Why do Jehovah's Witnesses not celebrate birthdays?

prepare for copy and paste jw warriors.

They won't celebrate the yearly anniversary of someone's life but they celebrate the yearly anniversary of their own marriages.

That scripture does not indicate a birthday but a week long family gathering where each brother took a turn at hosting "on his own day" Jehovah's Witnesses do not sing the national anthem or salute the flag because they are strictly neutral. Their anniversary has nothing to do with politics. Jesus put no emphasis on his birthday and the only two birthday parties mentioned in the bible are mentioned in unfavorable light. Jesus did however tell his followers on the night before his death when he celebrated the Passover "keep doing this in remembrance of me". That Jehovah's Witnesses do every year just as they would their anniversary every year. To learn more visit jw.org

We follow Jesus foot steps closely because he set the perfect example for us to follow

Everything in the bible is recorded for a reason. There are only 2 birtbday celebrations recorded in the bible. Neither of which Jesus attended.

Pharoah birthday he had people hung at his party.

Harod birthday he had john the Baptist beheaded.

The bible did not shed a good light on birthday celebrations.

With that being said, the various customs with which people today celebrate their birthdays have a long history. Their origins lie in the realm of magic and religion. The customs of offering congratulations, presenting gifts and celebrating—complete with lighted candles—in ancient times were meant to protect the birthday celebrant from the demons and to ensure his security for the coming year. Down to the fourth century Christianity rejected the birthday celebration as a pagan custom.

Ecclesiastes 7:1 7 A good name is better than good oil, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.

I'm not a JW but I have spoken to people who are about this. From a JW website.

1. There is nothing Christian about the celebration of birthdays. They are preexisting Pagan traditions. JWs believe in only marking/ celebrating Jesus's death as they interpret he instructed followers to do in Luke 19 "Also, he took a loaf, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying: “This means my body, which is to be given in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me."

In their view this is the only authentic and commanded by the Bible tradition others are merely adapted Pagan celebrations people carry on because they enjoy it.

2. Some early Christians refused to celebrate birthdays on the grounds it was Pagan.

3. The instances where birthdays were celebrated in the Bible referred to those not serving God and were depicted negatively in the Bible.

Jehovah's wittiness have chosen to avoid holidays for a very simple reason.

Cerebrating birthdays and holidays creates a situation were you buy a gift and expect someone to give you a gift on your birthday.

Then when you don't get a gift or a cheap one you now harbour bad feeling toward the other person.

Instead of a party in honor of this or that person or event if you feel like a party always hold the party in Jehovah's honor.

That way it's always got the best and no person is in expectations of personal honors.

When Job’s sons “held a banquet at the house of each one on his own day” it should not be supposed that they were celebrating their birthdays. (Job 1:4) “Day” in this verse translates the Hebrew word yohm and refers to a period of time from sunrise to sunset. On the other hand, “birthday” is a compound of the two Hebrew words yohm (day) and hul·leʹdheth. The distinction between “day” and one’s birthday may be noted in Genesis 40:20, where both expressions appear: “Now on the third day [yohm] it turned out to be Pharaoh’s birthday [literally, “the day (yohm) of the birth (hul·leʹdheth) of Pharaoh”].” So it is certain that Job 1:4 does not refer to a birthday, as is unquestionably the case at Genesis 40:20. It would seem that Job’s seven sons held a family gathering (possibly a spring or harvest festival) and as the feasting made the week-long circuit, each son hosted the banquet in his own house “on his own day.” http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200000749#h=7:...

The scripture that you brought talks about feast that Job and his sons would have but it never spoke of it being anyone's birthday. The only two birthday celebrations that were recorded 2 of Gods worshippers were killed, one being John the baptizer. The origin of birthday celebrations is pagan and brings undue attention to one person.

We have family sharing a meal together quite often, That does not make it a birthday celebration, just like Job's children having a meal together does not give evidence that celebrating birthdays are scriptural. Stop trying to make the scriptures fit where they clearly don't.

Ah, JWs. I'm beginning to think that Jehovah's Witnesses would be better called Jew Wannabes.

Interesting none of them have answered you yet. I know a JW family the mom of which won't even let her son stand for the National Anthem or Pledge of Allegiance but she and her hubby celebrate their anniversary every year.