do jehoviah witness' celebrate birthdays?
485553
No, honey, we don't! We try to follow very closely in Jesus' footsteps as to our behavoir, and Jesus was Jewish. Jews did not celebrate birthdays..they celebrated a persons life accomplishments at their death. The only birthday celebrations mentioned in the Bible are two that involved brutality and false religions. In our family we recognize the birthday,(how could you not?) but we don't make it a big deal or do any kind of celebrating or making the day above another. Thank you for your attitude in asking! It helps when someone who has a question about Witnesses asks in such a non-combative and inquisitive way!!
233047
A friend of mine is a Jehovah Witness, and according to him, it's a sin to honor anything that has to do with mortal man. If it's a birthday, it's a sin to honor it. because it has to do with some one. Same as Christmas. But it doesn't seem to be a sin when they knock on your door and can't take no for a answer
678563
I am not familiar with why the JW's do not celebrate Christmas and birthdays.  \n\nI do know why I do not celebrate Satanic holy days.\n\nChristendom has been taught to ignore God's holy days.  Most could not even name ONE of God's holy days.  Yet, believers in Christ are instructed to keep them.  God said they are to be perpetual throughout all generations.\n\nThis lack of care for God's instructions stems from the notion that the Old Testament is Jewish and the New Testament is for the "Church".  This notion has been taught and handed down through the centuries and modern Christians believe it.\n\nThe mystery of the gospel is this:  All those who by FAITH believe in God and His Son, Jesus Christ inherit the Promised Land.  God's people are the "elect"...those who have faith in Him alone.  God's people are to obey Him and His instructions for living.  But, modern Christians have tossed out God's instructions for living by saying that "grace" has replaced "law".  The "law" is for the Jew they say.  And I agree...because the New Testament tells us who the "true Jew" is.\n\nPAY ATTENTION:\n\n"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:\n\nBut he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God" \n\nRomans 2:28-29\n\nAlso, to the believers in Galatia, Paul wrote:\n\n"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.\n\nAnd if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."\n\nGalations 3:28-29\n\nTrue Jews are those who believe in Christ.  God's people have always been those who by faith believe Him.  This is the mystery of the gospel.  \n\nSo, the "Israel of God" are his people who have FAITH in him.  It has always been so.  And anyone who has faith in Him demonstrates that faith by their obedience to him.\n\nHis instructions for living are found throughout scripture and those who love Him obey Him.\n\nGod commands His people to keep His holy days, which are found in Leviticus 23. God's holy days hold great significance and meaning to His plan of salvation for mankind.  Unless one knows and understands these, he does not know God's plan.\n\nThree of the holy days have already occured in history but we are still to keep them.  Four of the holy days foreshadow events that have not yet even taken place!  Why would these be "obselete", or just for "the Jews", or "not worth studying"?!\n\nSatan has counterfeited almost everything God has planned for mankind, including God's holy days.  Satan has deceived the world, including mainstream Christianity, by creating holy days (holidays) that direct attention from God's holy days.\n\nGod's holy days foreshadow His plan of salvation for mankind as seen in the harvests of the fall.  The firstfruits are brought in before the larger harvest, which replicates the firstfruits at Christ's return and the larger harvest of salvation after the millenium (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  This last VITAL harvest is not even taught in mainstream Christianity!\n\nSatan has distracted most with Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Few keep God's Feast Days of the fall, which are great blessings to remember, keep, and celebrate.\n\nChrist mass is supposedly the birth of Christ, yet scripture never emphasizes the date or instructs celebration of it.  It is really a celebration of Mithra, a sun god.  Ever read Jeremiah 10:1-4?  "Learn not the way of the heathen..."  Easter is really a celebration of Ashtar, a sex goddess.  Halloween is obviously not a holy day of God.\n\nAll of Satan's holy days are 13 weeks apart and fall on high human sacrifice days.  The
709669
Jehovah's Witnesses believe strongly in God Jehovah and in his Son Jesus Christ.\n\nJehovah's Witnesses practice strict political and nationalistic neutrality, so they do not celebrate nationalistic holidays such as Independence Day and Memorial Day.\n\nOther holidays derive from false religion, and so are incompatible with pure worship as adulterating interfaith. For example, Easter derives from the pagan god Oestre and celebrates "rebirth" and "fertility" instead of commemorating Christ's Last Supper and death as Jesus commanded:\n(Luke 22:1-22) [Jesus] dispatched Peter and John, saying: “Go and get the passover ready for us to eat.” ...14 At length when the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them: “I have greatly desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it again until it becomes fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” ... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.”\n\nSeemingly innocuous holidays may have only a tangential connection with false worship, such as Mother's Day and Father's Day (although arguably derived from ancestor worship). Understated observance of these is not generally considered interfaith by Jehovah's Witnesses, but it is too easily misunderstood in some cultures.\n\nSince such celebrations are not required in true worship, and can easily become a distraction, so Jehovah's Witnesses focus their attention elsewhere. In particular, they are focussed on the preaching work which *IS* a requirement for Christians:\n\n(Luke 10:1-17) [Jesus] the Lord designated seventy others and sent them forth by twos in advance of him into every city and place to which he himself was going to come. 2 Then he began to say to them: “The harvest, indeed, is great, but the workers are few. Therefore beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.\n\nLearn more:\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/article_01.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/library/rq/article_11.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20001215/article_01.htm
197278
Ok, we don't celebrate holidays or birthdays. We follow the command in Matthew 24:14 to preach to all people and also the scripture in Acts 15:20,29 that says to keep abstaining from blood. We are obedient to the laws set by the government, but we are nuetral when it comes to politics. We didn't change the bible to fit our religion because if you read the king james version along with the new world translation you see they say the same things, the new world translation is written in a way to be better understood. If we changed it then we wouldn't be following in Jesus footsteps because he would never change Jehovah Gods message to fit his purpose.We believe all scriptures are inspired by God as brought out in 2 Timothy 3:16 even though it was written by man.We believe that when someone dies no matter if the person is a witness or not life does not continue anywhere else as brought out in Ecclesiastes 9:5,10. We also believe that while the bible is a guidline some scriptures describe symbolic accounts as examples and learning tools. We don't think we're perfect but we try to live in harmony with what we're taught from the bible. Yes we believe only a set number(144,000) go to heaven as brought out in Revelation 7:4-10 and the ones who do not have a hope of going to heaven will live on earth which is brought out in Psalms 37:29, 115:16 Matthew 5:5. We have meetings three days a week and we attend conventions and assemblies every year. We attend the memorial of Jesus death as directed in Luke 22:14-19 once a year.Feel free to ask me any other questions or any witness for that matter, we'll be happy to answer them.
288623
I don't celebrate either one. I choose as Paul said not to " esteem one day above the next." I treat each day as a day to love and praise my Father for sending Jesus to show me the Way! The days you mention are man's teachings not the teachings of The Spirit of God.
280798
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! SOMEBODY IS BRAVE ENOUGH TO SPEAK OUT IN TRUTH! You are 100% CORRECT! ALL of the so-called "holidays"(holydays) were NEVER commanded in the Bible-EVER!!! Jeremiah Chapter 10 directly mentions a "christmas tree" as an IDOL! Astarte (Easter) is mentioned many times in the Old Testament as an ABOMINATION TO GOD!!! Tammuz is also in the Old Testament! And not in a good way! People simply follow what the "crowd" says to follow! DOES THAT MAKE IT RIGHT??? Borrowing Pagan traditions and somehow transforming them into "holy days" is unacceptable worship to GOD! DON'T BELIEVE A NOBODY LIKE ME--READ YOUR BIBLE!!! Please see for yourself! Then you will know what God REALLY feels about man-made traditions.....
716943
is their holy day may the fourth
793814
Your maths may be a bit out - but otherwise, yes it's true.\n\nHe was 33 1/2 when KILLED on Nisan 14th (end March / start April) so was born end October or very start of November.\n\nChristmas as we know it is from the Roman festival of Saturnalia (return of the sun god) celebrated on Dec 25th. It was amagamated into the 'christain' calendar by Emperor Constantine to 'unite' his peoples - bringing pagan & early roman catholocism together.\nThe true christians of the first century did NOT celebrate Christs birth - only a memorial of his death.\n\nToday - it holds no significance in any religious field - simply a time to get drunk, eat too much & fall out with the relatives...but those who object to the roots of the celebration hold firm their convictions.
479488
You can say that your birthday is March 28th, but you celebrate it on Feb. 27th. That way you are being honest about it.
771511
"Jehovah" is the personal name of Almighty God; it is disrespectful and somewhat blasphemous to refer to any human as though he were Almighty God. The religion which is best known for educating people about the divine name is formally known as "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses" or "Witnesses" for short. An individual among them may be respectfully referred to as "a Witness".\n\nTo be counted as a Jehovah's Witness, one must participate in the formal public ministry, and there are some qualifications that must be met. However, a minor child of a Witness may accompany his parent in the ministry without the child necessarily being a Jehovah's Witness himself.\n\nThe bible discourages true worshippers from persuing an interfaith marriage, but once the wedding is over a Jehovah's Witness is expected to work for the success of that marriage.\n\n(Exodus 23:32) You are not to conclude a [marriage or other] covenant with them or their gods.\n\n(Deuteronomy 7:3) And you must form no marriage alliance with [unbelievers]. Your daughter you must not give to his son, and his daughter you must not take for your son.\n\n(1 Corinthians 7:39) She is free to be married to whom she wants, only in the Lord.\n\n(Nehemiah 13:25) You should not give your daughters to [the unbeliever's] sons, and you should not accept any of their daughters for your sons or yourselves.\n\n(2 Corinthians 6:14) Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers.\n\nLearn more:\nhttp://watchtower.org/library/w/1999/2/15/article_01.htm
502463
I have some of the answers; I will go through your list:\nChristmas- Not only the JW but many other denominations are against the commercialization of Christmas. Many people know that the celebration of Christmas on December 25 was just a catholic means to fool the pagans into using their celebrations of the winter equinox as a religious event. True Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus every day. The Bible doesn’t say exactly when Jesus was born, but if you have ever been to Israel you know that the shepherds are not watching there flocks by night all seated on the ground. Any shepherd worth his salt has his sheep in a shelter and he is home in front of a good fire as winter in Israel can get very cold.\nHalloween- This one should be obvious. Christians or even JW don’t allow for the celebrating of demons. \nMother’s day and Father’s Day- This is just basics, the commandments say we should honor our Father and Mother… That means all the time not one just a special day.\nBirthday- Here is where the JW’s get a little strange; in a birthday celebration for King Herod a young girl pleases him with her dance. He gives his word that she can have anything she wanted. What she wanted was the head of john the Baptist on a platter. Herod granted this wish. So the beheading of John the Baptist has been associated with birthdays so the JW’s do nothing to celebrate birthdays.
728263
Christmas does not celebrate Christ; it celebrates the pagan Saturnalia. As this question notes, Jesus was not even born in December. Nearly all so-called Christmas customs dishonor Christ.\n\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/19981215/article_02.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20001215/\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_01.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/19981215/\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm\n\n\nBy contrast, it's tragic that the one holiday Christ actually *DID* ask Christians to commemorate is entirely ignored by almost all of Christendom. It is, of course, the Memorial of Christ's death, sometimes called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Evening Meal".\n\n(1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NWT) The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup.. Keep doing this... in remembrance of me.” \n\n(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.” \n\n\nChrist Jesus himself personally celebrated and explained the significance of that Last Supper to his followers (see Matthew 26:26-29). Christians who commemorate the Last Supper have done so on the same Jewish calendar date as Jesus did, Nisan 14, which generally falls between late March and mid-April. Interestingly, Christians in the centuries immediately after Christ's impalement were sometimes called "Quartodecimans" which literally mean "Fourteen-ers", because the early Christians were well-known for this true holy day.\n\nHow would Jesus feel to learn that the holiday he commanded was widely ignored, while his so-called followers chose to celebrate a pagan false god and their own traditions of men? We don't need to wonder.\n\n(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”\n\nLearn more:\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/lmn/article_08.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/jt/
575305
"Practices That Have Been Abandoned\n\n  This Christmas celebration at Brooklyn Bethel in 1926 was their last. The Bible Students gradually came to appreciate that neither the origin of this holiday nor the practices associated with it honored God\n\n  For years, Bible Students wore a cross and crown as a badge of identification, and this symbol was on the front cover of the “Watch Tower” from 1891 to 1931. But in 1928 it was emphasized that not a decorative symbol but one’s activity as a witness showed he was a Christian. In 1936 it was pointed out that the evidence indicates that Christ died on a stake, not a two-beamed cross\n\n  In their “Daily Manna” book, Bible Students kept a list of birthdays. But after they quit celebrating Christmas and when they realized that birthday celebrations were giving undue honor to creatures (one reason that early Christians never celebrated birthdays), the Bible Students quit this practice too\n\n  For some 35 years, Pastor Russell thought that the Great Pyramid of Gizeh was God’s stone witness, corroborating Biblical time periods. (Isa. 19:19) But Jehovah’s Witnesses have abandoned the idea that an Egyptian pyramid has anything to do with true worship. (See “Watchtower” issues of November 15 and December 1, 1928)"\n............................................\nA Progressive Cleansing (W 1/1 2000)\n\n15 During some 40 years up until Christ’s heavenly rule began in 1914, the Bible Students had been freed from many of the non-Biblical doctrines of Christendom, such as infant baptism, immortality of the human soul, purgatory, hellfire torment, and a Trinitarian God. But it took additional time to purge all wrong ideas. For example, in the 1920’s many Bible Students wore a pin featuring a cross-and-crown emblem, and they celebrated Christmas and other pagan holidays. However, for worship to be pure, all vestiges of idolatry must be discarded. God’s Word, the Holy Bible, must be the sole basis of the Christian’s faith and way of life. (Isaiah 8:19, 20; Romans 15:4) It is wrong to add to God’s Word or to take anything away from it.—Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18, 19.\n\n16 One example will underline how important this principle is. In 1886 when C. T. Russell published a book that came to be called The Divine Plan of the Ages, this volume contained a chart linking the ages of mankind with the Great Pyramid of Egypt. It was thought that this memorial of Pharaoh Khufu was the pillar referred to at Isaiah 19:19, 20: “In that day there will prove to be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to Jehovah beside its boundary. And it must prove to be for a sign and for a witness to Jehovah of armies in the land of Egypt.” What relationship could the pyramid have with the Bible? Well, as an example, the length of certain passages in the Great Pyramid was said to indicate the time for the beginning of the “great tribulation” of Matthew 24:21, as it was then understood. Some Bible Students became engrossed with measuring different features of the pyramid to determine such matters as the day they would be going to heaven!\n\n17 This so-called Bible in Stone was held in esteem for some decades, until the Watchtower issues of November 15 and December 1, 1928, made clear that Jehovah needed no stone monument built by pagan pharaohs and containing demonic signs of astrology to confirm the witness given in the Bible. Rather, Isaiah’s prophecy was seen to have a spiritual application. As at Revelation 11:8, “Egypt” is symbolic of Satan’s world. The “altar to Jehovah” reminds us of the acceptable sacrifices made by anointed Christians while they are temporary residents in this world. (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15, 16) The pillar “beside [Egypt’s] boundary” points to the congregation of anointed Christians, which is “a pillar and support of the truth” and which stands as a witness in “Egypt,” the world that they
664079
if you mean normal names like yours and mine yes each day we have different names  so each year you can celebrate your name OK
640250
Judg. 6: 24 \nThen Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
1171686
Good point.\nHowever, the Jews don't have the practice of B.C. / A.D.\nThey are in the year 6 thousand and something.\nImagine how important a person must be considered to divide historical eras based on his birthday.