Birthday

Early Bible Students accepted remembering birthdays and giving birthday presents. In 1907, Daily Heavenly Manna was recommended as a birthday gift, and in 1909 Russell received a birthday present at a convention while The Watch Tower advertised birthday cards. In 1910, a publication interpreted the meal involving Jacob and Esau as possibly connected with Abraham's birthday, and in 1914 the Photo-Drama of Creation described Job's children as attending a birthday party. Birthday records continued to be promoted in 1912 and 1916. In 1929, The Golden Age published a contributor's proposal to give gifts to acquaintances on the giver's birthday. In 1936, publications began presenting Scriptural objections to birthday celebrations and criticizing the birthday honoring of prominent people. Nevertheless, a published report in 1940 still mentioned a believer's birthday observance. In 1947 the publications argued that ancient Israelites did not hold annual birthday celebrations, and in 1951 they explicitly discouraged Christians from celebrating birthdays or attending such celebrations. In 1959, birthday gift-giving was discouraged in favor of gifts on other occasions. In 1960 and 1964, instructions were applied to school birthday parties, while in 1961 wedding anniversaries were distinguished from birthdays and left to personal decision. In 1968, Christians were instructed to refuse participation in birthday celebrations, including those of relatives and prominent people. The 1975 Yearbook acknowledged that earlier Bible Students had celebrated birthdays and subsequently abandoned the practice. By 1980, Job's children's gatherings were explained as possible harvest feasts rather than birthday parties, reversing the interpretation printed in 1914. In 1992, the publications clarified that pagan origins were not the principal reason for abstaining, emphasizing the unfavorable Biblical accounts instead. In 1998, wedding anniversaries were again distinguished from birthdays. Subsequent publications maintained the refusal to celebrate birthdays while allowing ordinary gatherings and spontaneous gifts. An official explanation published in 2015 expressly acknowledged that the Bible does not explicitly prohibit birthdays. The teaching remained unchanged through 2026, when guidance also permitted congratulating relatives on the birth of a child and giving gifts on that occasion.