this is going to be very lenghty, but i believe you will learn from it if you read thru it. it is an article written by COGwriter after a very thorough research. happy reading and learn from it and i just hope this makes the front page, because it would be good to know our reaction to this sensitive topic.

Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays?
Should Christians Celebrate Birthdays? Do Birthdays Have
Pagan Origins?
By COGwriter
Although many who profess Christ celebrate birthdays, did you know that birthdays were simply not celebrated by those in the early church? Interestingly, there is no hint in the Bible or early writings that Jesus, the apostles, or any true Christians ever celebrated birthdays.
This article will begin with an introduction on the origin of
birthdays, discuss some ancient and modern Judaic views of
birthdays, discuss the Bible and early Gentile views of birthdays, and discuss how birthdays became to be celebrated amongst those that profess Christianity.
Early Origins of Birthdays
So what is the origin of birthdays? Where did the idea of birthdays celebrations come from?
“Originally the idea [of birthday greetings and wishes for
happiness] was rooted in magic. The working of spells for
good and evil is the chief usage of witchcraft. One is
especially susceptible to such spells on his birthday, as
one’s personal spirits are about at that time...Good wishes bring good fortune, but the reverse is also true, so one should avoid enemies on one’s birthday and be surrounded only by well-wishers. ‘Happy birthday’ and ‘Many happy returns of the day’ are the traditional greetings” (The Lore of
Birthdays, Linton, p. 20)...
The giving of birthday gifts is a custom associated with the
offering of sacrifices to pagan gods on their birthdays.
Certainly the custom was linked with the same superstitions
that formed the background for birthday greetings. “The
exchange of presents… is associated with the importance of
ingratiating good and evil fairies… on their or our
birthdays” (ibid.).
The traditional birthday cake and candles also have their
origin in ancient pagan idol worship. The ancients believed
that the fire of candles had magical properties. They offered
prayers and made wishes to be carried to the gods on the
flames of the candles. Thus we still have the widely
practiced birthday custom of making a wish, then blowing
out the candles. The Greeks celebrated the birthday of their
moon goddess, Artemis, with cakes adorned with lighted
candles...
“The Egyptians… discovered to which of the gods each
month and day is sacred; and found out from the day of a
man’s birth, what he will meet with in the course of his life,
and how he will end his days, and what sort of man he will
be” (Herodotus, Persian Wars, Book II, ch. 82)

When we examine the principles of God’s law closely, as
they relate to birthday celebrations, we can understand why
neither Christ, nor His Apostles, nor their true followers,
observed their birthdays. As noted earlier, the practice has
its origin in idolatry and the worship of the sun, moon and
stars...Some may view birthday customs as purely secular,
lacking any religious significance. Yet we need to be aware
of the broader perspective of their origins, and the religious
significance they have had—and still have—for vast
multitudes of people. (Reynolds, Rod. Should Christians
Celebrate Birthdays? LCN, May-June 2002. pp.16-18).

Furthermore, the book The Lore of Birthdays (New York, 1952) by Ralph and Adelin Linton, on pages 8, 18-20 had this to say: The Greeks believed that everyone had a protective spirit or daemon who attended his birth and watched over him in life. This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born. The Romans also subscribed to this idea. . . . This notion was carried down in human belief and is reflected in the guardian angel, the fairy godmother and the patron saint. . . . The custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeks. . .Honey cakes round as the moon and lit with tapers were placed on the temple altars of [Artemis]. . . . Birthday
candles, in folk belief, are endowed with special magic for
granting wishes. . . . Lighted tapers and sacrificial fires have
had a special mystic significance ever since man first set up
altars to h is gods. The birthday candles are thus an honor
and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune...

Thus it appears that birthdays had their origin in mythology and magic, with horoscopes also probably playing a role.
Jews, Jewish Christians, and Old Testament Birthdays

But what were early Jewish practices?

The first century Jewish historian Josephus noted that Jewish
families did not celebrate birthdays: Nay, indeed, the law does not permit us to make festivals at the birth of our children, and thereby afford occasion of drinking to excess (Josephus. Translated by W. Whiston.Against Apion, Book II, Chapter 26. Extracted fromJosephus Complete Works, Kregel Publications, GrandRapids (MI), 14th printing, 1977, p. 632).

Now although there is no specific command against the
celebration of birthdays in the Bible, the Jewish custom in those days was apparently based on the negative occurrences in the Bible surrounding birthdays, as well as the astrological
implications of the celebration of birthdays (pagan practices, like astrology, were specifically prohibited in the law--see also OMENS? DIVINATION? HOROSCOPES? THE ORIGIN OF ASTROLOGY).
Since nearly all of the first Christians were Jewish, this may
partially explain why the celebration of Jesus' birth would not be consistent with that early custom.

Notice two reports that would seem to support that:
"There is no tradition in Judaism of celebrating birthdays as
holidays, otherwise we would expect holidays for the
birthdays of Moses and Abraham, among others, but there
is no such thing. The Bible does not even record their
birthdays, just as the New Testament does not record the
date of Yeshua’s birth." http://www.amfi.org/mailbag/messiahmas.htm
The interesting thing about birthday celebrations is that, for
much of our history, they were not a very "Jewish" custom.
...as a rule, Jews did not celebrate their birthdays. Indeed,
while the dates of passing (yahrtzeit) of the great figures of
Jewish history are recorded and commemorated, their
dates of birth are mostly unknown. (Your Jewish Birthday.
Chabad-Lubavitch Media Center. http://www.chabad.org/
library/article_cdo/aid/2527/jewish/What-Happened-on-
Your-Birthday.htm)
In their essay titled "Birthdays, Jewishly," Lisa Farber Miller and Sandra Widener point out that the Encyclopedia Judaica is very blunt on this topic:
"The celebration of birthdays is unknown in traditional
Jewish ritual."
Notice what the Center for Jewish Women's and Gender Studies reported:
The Encyclopedia Judaica could not be more blunt: "The
celebration of birthdays is unknown in traditional Jewish
ritual." In fact, it says, the only birthday party mentioned in
the Bible is for Pharaoh! (Genesis 40:20).
The tradition also holds that your birth alone is not as
significant as the way you live your life. After all, King
Solomon is thought to have said, "The day of death is better
than the day of one's birth (Ecclesiastes 7:1). As a midrash
explains, 'When a person is born, it is not known what he
will be like when grown and what his deeds will be –
whether righteous or wicked, good, or evil. http://
www.ritualwell.org/lifecycles/babieschildren/
firstmilestones/BirthdaysJewishly.xml/view?
searchterm=birthdays
Here are some passages in the Old Testament that the Jews tended to looked at in order to come to their conclusion about birthdays:
(Genesis 40:20-22, Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Isaiah 47:13-14,Job 3:1-5).
Although, I have heard some say that the "day" referred to in Job 1:13 was a birthday celebration, the passage in Job is not explicit and Job himself indicates he was more concerned with what his sons might have said, than done, in their other celebrations (Job 1:4-5). However, it should be noted that there are no positive
statements in the Old Testament related to birthdays.
The prophet Jeremiah wrote:
14 Cursed be the day in which I was born! Let the day not be blessed in which my mother bore me!
15 Let the man be cursed Who brought news to my father, saying, "A male child has been born to you!" Making him very glad.
16 And let that man be like the cities Which the LORD overthrew, and did not relent; Let him hear the cry in the morning And the shouting at noon,
17 Because he did not kill me from the womb, That my mother might have been my grave, And her womb always enlarged with me.
18 Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and
sorrow, That my days should be consumed with shame? (Jeremiah 20:14-18)
The Hebrew calendar itself makes the celebration of birthdays
somewhat difficult when one attempts to superimpose it on our modern (essentially Roman-derived) calendars. And the reason for this is that it is about 11 days shorter than the annual orbit around the sun, and hence it adds a thirteenth month seven times in every nineteen year cycle. Thus, one's "birthday" on a modern calendar will vary 11 or so days from year to year--and the positions of the constellations in the sky would always to some degree be different. Therefore, from an astrological perspective, one's alleged "sign" would often be different. If God wanted birthdays celebrated, He probably would have given the children of Israel the type of calendar which would have made it possible to for the "birthday" to fall on the same solar calendar day each
year--instead that basically cannot happen but a relatively few
times in a life.
It may also be that one of the reasons for circumcising males at eight days (see Genesis 17:12), as opposed to the day of birth
(which is what tends to often happen in modern societies who
circumcise), would be to change the emphasis from the date of birth to other events as important.
Of course, it should be noted that since the ages of many people in the Hebrew Bible are recorded, some type of acknowledgement of when people were born apparently did take place. Acknowledgement of years to some degree had to take place as the Old Testament categorizes various people at various times based upon age (e.g. Lev iticus 27:3-7; Numbers 4:2-3). But there is no recorded example of the Hebrews actually celebrating their dates of birth.
If you search the scriptures you will notice that many people are mentioned being born, but that the precise date (either with a lunar or solar calendar reference) is not given. If God wanted birthdays to be celebrated, than perhaps He would have given specific birth dates in the Bible--but He did not.

Modern Judaism and Birthdays
Notice the following from a Jewish writer:
In Jewish theology, much importance is attached to the day
upon which one dies, one's yahrtzeit, but little is mentioned
about one's birthday. Some Torah authorities, such as the
Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoelish Teitelbaum (1887-1979)[1] are
opposed to any sort of celebration of one's birthday, while
other authorities, such as the Lubavitcher Rebbe[2], Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994)[3] and the
Rebbe from Piaczezna, Rabbi Kalonymos Kalman Shapiro
[4], perm it and encourage such celebration on one's
birthday as means of inspiring self-reflection and
introspection[5]. Rabbi Matis Blum explains[6] that the
rationale of those who oppose birthday celebrations is
based on a statement of King Solomon, who said, "A good
name is better than good oil, and the day of death [is better]
than the day of birth.[7]" He also explains this opposition is
seemingly supported by the Talmud which determined[8]
that it is better than man not have been born than man
having been born. A third reason for opposing birthday
parities is simply the fact that the Torah only mentioned
such a party in conjunction with the Pharaoh celebrating
his own birthday. This implies that only such morally
degenerated people as the sovereign of Egypt would
celebrate a birthday, but not Torah True Jews...
Cursing one's birthday is an expression of one's
dissatisfaction in one's situation. The Midrash says[41] that
two people cursed the day on which they born. Job cursed
the day he was born[42] as a reaction to all the suffering to
which he was subjected. Jeremiah also cursed the day of
his birth[43] as a means of conveying the message of his
bitterness in having to foretell the destruction of the Holy
Temple, and worse, his knowing that prophecy was
destined to be fulfilled. (Happy Birthday! Reb Chaim
HaQoton, April 17, 2007. http://rchaimqoton..com/2007/04/happy-birthday.html
verified 7/12/07).
Thus, many Jewish leaders have acknowledged that the celebration of birthdays was not something that was historically endorsed (though many Jews do celebrate them in modern times).

Did the Magi Give Presents on the Day of Jesus' Birth?
Well, there are a few issues with this.
First, the wise men definitely were not with Jesus on the day of His birth. The Bible is clear that He had already been born:
(Matthew 2:1-2)
Furthermore, notice that they came to worship Him, not celebrate His birthday. It was customary in those times (and still is today) to provide gifts when meeting royalty. Thus, the wise men meeting Jesus and providing presents should not be construed as a birthday celebration.
But the focus of this article is early Christianity--which while it
certainly includes the fact that Jews, including Christian ones, did not celebrate birthdays in the first and second centuries A.D. What were the practices of the non-Jewish (Gentiles) converts to Christianity?
But before getting to later Gentile practices, first perhaps we
should look at the teachings of the New Testament itself.
It is interesting to note that while the New Testament is clear about the specific time of certain holy days such as Passover (Matthew 26:17-20) and Pentecost (Acts 2:1), it never mentions the date, nor even the precise month, of Jesus' birth (see Matthew 1 and Luke 1;2:1-20). Nor does it ever specifically endorse the celebration of birthdays. Not does it ever give the date (with either a solar or lunar calendar reference) for any one being born.
The Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God states: Birthdays were not celebrated by early Christians.
(Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.
http://www.ccog.org/statement-of-beliefs-of-the-continuing-
church-of-god/).
There is no recorded instance of any of the apostles or other early Christians celebrating the birth of Christ (see also the article Did the Early Church Celebrate Christmas?).
There is, however, one birthday celebration mentioned in the New Testament, and it was not a good one. Actually, it was so bad, that the one Jesus had called the greatest "among those born of women" (Matthew 11:11) was killed because of it:
But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of
Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod. Therefore
he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might
ask. So she, having been prompted by her mother, said,
"Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter." And the
king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and
because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be
given to her. So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.
And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl,
and she brought it to her mother (Matthew 14:6-11).
(The same account is also described in Mark 6:21-28).
Originally, even as more and more Gentiles began to profess
Christ (so much so that they outnumbered those of Jewish
heritage that did), the early Gentile leaders also did not endorse the celebration of birthdays. No early church writer endorsed the observance of birthdays by Christians, nor are they ever listed in the early observances of the Christian church. Therefore, the celebration of birthdays, was clearly not part of:
... the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints
(Jude 3).
No early religious/church writing from the second century that I have seen (and I have read most that are available) seems to endorse (or even suggest) the celebration of birthdays by any who professed Christ.
Although he was not part of the Church of God, the writings of the early third century Catholic theologian Origen of Alexandria show that, even that late, Orthodox Catholics were against the celebration of birthdays. The Catholic Encyclopedia states:
Origen, glancing perhaps at the discreditable imperial
Natalitia, asserts (in Lev. Hom. viii in Migne, P.G., XII, 495)
that in the Scriptures sinners alone, not saints, celebrate
their birthday (Martindale C. Christmas, 1908).
Here is some of what Origen wrote:
...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. It is only sinners (like Pharaoh and Herod) who
make great rejoicings over the day on which they were born
into this world below (Origen, in Levit., Hom. VIII, in Migne
P.G., XII, 495) (Thurston H. Natal Day. Transcribed by
Thomas M. Barrett. Dedicated to Margaret Johanna
Albertina Behling Barrett. The Catholic Encyclopedia,
Volume X. Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company.
Online Ed ition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat,
October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur.
+John Cardinal Farley, Archb ishop of New York).
The writings of the late third century Catholic theologian Arnobius show that, even that late, Catholics objected to the celebration of birthdays as he wrote:
...you worship with couches, altars, temples, and other
service, and by celebrating their games and birthdays,
those whom it was fitting that you should assail with
keenest hatred. (Arnobius. Against the Heathen (Book I),
Chapter 64. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 6.
Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American
Edition, 1886. Online Edition Copyright © 2005 by K.
Knight).
Thus birthday celebrations, even of gods and leaders, were
condemned as far as the late third century by even Roman
Catholic leaders.
How Birthdays Ended Up Being Observed...

(please to continue reading and benefit from this article, follow the link below)

www.cogwriter.com/birthdays.htm

Globally today's sundown we did the commemoration of Christ's death!
It was awesome as millions throughout the earth joined JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES through Zoom to remember our Master, Lord and King Christ Jesus.
We are saying thank you all and may the God of PEACE give you PEACE!

I doubt they did.
I also doubt they celebrated new years and new properties.

When Jesus commissioned what we celebrated globally today, he did it in secret only with his own closest confidants. So you can't see his true followers celebrate the way worldly people will do (making noise everywhere), they may invite you but if you're not invited or attended the event you will never know that something of that nature is happening globally!

CyberHustle:

I doubt they did.
I also doubt they celebrated new years and new properties.

Did early Christians drive cars? Should you drive a car?

Find out now how early Pagan celtic people thought that Blacksmithing and Iron making was Magic.

You know since they were kinda close to early Christians, that means early Christians got the idea of using iron from them.

Thus no Christian should touch Iron because Iron is witchcraft

Pecuman:
Did early Christians drive cars? Should you drive a car?

Find out now how early Pagan celtic people thought that Blacksmithing and Iron making was Magic.

You know since they were kinda close to early Christians, that means early Christians got the idea of using iron from them.

Thus no Christian should touch Iron because Iron is witchcraft

Go tell that to JWs so belief since early Christians never celebrated birthdays, they should not too.

rottennaija:


Go tell that to JWs so belief since early Christians never celebrated birthdays, they should not too.

When I see any if them, I will tell them.

Pecuman:


When I see any if them, I will tell them.

Pecuman:
Did early Christians drive cars? Should you drive a car?
Find out now how early Pagan celtic people thought that Blacksmithing and Iron making was Magic.
You know since they were kinda close to early Christians, that means early Christians got the idea of using iron from them.
Thus no Christian should touch Iron because Iron is witchcraft

rottennaija:

Go tell that to JWs so belief since early Christians never celebrated birthdays, they should not too.

Well i am one of JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES and i can explain why we detests such celebrations.
So it's not about what people eat, drink, wear or hobbies rather it has to do with pagan customs and beliefs of ancient times.
Note that JWs do eat, drink, our ladies put on jewelries and make-ups despite all gibberish misinformed churchgoers think about these things.
So there are pagan customs and beliefs attached to certain holidays and celebrations that's why our God commanded us not to copy such customs from them!

Pecuman:
Did early Christians drive cars? Should you drive a car?

Find out now how early Pagan celtic people thought that Blacksmithing and Iron making was Magic.

You know since they were kinda close to early Christians, that means early Christians got the idea of using iron from them.

Thus no Christian should touch Iron because Iron is witchcraft

Bros, go and read up the history of Bezalel in your Bible.
Case closed.

Holy holy, what bad in celebrating birthday again bikonu. Been a Christian does not mean we should be living a dull life. Op u be jehova witness?

Nothing is bad jare, no mind this jehovah witness OP!

kenzysmith:
Holy holy, what bad in celebrating birthday again bukonu. Been a Christian dies not mean we should be living a dull life. Op u be jehova witness?

MaxInDHouse:






Well i am one of JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES and i can explain why we detests such celebrations.
So it's not about what people eat, drink, wear or hobbies rather it has to do with pagan customs and beliefs of ancient times.
Note that JWs do eat, drink, our ladies put on jewelries and make-ups despite all gibberish misinformed churchgoers think about these things.
So there are pagan customs and beliefs attached to certain holidays and celebrations that's why our God commanded us not to copy such customs from them!

And?

Again, using Iron as an example, just about every early Iron age society did some incantation in relation to it, African people did it also, so should Christians not use Iron now?.

And I can dig up an old old testament quote about no wearing clothing made from two different fabrics and not shaving the sides of your beards but I'm sure you do those.

Pecuman:

And?
Again, using Iron as an example, just about every early Iron age society did some incantation in relation to it, African people did it also, so should Christians not use Iron now?.

Right from the time of Noah God's people have been using iron, don't forget that Noah sacrificed to God and ate the flesh of animals.
Of course he must have used knife in slaughtering and cutting the flesh of the animals nah!

And I can dig up an old old testament quote about no wearing clothing made from two different fabrics and not shaving the sides of your beards but I'm sure you do those.

These are laws given to the Israelites to distinguish between them and other nations, when Christ came such laws became obsolete as it has nothing to do with Christianity! Romans 10:1-4

What's going on here?
what happened in a span of 8 years ?
Tragic