Birthday celebrations, though seemingly harmless and fun, are portrayed in a negative light within the biblical accounts. The Bible records only two instances of birthday celebrations, both associated with tragic outcomes. In Genesis 40, Pharaoh's birthday marks the restoration of his butler but also the hanging of his baker, while Joseph remains imprisoned for two more years. Similarly, in Matthew 14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-29, Herod's birthday feast leads to the corruption of his step-daughter and the execution of John the Baptist, prompted by Herodias' vengeful demand. These events suggest that birthday celebrations often bring out the darker aspects of human nature. Although the people of the Bible marked their ages, there is no record of any man or woman of God celebrating a birthday. This distinction between acknowledging a day and honoring it through celebration highlights a lack of God-ordained origin for such practices. Instead, birthday celebrations are seen to emphasize selfishness and pride, redirecting glory from the Creator to the creation. Gift-giving at these events further reinforces this self-centered focus, honoring an undeserving recipient rather than giving praise to God for His creations and gifts. The spiritual principle guiding this matter is clear: all actions should bring glory to God. Celebrating birthdays can promote wrong attitudes like self-exaltation and vanity, which conflict with the humility and God-centered focus that should characterize a true Christian life. If any celebration fosters a wrong spirit, it should be avoided to maintain alignment with God's higher perspective.

Only two birthday celebrations are mentioned, and each is linked with a tragic event. There are no instances of any man or woman of God participating in a celebration of their own birthday, nor did Jesus Christ ever mark the anniversary of His birth in any way. God places far greater importance on the development of spiritual character and being born into His Kingdom than on celebrating physical birth. It is clear that God does not desire His people to adopt a self-serving and greedy approach in how they regard the anniversary of their birth. There is, however, a significant difference between simply acknowledging that someone is a year older and observing the occasion with a celebration. The date of one's birth or the fact of aging is not inherently wrong, nor is the giving of gifts. Recognizing milestones in life, such as reaching teenage years, becoming old enough to drive, or attaining a significant age, is perfectly proper for family and friends to acknowledge. Simple recognition of an achievement is not wrong. In contrast, a birthday celebration with typical customs—inviting guests, giving elaborate gifts, baking and decorating a cake, lighting candles, and similar activities—often emphasizes flattery, vanity, and a self-centered attitude, which are contrary to the principles found in God's Word.

The celebration of birthdays, as tied to the origins of Christmas, stems from ancient pagan practices that are abhorrent to God. After Nimrod's death, his mother and wife, Semiramis, promoted the belief that he was a god, claiming that on the anniversary of his birth, which fell on the winter solstice at the end of December, he would visit an evergreen tree and leave gifts under it. This custom of honoring birthdays with gifts and celebrations has roots in deception, as Semiramis used it to perpetuate the worship of Nimrod as a deified figure. Historical records also note that early church fathers acknowledged that in the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on their birthday, associating such rejoicings with sinners. The blending of these pagan birthday customs into later traditions further distanced them from the truth that God desires, focusing instead on falsehoods and materialistic practices that do not honor Him.