Birthday celebrations are not harmless fun but a practice that conflicts with God's way. The only two birthday celebrations in Scripture, Pharaoh's (Genesis 40) and Herod's (Matthew 14; Mark 6), end in the hanging of the baker, Joseph's continued imprisonment, and the beheading of John the Baptist. God casts birthday celebrations in an evil light, and they bring out the darker side of human nature. Scripture records people's ages, so marking a birthday is not wrong, but no servant of God ever celebrated one. Ecclesiastes 7:1 says the day of death is better than the day of birth. The governing principle is I Corinthians 10:31: whatever we do, we do for God's glory. Birthday parties glorify the self, promote self-centeredness and pride, and take credit from God, who gave life and sustains it. Man did nothing to create himself, so redirecting honor to him is a form of idolatry. Gifts given merely because a year has passed honor the creation instead of the Creator and reinforce the "get" way. Giving in itself is good when it edifies, but gifts should not feed greed or self-pity. A card, call, or visit to remember a loved one, especially someone elderly or alone, is a warm and appropriate gesture. Birthday parties feed the self-esteem that Scripture warns against (Romans 12:3; Philippians 2:3; Matthew 23:12), and Satan uses them to exalt man and diminish God. Christians look forward to rebirth in God's Kingdom rather than celebrating an imperfect physical birth. Even Christ's birth is not commemorated, but His death is, at Passover. Any practice that fails to honor God should be avoided.

The Bible refers to only two birthday celebrations, and each is tied to a tragic event (Genesis 40:20-22; Mark 6:21-27). No man or woman of God in Scripture is recorded celebrating his or her own birthday, and Jesus never marked the anniversary of His birth. Celebrating physical birth is not a primary concern to God. He is far more concerned with developing spiritual character and with our being born into His Kingdom (Ecclesiastes 7:1; Revelation 21:7; Romans 2:7; John 12:24-25). God does not want His people to mimic the world's self-serving and greedy approach, and this includes how one thinks about and treats the anniversary of one's birth. There is a vast difference, however, between simply acknowledging that someone is a year older and holding a celebration. The date of one's birth, the fact of being a year older, and the giving of gifts are not pagan. Milestones such as becoming a teenager, reaching driving age, coming of age, or turning seventy or eighty may properly be acknowledged by family and friends, and simple recognition of an achievement is not wrong. A full birthday celebration with its usual trappings, such as invited guests, elaborate gifts, a decorated cake, and candles, is different. It tends to accentuate flattery, vanity, the I-me-my attitude, and the get rather than give way of life. Vanity and glorifying the self are condemned in God's Word (Galatians 5:26; II Peter 2:18; Colossians 2:18; I Corinthians 5:6; Psalm 24:3-4).

Scripture records no one keeping a feast or banquet on his birthday; as Origen acknowledged, only sinners like Pharaoh and Herod make great rejoicing over the day they were born. Birthday celebration traces to pagan Babylon, where Semiramis claimed that the dead Nimrod, deified as a god, would visit an evergreen tree on the anniversary of his birth, which fell on the winter solstice, and leave gifts under it. Her son Horus was declared Nimrod reincarnated, forming a counterfeit trinity. Pagan midwinter festivals then celebrated the birth of the sun god, and Rome later renamed December 25 as the birthday of the Son of God. Nowhere does the Bible command celebrating Christ's birth, nor does it give the date. Christ set no example of observing birthdays, whether in connection with holy days or at all, and He warns that worship is vain when it teaches the commandments of men as doctrine (Matthew 15:9). The gifts of the wise men were not birthday gifts: they came later, when He was a young child, to honor a king according to Middle Eastern custom. God forbids worshipping Him the way the heathen worship their gods, and He allows nothing to be added to what He commands (Deuteronomy 12:31-32). Pure worship cannot spring from impure sources (James 3:11-12). Birthday customs rooted in paganism lead to self-gratification and sin rather than the character God desires, so His real holy days should be kept instead.

The celebration of birthdays, as it pertains to the broader discussion of holiday traditions, lacks any biblical foundation or endorsement. The Bible does not provide instruction or example for commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, nor does it suggest the celebration of birthdays in general. Instead, the idea of birthday celebrations is rooted in pagan practices, further highlighting the disconnect between such customs and the true worship of God.

The celebration of birthdays, as it pertains to the origins of Christmas, is rooted in pagan customs rather than Christian practice. Historical records reveal that 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 made great rejoicings over the day they were born into this world. December 25th, often associated with the birthday of Jesus, is not His true birth date, as He was not born in the winter season, and the exact date remains unknown. If God had intended for us to celebrate Christ's birthday, He would not have hidden the precise date so completely. The custom of observing birthdays, particularly on December 25th, stems from ancient pagan traditions, such as the birthday of Nimrod, which was celebrated long before the birth of Christ. This practice, tied to idolatrous worship in Babylon, spread across the world under various names and forms, ultimately influencing the date chosen for Christmas in the fourth and fifth centuries. The celebration of birthdays is thus identified as a pagan custom, not a practice endorsed for honoring Christ.

In the celebration of worldly holidays like Christmas, many people participate with sincerity, yet they are sincerely wrong because their actions are not grounded in truth. Christmas, with its non-Christian, pagan origins, is a syncretistic blend of pagan rites and Christian themes, which God views as an abomination. Historical records reveal that Christmas was not observed by Christians from the time of Christ until the fourth century, when pagan festivals like Saturnalia and Brumalia were adapted by the Romans under Emperor Constantine to mark the birthday of the Son of God, aligning it with their worship of the sun god on December 25. God has instructed against following pagan customs or worshipping Him in the ways of the heathen, emphasizing that such practices do not produce the purity of character He desires. Instead of meddling with the paganism in Christmas, we should embrace the purity of God's true Holy Days as revealed in His Word, which foster peace, joy, hope, and spiritual growth, in stark contrast to the superficial traits promoted by Christmas.

In the pursuit of relevance within a changing world, many Christians unknowingly mirror societal patterns, including the celebration of birthdays, which can reflect a form of compromise. The historical context reveals that such celebrations are linked to pagan practices, as noted by early figures who observed that only sinners like Pharaoh and Herod made great rejoicings over their birth days. This suggests a caution against adopting customs that may conflict with spiritual integrity. As with other traditions, the celebration of birthdays can become a subtle entry point for worldly desires, drawing individuals away from standing firm in their faith. The danger lies in small compromises that erode spiritual standards over time, leading to greater deviations from God's way. Just as Solomon's seemingly minor infractions led to significant spiritual consequences, so too can the acceptance of such customs subtly weaken one's commitment to truth. Christians are urged to guard against being enticed by secular pleasures and to remain vigilant, ensuring that their practices align with the purity of their devotion to God.

False prophets, theologians, and scholars of the early Roman Catholic Church took it upon themselves to decide that Jesus Christ's birthday should be celebrated, yet they could not agree on when, causing confusion that persists to this day. Scripture does not reveal the day of His birth, but due to the influence of false prophets, often termed 'respectable authorities,' every month of the year has at one time been considered as the birth month of Jesus. Since the inspired written Word of God does not disclose this date, they selected a time coinciding with the pagan winter celebration of the rebirth of the sun within the Roman Empire, further illustrating the confusion and misdirection fostered by such doctrinal syncretism.