Ancient history

No Birthday No Party

Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate their birthday as they believe that this type of celebration is not pleasing to God.
According to Jehovah's Witnesses birthday parties originate from pagan celebrations: the celebration would help keep away evil spirits that would attack the birthday boy and the good wishes and the presence of loved ones would cooperate in driving away said spirits.

All the symbology linked to the birthday party would help to keep negative forces away and would be a good omen: the candles on the cake extinguished before the cut would make wishes come true .

The Bible condemns magic and divination, which is why Jehovah's Witnesses they keep away from these celebrations. The only two birthday celebrations mentioned in the Bible they were that of an Egyptian pharaoh and that of King Herod Antipas , none of whom served God.

Birthday parties are never mentioned in the Bible.
By carefully reading the Bible in every part , you will notice that no servant of God has ever celebrated his birthday:only people who did not serve the Lord . Nor in the communities of early Christians, which arose after the death and resurrection of Christ , it was customary to celebrate one's birthday or loved ones.

"Although among the ancients the custom of celebrating the anniversary of one's birth was common, originally it was frowned upon by Christians", writes William S. Walsh in a book by him ( Curiosities of Popular Customs ). The historian Walsh goes on to quote ancient Christian writings on the subject, and says:" Origen therefore, in a homily on Leviticus XII 2 , he assures his listeners that 'among the saints no one ever held a feast or banquet for his birthday or reveled on the day of the birth of his son or daughter. But sinners revel and celebrate in those days ".

Why were the early Christians against celebrating a birthday? Partly due to the influence exercised by the Jews. “The Bible does not report any cases of birthday celebrations among the Jews themselves ", notes the Cyclopedia of Biblical , Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature by John McClintock and James Stron g, and adds:"In fact, later Jews considered birthday celebrations, to say the least, part of idolatrous worship".