Some people might find it weird that I don't smoke, don't even drink (unless half a glass of wine for a few days out of 2 months count?), I don't celebrate Christmas, birthdays or any holidays... someone came up to me to me once and told me " I feel so bad for you that you can't celebrate thanksgiving, birthdays or Christmas you must be miserable" I looked at that person and smiled and I thought "if only they knew how much I don't care about those things". There's a ton of reasons as to why I don't celebrate any of those things and it's not that I can't it's more like a chose not to celebrate any of that stuff.
I am not miserable because I chose not to celebrate my birthday or any holidays if anything I've never celebrated any of that stuff. There were 2 instances where I celebrated my birthday well I tried but the whole thing felt weird because ever since I was born I didn't grow up celebrating anyone's birthday. I was born a Christian specifically a Jehovah's witness, my family raised me as a Jehovah witness and I fell in love with the truth at a very young age. I got baptized very young and became a publisher at 5 years old... I was really mature as a child :)
why I don't celebrate my birthday: Jehovah's witness do not celebrate birthdays because we believe that such celebrations displease God. The bible doesn't clearly states " ABSTAIN FROM CELEBRATING ONES BIRTHDAY" as the bible doesn't clearly states " DON'T SMOKE WEED" but we know such practice is not safe or appropriate for a Christian. But the bible does help us to reason on certain matters and how God views certain practice. Here are some tangible reasons as to why I along with my fellow Jehovah's witness family don't celebrate birthdays:
- birthday celebrations have pagan roots: according to funk & Wagnalls standard dictionary of folklore, Mythology and legend birthday celebrations originated from the belied that on a person's birthday evil spirits and influences have the opportunity to attack the person celebrating and that the presence of friends and the expression of good wishes (blowing wishing on candles on a cake) help to protect the person celebrating. the book lore of birthdays says that in ancient times birthday records were essential for the casting of a horoscope based on the mystic science of astrology. This book adds that birthday candles in people's belief are endowed with special magic of granting wishes. Now why would a Christian take part in seeking anything that would grant wishes when you can simply pray to God and ask him what you need. who are you asking to grant those wishes because forgive my French but God is certainly not listening to that nonsense. One thing to always remember is that the bible condemns the use of magic, divination and spiritism. God is very jealous he doesn't like sharing his deserved praised and adoration with any other gods. Jehovah witnesses are always making sure they are not doing anything to displease and if celebrating my birthday makes God angry or disappointed I would rather skip it all together. It's too close of a risk to celebrate my birthday when the whole thing is intertwined with paganism and why are people wishing me a happy birthday no really think about it , will I die if no one wishes me a happy birthday quite frankly no. I will keep on living because Jehovah is the one sustaining me and nothing else.
- one thing I would like to highlight the early Christians which are the Israelites, Abraham, Jacob, the apostles, Sarah, Ruth and Nahomi, even Jesus did not celebrate their birthdays. there's nowhere in the bibles it states "let's all gather to celebrate the birthday of ___ Jesus, Mary or Jacob" Nowhere did birthday celebration showed in a good light. if Jesus did not celebrate his birthday why would I? I am following Jesus footsteps as much as I can. I am not perfect like Jesus was but I am trying my best to please God in any way that I can.
- the only commemoration that Christians are required to keep involves not a birth but a death and that is the death of Jesus (as Luke 22: 19 states " Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: “This means my body,c which is to be given in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”) all of this should not be surprising as the bible says the day of death is better than the day of birth and that's in (Ecclesiastes 7:1) by the end of of Jesus life on earth he made the day of his death more important than the day of his birth. Think about this for a minute Christmas is celebrating Jesus's birth imagine you were Jesus and you came here to suffer and die for humanity, you leave and after you left all they're celebrating is the day you were born??? I would be pissed! what about the sacrifice I made for you when I died for you? isn't that worth celebrating way more than my birth? (also Jesus wasn't born in December but that's a whole another discussion for another time)
- as I said in the beginning The bible never refers to a servant of God celebrating a birthday: no God did not forget to mention that trust me anything that's important was mention clearly in the bible. There were however 2 events that were mentioned where there's a record of 2 birthday celebrations by those not serving God and both of those events were presented in a bad light (I won't follow that example)
- one other reason is that I find the whole celebrating my birthday to be vain, it's like look at me, look at my outfit, come to my party... it's all attention seeking and vain. I don't like sitting and people singing to me what am I? all of that makes me uncomfortable I hate it.
I love presents and I think presents can be given anytime of the year not on a specific day. Give me a present because you want to but don;t feel obliagted to give me something ebcause it's my birthday.
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