughout the year.

Besides that, have you ever noticed how selfish some people act on their birthdays? That is terribly annoying. I see my birthday as just another day. I don't expect any special treatment from anybody, I just hope I make it through the day and another year.

Answer 7

from my 25 year intensive study of all the major belief systems (both theist and atheist) of the world, I found that JWs stick as close as possible to the Bible and I know that there are only 2 birthdays in the Bible; both by evil people who each had someone killed on their birthday
not a good track record I guess

but I dont care!
I want one day a year where people will
treat me like a god
shower me with offerings
sing praises to me
and do whatever I want
I have a right to be honored and dammit I'm gonna be!

Answer 8

So what you are saying is to hell with the Bible, Christ, and God. Your child's happiness now is far more important than being resurrected, and having everlasting life, free from aging and illness.

Do I assume to teach them that it does not matter about the right or wrong of anything they do now, as long as they are happy doing? Laws, regulations, and moral decency do apply to them as long as what they what to do is fun? Is any punishment later, whether it be by the hand of man or God, for what they do now is worth their happiness now?

Do you make them go to school when they say it's no fun there?

Answer 9

I truly don't know if God disapproves of birthday celebration. We are not beastly people that would say I want so and so killed for my gift. What I feel is if God disapproved of celebrating ones life, God would have just say so straight out and not beat around the bush about it. I did not read or know of any place in the Bible where God said "Do not celebrate your life anniversary." That is what it actually is, celebrating the day that God created you, what's wrong with that. My child's celebrating is "We love you and we're glad you are here with us. We are blessed." There is alot of love for her and she gets that little bit more attention on that day. We never put any kind of evil in a glorious, happy occasion. Its all what you make of it. God reads everyone's heart. Love and Peace.

Update: I came back and read more answers that JW's posted. What I am saying is TELL us WHERE in the Bible does God say NOT to celebrate your life anniversary. If you say God said NO to something you have to back it up. You are just another human being with your own interpretations so you need to show evidence of what you are saying that God said is true. Until you prove your point JW's do not add on to anything that you think God said. Yeshuah said to honor His death is because that is what He wants us to remember. Why He died for us. His birth was just the beginning of things to come. If I want to celebrate my childs day of creation that does not mean I'm teaching her to be selfish. For her birthday she GIVES the goodies. We don't teach her to expect anyone to give her anything. I find that to be very insulting that you call us greedy and selfish. So you are saying if there's a bad fruit in our Christian Church then we all are bad fruits. Well JW's that goes for you too. The example of the JW wife gone wild makes her a extreme bad fruit so that means the whole congregation is spoiled. I don't consider any of us Christians as evil just because of recognizing the day of God's creation on our children. Shame on you!

Answer 10

Many reasons...

The two birthday celebrations in the Bible were done by those who oppose God and both times people were murdered as part of the festivities!

(Matthew 14:6-10) . . .But when Herod’s birthday was being celebrated the daughter of He·ro′di·as danced at it and pleased Herod so much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8 Then she, under her mother’s coaching, said: “Give me here upon a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 9 Grieved though he was, the king out of regard for his oaths and for those reclining with him commanded it to be given; 10 and he sent and had John beheaded in the prison.

Second, Jesus commanded his followers to commemorate his death, not to celebrate his birthday!

(Luke 22:19-20) 19 Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: “This means my body which is to be given in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 20 Also, the cup in the same way after they had the evening meal, he saying: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood, which is to be poured out in YOUR behalf.

Then one can research the oragin of birthday things, wishes, candles, presents etc and find that they have roots in false worship! False worship is not a good thing!

(Deuteronomy 30:15-18) . . .“See, I do put before you today life and good, and death and bad. 16 [If you will listen to the commandments of Jehovah your God,] which I am commanding you today, so as to love Jehovah your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judicial decisions, then you will be bound to keep alive and to multiply, and Jehovah your God must bless you in the land to which you are going to take possession of it. 17 “But if your heart turns away and you do not listen, and you are actually seduced and bow down to other gods and serve them, 18 I do tell YOU today that YOU will positively perish. . . .

So, what is better for our kids?? Teaching them what God asks.... or death?

Mike