So my question is to Jehovah Witnesses, why is it bad to celebrate birthdays and holidays, could you please provide some … Homilies on Leviticus 8.3.2 presents several lines of text on the unchristian nature of celebrating one’s own birthday or that of one’s child. Consider the following examples: Easter: Although this holiday is supposed to commemorate Christ’s resurrection, note what secular authorities say regarding it: “Easter. All Saints’ Day: “There is little doubt that the Christian church sought to eliminate or supplant the Druid festival of the dead by introducing the alternative observance of All Saints’ day on Nov. 1. This feast was established to honour all saints, known or unknown, but it failed to displace the pagan celebration of Samhain.”​—Encyclopædia Britannica (1959), Volume 11, page 107. J.W. … Indeed, Reasoning from the Scriptures concedes that “wholesome gatherings of family and friends at other times to eat, drink, and rejoice are not objectionable.”8 In other words, the activities accompanying the celebrations are not harmful in themselves, but only on a particular day, just like commemorating Christ’s coming into the world is laudable and encouraged on any day except December 25. It is only sinners (like Pharaoh and Herod) who make great rejoicings over the day on which they were born into this world below.”​—The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York, 1911), Volume X, page 709 (quoting Origen Adamantius of the third century). In some places there may also be a certain day set aside to memorialize a nation’s war dead, or a day to remember the birth of a country or certain prominent presidents, rulers or national heroes. The subject of intense international criticism, lawsuits and … To avoid error, there is no substitute for examining the original documents from the early centuries, and let the ancients speak for themselves. However, Jehovah’s Witnesses for conscientious reasons do not take any part in these holiday activities​—whether it be singing, playing music, acting in plays, marching in parades, drawing pictures, attending parties, eating and drinking, and so forth. However, it contains a few distasteful surprises for Jehovah’s Witnesses. : Thinking About Religion in The Mandalorian, The Origin of the Islamic Dajjal in False Christian Apocalyptic Literature, How to Have a Civil Discussion about Abortion, Why Do I Call Myself Good? [The] Maypole is believed by most scholars to be a survival of a phallic symbol formerly used in the spring rites for the goddess Maia.”​—The New Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia (1952), page 8294. Actually, the Reasoning book is scholarly and well documented in comparison to What Does God Require of Us? They observe it on Nisan 14 according to the ancient Jewish lunisolar calendar. The Social Dilemma and What it Means for Christians, The Historical Uniqueness of Jesus Christ Among the Founders of the World’s Major Religions. Although the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays, it does help us to reason on key features of these events and understand God’s view of them. Thank you for your help. Jehovah’s Witnesses, for instance, believe that doing so is a sin. The site gives the following as reasons for the refusal of Jehovah’s Witnesses to join other Christians in 25 December celebration of birthday of Jesus Christ. The Witnesses therefore are inconsistent in their approach both to Scripture and church history, and have no good grounds for their rejection of birthday celebrations. And even then the emphasis is on helping the parents, not celebrating a birthday. But the way the Christmas holiday developed shows that there is more to it than that. Only 144,000 elect Jehovah's Witnesses will reign in heaven with Jesus. However, neither were standard birthday parties, but that of kings. probably come from an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia which took place every February 15. The tennis legend has confirmed that she will not be celebrating her baby girl’s first birthday, due to her beliefs as a Jehovah’s Witness. Originally the spring festival in honor of the Teutonic goddess of light and spring known in Anglo-Saxon as Eastre. May Day: “May Day festivals probably stem from the rites practiced in honor of a Roman goddess, Maia, who was worshiped as the source of human and natural fertility. It was even customary to have Christmas dinner at the Brooklyn headquarters. In the mid-1990s, the U.S. The Witness teaching is presented as the only uncontroverted truth, and asks the reader to abandon their present version of Christianity, and condemn whole families of denominations, on the basis of a few lines of uncorroborated text. Mother’s Day: “A festival derived from the custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Although the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays, it does help us to reason on key features of these events and understand God’s view of them. To venerate means to worship to put on high or exalt an object or human for the sole purpose of giving them recognition rather than the Creator. There is no proof that Jesus was born on December 25; his birth date is not recorded in the Bible. They provide no specific references except the Bible, not even names of authors or titles, or any indication that better evidence lies behind them. Jehovah’s Witnesses also respectfully refrain from participating in such national holidays. As early as the 8th century the name was transferred by the Anglo-Saxons to the Christian festival designed to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.”​—The Westminster Dictionary of the Bible (Philadelphia, 1944), by John D. Davis, page 145. “Everywhere they hunt the many-colored Easter eggs, brought by the Easter rabbit. (Genesis 40:18-22; Mark 6:21-28) So it is not surprising to see these historical references to the attitude of early Christians toward birthday celebrations: “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 (New York, 1848), by Augustus Neander (translated by Henry John Rose), page 190. “Of all the holy people in the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. Origen was a Bible scholar, commentator, and preacher who wrote more on Christianity than anyone else before the invention of printing. The … We try to follow the principle stated by the Christian apostle Paul: “What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? 's also reject birthdays because they claim that they are shown in a negative way in the bible. (Ecclesiastes 7:1) So you will find that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not share in birthday festivities (the parties, singing, gift giving, and so forth). The day of Christ’s birth cannot be ascertained from the N[ew] T[estament], or, indeed, from any other source. As an ex-Jehovah's Witness, I can tell you she will likely see through what you are doing, but won't reject it if it isn't wrapped in the "Pagan" birthday ritual. You may feel that this does not matter​—that the event is the important thing. These are just a sampling of holidays that are commonly observed, and in which schoolchildren often are expected to participate by sharing in certain activities. Interestingly, we read: “After the Reformation, Protestants rejected this feast along with other important ones such as Christmas and Easter. We appreciate it very much when teachers kindly excuse our children from participation in all activities that in any way commemorate these holidays. I had great relatives that were and died from … This is in keeping with Jesus’ words regarding his followers: “They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.”​—John 17:16. “Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English colonies in America”, For conscientious reasons, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not take part in holiday activities, Early Christians did not celebrate their birthdays, “This is not mere child’s play, but the vestige of a fertility rite, the eggs and the rabbit both symbolizing fertility”. In conclusion, both Origen and the Witnesses purport to root their opposition to birthday celebrations in their interpretation of the Bible, yet no Bible passage can be found forbidding it. Origen began Commentary on Matthew 10.22 with, “Some one of those before us has observed what is written in Genesis about the birthday of Pharaoh, and has told that the worthless man who loves things connected with birth keeps birthday festivals; and we, taking this suggestion from him, find in no Scripture that a birthday was kept by a righteous man.”5 Origen’s predecessor who wrote about Pharaoh’s birthday party was not a Christian, but a member of what Jehovah’s Witnesses like to condemn as “false religions.” The teaching originated in Philo the Jew’s On Drunkenness.6 Even here, the objection is not to birthday parties per se but to drunkenness, citing Pharoah as an example. Sorry, there was an error loading the video. A major problem with Watchtower literature I found on its website is that no personal author is ever identified, which disables the reader from checking his or her qualifications or standing in the scholarly community. For this reason, said Origen, the church baptizes infants—something Witnesses roundly oppose. paragraph 7. . . . I'll be giving Christmas cards at work, that'll say "Happy Holidays". The full text of this article in PDF format can be obtained by clicking here. Some religions don’t celebrate birthdays. Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays Most witnesses would sincerely appreciate the thought behind your card and would not be offended by this in any way. We don't have to "stop" doing something we do not officially promote in the first place. Birthdays: Enjoying a feast or a party and generous giving to loved ones are certainly not wrong. 1. According to Origen’s Commentary on Matthew 10.22, Christians should not observe birthdays because the only individuals in Scripture who did so also put people to death on that day: the Pharaoh of Joseph executed his chief baker (Gen. 40:20–22), and King Herod had John the Baptist killed because of Herod’s rash oath to reward the dancer who provided entertainment at the festivities (Matt. Birthday celebrations are mentioned only a few times in Scripture, and nowhere are they condemned. New Year’s Day became a holy day in the Christian church in A.D. 487.”​—The World Book Encyclopedia (1982), Volume 14, page 237. For example, there may be national days of thanksgiving. Yet, at the same time, we do not object to others celebrating such holidays nor try to hinder them. Witnesses wrongly assume that celebrating birthdays is evil because the only two explicit biblical mentions of birthday celebrations are those in honor of a pagan, Pharaoh (Gn 40:20-22), and a wicked man, Herod Antipas (Mk 6:21; cf. When the class is celebrating a birthday, give the child an alternative task such as a special errand or send the child out of the class with a book, drawing activity or similar option. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays due to viewing it as elevating an individual. … This is not mere child’s play, but the vestige of a fertility rite, the eggs and the rabbit both symbolizing fertility.”​—Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore Mythology and Legend (New York, 1949), Volume 1, page 335. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God. The bible only mentions two instances of birthdays. She made this known while speaking at a press conference at the US Open. Hell does not exist. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God. The festival honored Juno, the Roman goddess of women and marriage, and Pan, the god of nature.”​—The World Book Encyclopedia (1973), Volume 20, page 204. All others will be annihilated. 14:6–10). So why celebrate wedding anniversaries and not birthday anniversaries? Most Watchtower publications state merely “early Christians did…” without citing specific ancient Christian authors or other supporting references. For example, Reasoning from the Scriptures (1989) relies on books published in 1848, 1874, and 1952.4 Because previously lost early Christian writings are discovered every two decades or so, we today know far more about the early faith than previous modern generations. Origen surmised from the Gospels that Herod was fond of matters connected with birthdays and that “the lawless word” reigns on such occasions. "Jehovah's Witnesses" do not have baby showers, individuals do, if they so wish. David W. T. Brattston, J.D., is a retired lawyer residing in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada. A co-worker is Jehovah's Witness. But the customs connected with the day . . . Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their belief of the afterlife believing that when this world ends, there will be a separate heaven and an earthly paradise. Another problem is that the non-Witness sources it cites are too old to still be authoritative or available. … At present, this contains about five hundred works by about one hundred authors. "—w98 10/15 pp. U.S. Catholic of December 1981, page 32, notes: “It is impossible to separate Christmas from its pagan origins.” The magazine explains: “The Romans’ favorite festival was Saturnalia, which began on December 17 and ended with the ‘birthday of the unconquered sun’ (Natalis solis invicti) on December 25. May grace and strength be given me to do with my might what my hands find to do." 1. and What Does the Bible Really Teach? They celebrate it once per year, noting that it was instituted on the Passover, an annual festival. Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? Myth: You divide families by teaching people not to celebrate Christmas. Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial [a false god]? Citing the examples of Jeremiah, Job, and believers in his own day, Origen preached that the proper Christian activity for one’s birthday is to curse it, but I doubt that Witnesses pass the day in this activity. The following encyclopedias explain: “The observance of Christmas is not of divine appointment, nor is it of N[ew] T[estament] origin. I don't want to exclude this co-worker from receiving a card, yet i don't want to do the wrong thing either. Without mentioning Origen, Jehovah’s Witnesses heavily rely on these two incidents. . . . The Saturnalia in Rome provided the model for most of the merry customs of the Christmas time.”​—Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics (Edinburgh, 1911), edited by James Hastings, Volume III, pages 608, 609. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe it is a sin to celebrate birthdays, which they dismiss as heathen superstition or rooted in “ancient false religion.” The prohibition can be found in the Watchtower Society’s Reasoning from the Scriptures, 1 What Does God Require of Us? Other holidays are somewhat different in nature. Significant new insights of the ancient church are provided by such recent discoveries as the Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus and the Toura Manuscript in our own time. http://www.equip.org/christian-research-journal/, This is the Way…Or is It? Origen considered both such cursing and refraining from birthday parties to be inextricably linked to the doctrine of original sin, which is the belief that the sin of Adam taints the whole human race. The question to consider is whether these extre… These are not so universally celebrated, but may be unique to a particular country. Yet this is not advocated in their publications. Nevertheless, Halloween folk customs of pagan origin flourished.”​—Encyclopædia Britannica (1959), Volume 11, page 107. A Look at Virtue Signaling. We take no part in Christmas parties, plays, singing, exchanging of gifts, or in any other such activity that is associated with Christmas. Halloween: Though celebrated as a Christian holiday, Halloween finds its origins in pre-Christian festivals that propagate false ideas about life after death. Although the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays, it does help us to reason on key features of these events and understand God’s view of them. Christmas was outlawed in England and in parts of the English colonies in America.” Since people in the past refused to celebrate Christmas because of its pagan origins, it should be understandable why Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate it today. His articles on early and contemporary Christianity have been published by a wide variety of denominations in every major English-speaking country. No its not ok because [Jehovah's witnesses] dont celebrate birthdays and or holidays. However we view birthday celebrations as a pagan custom and do not want or expect anyone to send us a birthday … Ethical objections in early church history to celebrating one’s birthday are found in only one of these hundred-odd Christian authors. It’s the support of friends like you that enables CRI to to post new articles on subjects of interest and continue our weekly podcast. Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrated birthdays and Christmas until the 1920’s. The World Book Encyclopedia (1982) observes under “Christmas”: “During the 1600’s . . . The present article accordingly examines the entire extant body of Christian literature before the persecution, mass apostasy, and epidemic of AD 249–251. The Witnesses cite (incompletely) Augustus Neander. Today is my brothers birthday but I did not go because I want to be a Jehovah Witness and I feel bad because my family wanted me to go, now please people don't answer saying Jehovah witnesses are just a cult and they aren't the truth because I know better. Watchtower 1940 Jan 1 p.16 In 1951, that the Watchtower stated the Witnesses were no longer to celebrate birthdays. Celebrations of a nation’s flag. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate Flag Day. They were a Pharaoh of Egypt and the Roman ruler Herod Antipas, each of whose birthday celebrations had deadly results. When learning these facts about Christmas, how have some been affected? Perhaps one of Jehovah’s Witnesses might ask, do you suddenly feel a year older? Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God. It is this that makes them objectionable to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Homilies on Genesis 7.1 touches in passing on observing one’s birthday, without comment on its desirability or not, while Homilies on Samuel 1.8 merely mentions that people in Origen’s day held birthday parties for their children, without Origen condemning the practice. (Luke 15:22-25; Acts 20:35) Jehovah’s Witnesses enjoy giving gifts and having good times together throughout the year. They believe sins require two witnesses. Additionally, birthday celebrations tend to give excessive importance to an individual, no doubt one reason why early Christians shunned them. Perhaps to a greater extent than you may have realized, many holidays and the customs associated with them have a non-Christian religious background. Jehovah's Witnesses commemorate Christ's death as a ransom or "propitiatory sacrifice" by observing the Lord's Evening Meal, or Memorial. Fact: We are Christians.We believe that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ.— Acts 4:12.. Curiously, Reasoning from the Scriptures contains no entry on alcohol or drunkenness. . . . It was indeed a birthday gift from Jehovah, to be used in proclaiming his name. The reason is that these holidays, too, are connected with non-Christian worship; in fact, certain features of such worship often dominate the celebrations. Jehovah’s Witnesses take the same position of total nonparticipation in other religious or semireligious holidays that occur during the school year. We remain neutral toward all such celebrations. However, the only two birthday celebrations mentioned in the Bible involved people who were not true believers. Myth: The reason why Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas is that they do not believe in Jesus. It’s a religion with a strongly austere flavour and celebration of Christmas, Easter, birthdays, Halloween and (of all things) Mothers Day were all progressively prohibited on the grounds that they have pagan roots. The same Origen who prohibited observing the anniversaries of one’s birth also discountenanced the practice, recent in his time, of designating and maintaining separate buildings exclusively for Christian public worship, be they called “churches” “meeting houses,” or “kingdom halls.”7 Jehovah’s Witnesses should examine the entire scope of Christian antiquity before damning the innocent and community-building gatherings of Christians. There is no proof that Jesus was born on December 25; his birth date is not recorded in the Bible. Valentine’s Day: “Valentine’s Day comes on the feast day of two different Christian martyrs named Valentine. (Isaiah 2:​22) Thus, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not, for example, celebrate a sovereign’s birthday. It is commonly known that Christmas was not originally a celebration of Christ’s birth. To put matters in their context, recall that during that period, Bible Students also commemorated December 25 as the anniversary of Jesus’ birth, or birthday. Activities that Jehovah’s Witnesses are prohibited from participating in are as follows: All Holiday and Birthday Celebrations All Patriotic Activities, Including Singing the National Anthem and Saluting the Flag After-School Activities that Conflict with Evening Commitments at the Kingdom Hall The service usually make a special deal of each of the children on their birthday, inviting them to be king or queen for the day and singing 'Happy Birthday' in different languages. Birthdays: Enjoying a feast or a party and generous giving to loved ones are certainly not wrong. However, the only two birthday celebrations mentioned in the Bible involved people who were not true believers. At least he might if he were me. The question you ask was explained by the Society in the issue of The Watchtower, October 15, 1998, Questions From Readers: "Many of Jehovah’s Witnesses observe wedding anniversaries.A birthday is an anniversary of when you were born. Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Christmas: As you are probably aware, December 25 was not the birthday of Jesus Christ. (I say “should” because my Mom would say it as a joke. Seriously, We should not say “happy birthday” in any way. Other Witnesses will live in an eternal earthly paradise. Is the Incarnation Logically Incoherent ? Though we respect the authorities in whatever country we may reside, for conscientious reasons we do not give them what we view as worshipful honors. It is not an official practice of Jehovah's Witnesses; it is at best a personal choice. Witnesses raise the further argument from ecclesiastical history, but this in turn can be traced to nobody but Origen, himself singular in the minority, and JW literature diverges from Origen on such matters as weanings, child baptism, and Christian houses of worship. Even he stands alone in his opposition, which would indicate that other Christians did not consider birthdays to be the issue or sin that Witnesses do. New Year’s Day: “In ancient Rome, the first day of the year was given over to honoring Janus, the god of gates and doors and of beginnings and endings. The fathers of the first three centuries do not speak of any special observance of the nativity.”​—Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1981 reprint), by John McClintock and James Strong, Volume II, page 276. “Most of the Christmas customs now prevailing in Europe, or recorded from former times, are not genuine Christian customs, but heathen customs which have been absorbed or tolerated by the Church. Murder has never been a common accomplice of the traditional birthday party. 2 and What Does the Bible Really Teach? Jehovah's Witnesses reject birthdays as pagan, so they refuse to participate in them. Ask a Witness why they cannot celebrate a birthday and the first reason given will most likely go something like this: This is based on comments such as the following: It is correct that two birthday parties are specifically mentioned in the Bible, neither was for worshippers of Jehovah, and someone was killed at both. The fact that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not participate in most holiday observances and other celebrations can be somewhat perplexing to a teacher. For further information or to subscribe to the CHRISTIAN RESEARCH JOURNAL go to: http://www.equip.org/christian-research-journal/, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe it is a sin to celebrate birthdays, which they dismiss as heathen superstition or rooted in “ancient false religion.” The prohibition can be found in the Watchtower Society’s Reasoning from the Scriptures,1 What Does God Require of Us?2 and What Does the Bible Really Teach?3. Origen mentioned the topic in these paragraphs only secondarily to his observation that, for his infant son Isaac, Abraham celebrated not the day of birth or anniversary thereof but the day he was weaned (Gen. 21:8). To be consistent exegetes of Scripture, Witnesses ought to hold parties for weanings on the same authority that they shun birthdays. We hope the following helps you to understand why we take the matter so seriously. The site gives the following as reasons for the refusal of Jehovah’s Witnesses to join other Christians in 25 December celebration of the birthday of Jesus Christ. Them, and preacher who wrote more on Christianity than anyone else the! Have Christmas dinner at the same time, we do not have baby showers individuals. Follow the principle stated by the Christian apostle Paul: “What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness?. The persecution, mass apostasy, and nowhere are they condemned authors or other references... Follow the principle stated by the Christian apostle Paul: “What fellowship righteousness... Only a few times in Scripture, and preacher who wrote more Christianity... Giving Christmas cards at work, that 'll say `` Happy holidays '' do n't want to exclude this from. And even then the emphasis is on helping the parents, not celebrating a gift. 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