Jehovah's Witnesses, Why don't you celebrate Birthdays?

Question

I'm just curious and would be grateful if any Jehovah's Witnesses could clear it up for me please. :)

The candles on the cake are superstitious, which I understand, but what if you didn't have a birhday cake or anything from any other superstitions, would that be acceptable?

The Bible reports two birthday celebrations, the first was that of Pharaoh of Egypt and the second was Herod Antipas. So if the Bible does record this, why do you avoid this? Also it can be said that the Bible does not discorage genourous giving to loved ones, nor does it discorage enjoying a feast or party.

"I have come to know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good during one’s life;... It is the gift of God" (Eccl. 3:12, 13)

Thank you. :) Serious answers only please.

Please people, if you don't have anything nice to say or do not intend to answer the question, don't bother writing anything.

Thank you.

I agree pestie58, Thanks for the input anyway. :)

Answer 1

The don't celebrate many holidays because it conveys piety and sanctimony to abstain, due to the pagan trappings.

This makes the religion appear holy so followers will overlook more serious doctrinal errors.

Answer 2

Hi Magik,
The main reason we don't celebrate birthdays is because the whole holiday is associated with superstition and paganism. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that a spirit was present at the birth of each human and then protected them throughout their lives. This spirit was supposed to have a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the person was born.

Yes, the Bible mentions birthdays but in both cases (which you mentioned) the birthday was that of a ruler who did not worship Jehovah God, and someone was killed at each occasion. Pharoah had his baker hanged (Gen 40:20-22) and Herod had John the Baptist beheaded (Mark 6:21-28)

The Bible does encourage us to enjoy our life, but according to Eccl 3:1-9 there is a time and a place for everything. Jehovah's Witnesses do enjoy life, we have parties, we give gifts...we are far from being anti-joy. But we are careful that our celebrations do not hinder our pure worship to Jehovah.

Hope that helped. :)

Answer 3

The first reason is that JWs follow Christ examples, both written and unwritten. If Jesus says to go out and preach about his father's government then they will do so. If Jesus does not partake in certain customs then they will follow his lead.

Another reason is the pagan background of the practice:

“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.

Origen of Alexandria, in 245 A.D., wrote in a dissertation on Leviticus:

“. . . none of the saints can be found who ever held a feast or a banquet upon his birthday, or rejoiced on the day when his son or daughter was born. But sinners rejoice and make merry on such days.

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.

Answer 4

As u said there r 2 b-day celebrations listed in the Holy Scriptures.
They r shown 2 b done by Pagans.
So it is Not, a righteous Christian thing to do.
Also, Murder was committed @ both of them.
We look for wholesome gatherings----
Weddings, Anniversaries, Graduations, Baby Showers, some may commerate their Wedding Anniversary, to reflect on the blessing Jehovah has bestowed upon them-the union.
Possibly, even the family would have a celebration upon Baptism of a family member.

Even w/out the cake & candles the celebrants are holding the person up as "good" or "worthy of honor".
Again, not a teaching of the Christ.
Actually, this goes against the healthful teaching
of the Christ and his God & Father.
The 1st person to answer gave the text of Isaiah 1;
you should read the entire chapter, tho' it makes for a really good read.
(btw, thx man, I was lookin' 4 that recently)
We give gifts to our loved 1's at any time, All the time.
We do not hold back from giving what is good in the eyes of Jehovah.
Nor give bcuz of a man made tradition / hoilday.
When its expected bcuz of a man made tradition / hoilday.

We do commerate the death & resurrection of the Christ.
He introduced this entirely new commeration or celebration @ the last Passover meal after Judas left. It is to call to the memory of the celebrants what Jesus & his Father have done to provide escape for humankind from the condemnation of death. For the Jews who become Christ's followers, the celebration will replace the Passover.
Jesus commanded that we "keep doing this in rememberance of me, until I return"
The date of his death is Nisan 14th.
It usually falls somewhere around late March / early April.
Just a lil' tidbit....The first century Christians did not celebrate their births, neither did Jesus, nor the Apostles*.
In fact @ 1 time in mankind's history, Jesus' followers were called "Fourteeners" bcuz of the date of his death & that's what we commerate.


*there's something you could start searching for...
Faithful followers of Jehovah God and / or His Christ celebrating their or any1 else's b-day.
Like Abraham, Noah and so forth.

edit: suzie s said it: when a lost loved 1 comes home.
Just like a disfellowshipped brother or sister coming home,
they were lost, and have returned. Wholesome.

Answer 5

As at least one other person said, your best bet is to ask us in person, where you will get an answer from a Witness, and you can see us answer you from the Bible. Short version is, among other things, you are right the Bible does mention 2 birthdays, both of these involved pagan worship and murder. We feel that this sets a bit of a bad precedent

Answer 6

Each individual and family head among Jehovah's Witnesses decides exactly what details constitute "celebrating" a birthday. Jehovah's Witnesses have never believed that gifting in itself has pagan origins that make it unacceptable to true Christians (such as Jehovah's Witnesses).

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.

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001215/article_01.htm

Answer 7

I am baptist but do know some Jehovah Witness, and the reason they do not celebrate birthdays is because they say you only have one birthday, the day you were born. This is your only day of birth.

Answer 8

The same reason why they do not celebrate jesus' birthday. It was not a Jewish tradition to celebrate birthdays and if they do the children celebrate their parents on their birthday.
I quite like this as it seems to be better that way round.

Answer 9

Jehovahs do not celebrate birthdays for the examples given in the bible have revelry attached to them. I have asked them the same thing and that is the reason I was given, they liken those events to the party spirit.

Answer 10

Did Jesus, not tell us that when the prodigal,
son came home there was a great big party,
and they even killed the fatted calf for the feast, and everyone was happy, or have I got it wrong.