Not that I can think of. The ages of many people are recorded, so the records were being kept, but I don't think we ever see anyone observing a birthday as it passed. --Well, Alatea has identified two occasions that I overlooked. And a word search indicates that these are the only two in the Bible. So, the Bible doesn't forbid the observance of birthdays, these two don't do much to commend it.

I think it is pretty clear that births were celebrated, but if you mean the annual celebration of the day on which a person was born, no, it does not say anything specific. ______ I will add a clarification based on feedback... Whether you read more into these accounts or not, they really don't "say anything specific about birthdays." The references to Pharaoh and King Herod - if these are correctly understood as two "birthday parties" - appear only to say "these things happened at the time of the ruler's birthday." I would accept "these two rulers chose to celebrate birthdays with these events," but I personally can't read any more into these accounts than that. I don't agree that one can extract any general principles about birthdays from the few words in these two accounts. Genesis 40:20 Now the third day was Pharaoh's birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. Mark 6:21 ...On his birthday Herod gave a banquet In both cases it is reasonable to understand this to mean he gave a feast BECAUSE it was his birthday, but that's about it. That really is all it says SPECIFICALLY about birthdays. I stand by my initial analysis - these statements can not be objectively understood as "about birthdays." They are only a record that on two occasions a feast happened on a ruler's birthday. It might be fair to say that this indicates that ancient rulers had feasts on their birthdays or to infer other things from this and other texts, but that would not be "anything specific about birthdays," it would be inference.

Yes. In an attempt to avoid paganism some religions don’t celebrate birthdays. Scripture does mention birthdays although not in celebration of them. The Pharaoh of Egypt on his birthday killed his baker (Gen 40:20); King Herod on his birthday killed John the Baptist. (Matt 14:6). There's nothing in these verses to indicate birthdays were of pagan origin. These two men celebrated something in association with themselves not an idol or pagan god. Nothing in the Bible condemns birthdays. God has shown his creative power in the life of a baby. A baby's birthday is nothing more then remembrance of the day God gave life to the child. If God does not specifically condemn or prohibit something, then man has no authority to create a law and bind it upon others for obedience and faith. Man-made edicts and religious laws have no Scriptural authority. No one is obligated to follow or observe what is not found in the Word of God by principle or by direct reference. There is nothing in the Word of God that by principle or direct reference condemns observing birthdays.

I dont recall the verse, but I believe jesus himself said worship not me, or even my birthday. (thank God for santa clause huh?)

We are not bound to legalistic observance of days. Calvin in his "Instruction in Faith" wrote some 500 years or so ago that the reason they switched from worshipping on Saturdays to worshipping on Sundays was simply so Jewish believers wouldn't get legalistic about it having to be a certain day of the week. But consider these verses: Romans 14:4 Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. 5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. Galatians 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Also, I would recommend reading all Romans chapter 14, which addresses the topic quite well. We should not be legalistic about such things but as with eating meat should abstain from it if it hurts another Christian's faith. We should act for the sake of others even if something is not a requirement. And whatever is not of faith is sin. But we do not have the right to condemn others over man-originated/carnal commandments such as observance of holidays, food restrictions, or required fasting.

There is no scripture that says "Thou shalt not celebrate birthdays, just as their is no scripture that says, "Thou shalt not smoke cigerettes ( or crack cocaine!) We need to reason on Bible principles in such cases. Ask yourself, does any faithful Bible character do this in the Bible? Celebrating birthdays is rooted in superstition and false religion, but that is not the sole or prime reason why Jehovah’s Witnesses avoid the practice. There is no denying, though, that numerous reference works reveal the superstitious and religious antecedents of celebrating birthdays. The Encyclopedia Americana (1991 edition) notes: “The ancient world of Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Persia celebrated the birthdays of gods, kings, and nobles.” It says that the Romans observed the birth of Artemis and the day of Apollo. In contrast, “although the ancient Israelis kept records of the ages of their male citizens, there is no evidence that they had any festivities on the anniversary of the birth date.” Other reference works go into considerable detail about the origin of birthday celebrations: ‘Birthday parties began years ago in Europe. People believed in good and evil spirits, sometimes called good and evil fairies. Everyone was afraid of these spirits, that they would cause harm to the birthday celebrant, and so he was surrounded by friends and relatives whose good wishes, and very presence, would protect him against the unknown dangers that the birthday held. Giving gifts brought even greater protection. Eating together provided a further safeguard and helped to bring the blessings of the good spirits. So the birthday party was originally intended to make a person safe from evil and to insure a good year to come.’—Birthday Parties Around the World, 1967. The book explains, too, the origin of many birthday customs. For example: “The reason [for using candles] goes back to the early Greeks and Romans who thought that tapers or candles had magical qualities. They would offer prayers and make wishes to be carried up to the gods by the flames of candles. The gods would then send down their blessings and perhaps answer the prayers.” Other such background information is collected on pages 69 and 70 of Reasoning From the Scriptures, published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. As mentioned, however, more is involved in this question than whether celebrating birthdays was or still is religious. The Bible brings up the matter of birthdays, and mature Christians wisely are sensitive to any indications it gives. God’s servants of old noted when individuals were born, which allowed them to figure ages. We read: “Noah got to be five hundred years old. After that Noah became father to Shem, Ham and Japheth.” “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, . . . all the springs of the vast watery deep were broken open.”—Genesis 5:32; 7:11; 11:10-26. As even Jesus mentioned, among God’s people childbirth was a blessed, happy event. (Luke 1:57, 58; 2:9-14; John 16:21) Yet, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not memorialize the date of birth. Encyclopaedia Judaica says: “The celebration of birthdays is unknown in traditional Jewish ritual.” Customs and Traditions of Israel observes: “The celebration of birthdays has been borrowed from the practices of other nations, as no mention is made of this custom among Jews either in The Bible, Talmud, or writings of the later Sages. In fact, it was an ancient Egyptian custom.” That Egyptian connection is clear from a birthday celebration related in the Bible, one that true worshipers were not observing. It was the birthday feast of the Pharaoh who ruled while Joseph was in an Egyptian prison. Some of those pagans may have been happy over the feast, yet the birthday was linked to the beheading of the chief of Pharaoh’s bakers.—Genesis 40:1-22. A similar unfavorable light is shed on the other birthday celebration described in the Scriptures—that of Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great. This birthday celebration is hardly presented in the Bible as just innocent festivity. Rather, it occasioned the beheading of John the Baptizer. Then, “his disciples came up and removed the corpse and buried him and came and reported to Jesus,” who ‘withdrew from there into a lonely place for isolation.’ (Matthew 14:6-13) Do you imagine that those disciples or Jesus felt drawn to the practice of birthday celebrations? Given the known origin of celebrating birthdays, and more important, the unfavorable light in which they are presented in the Bible, Jehovah’s Witnesses have ample reason to abstain from the practice. They do not need to follow this worldly custom, for they can and do have happy meals any time during the year. Their gift giving is not obligatory or under the pressure of a party; it is spontaneous sharing of gifts at any time out of generosity and genuine affection.—Proverbs 17:8; Ecclesiastes 2:24; Luke 6:38; Acts 9:36, 39; 1 Corinthians 16:2, 3.

According to the Scriptures, the day the baby was born was usually one of rejoicing and thanksgiving on the part of the parents, and rightly so, for "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." (Ps 127:3; Jer 20:15; Lu 1:57, 58) However, there is no indication in the Scriptures that faithful worshipers of the true God ever indulged in the pagan practice of annually celebrating birthdays. The Bible makes direct reference to only two birthday celebrations, those of Pharaoh of Egypt (18th century B.C.E.) and Herod Antipas (1st century C.E.). These two accounts are similar in that both occasions were marked with great feasting and granting of favors; both are remembered for executions, the hanging of Pharaoh's chief baker in the first instance, the beheading of John the Baptizer in the latter.-Ge 40:18-22; 41:13; Mt 14:6-11; Mr 6:21-28. With the introduction of Christianity the viewpoint toward birthday celebrations did not change. Jesus inaugurated a binding Memorial, not of his birth, but of his death, saying: "This do in remembrance of me." (Lu 22:19) If early Christians did not celebrate or memorialize the birthday of their Savior, much less would they celebrate their own day of birth. Historian Augustus Neander writes: "The notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians of this period." (The History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the Three First Centuries, translated by H. J. Rose, 1848, p. 190) "Origen (a writer of the third century C.E.) . . . insists that 'of all the holy people 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 make great rejoicings over the day on which they were born into this world below.'"-The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913, Vol. X, p. 709. Clearly, then, the festive celebration of birthdays does not find its origin in either the Hebrew or the Greek Scriptures. Additionally, M'Clintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia (1882, Vol. I, p. 817) says the Jews "regarded birthday celebrations as parts of idolatrous worship ..., and this probably on account of the idolatrous rites with which they were observed in honor of those who were regarded as the patron gods of the day on which the party was born." The origin of popular customs associated with birthday celebrations: "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."-Schwabische Zeitung (magazine supplement Zeit und Welt), April 3-4, 1981, p. 4. "The Greeks believed that everyone had a protective spirit or daemon who attended his birth and watched over him in life. This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born. The Romans also subscribed to this idea ... . This notion was carried down in human belief and is reflected in the guardian angel, the fairy godmother and the patron saint ... . The custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeks ... . Honey cakes round as the moon and lit with tapers were placed on the temple altars of (Artemis) ... . Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowed with special magic for granting wishes ... . Lighted tapers and sacrificial fires have had a special mystic significance ever since man first set up altars to his gods. The birthday candles are thus an honor and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune ... . Birthday greetings and wishes for happiness are an intrinsic part of this holiday ... . Originally the idea was rooted in magic ... . Birthday greetings have power for good or ill because one is closer to the spirit world on this day."-The Lore of Birthdays (New York, 1952), Ralph and Adelin Linton, pp. 8, 18-20. In Deuteronomy 18:9-12, God tells us how he feels about those who practice magic, calling them an "abomination." Clearly, anyone who wishes to please the true God would not want to be considered an abomination by Jesus or his Father.

In the first scripture you cite, Jesus was less than 2 years old, and not even perfect babies can tell somebody not to worship them in two-word sentences. In the second scripture you cite, the word "worshipped," which I assume you got from the King James Version, is a version (and a mistranslation) of a Greek word meaning "bowed down to" as in a gesture of respect, not worship, just as Asian cultures today do not worship people they meet just because they bow out of respect. The cross-reference/footnotes in the King James Version also admit that it means "honored." You can honor someone without worshipping them. The point is, Jesus is certainly worthy of honor and great respect. In fact, we must recognize his great authority and his sacrifice to be saved by him. However, he himself directed all worship to his Heavenly Father, as in Mt 4:10, where he quoted from the 10 commandments. The confusion come in from using a Bible VERSION instead of a translation. In a version, the writer takes liberties with what he believes is meant. The King James Version has taken the liberty of removing the Father's name from most of the Bible, leading to confusion in the texts you cited.

But why are JW's so strict about not celebrating birthdays. They say that the early Christians did not celebrate birthdays...the reason they say not to is because Pharoah and Herod having a birthday celebration and bad things happening at it..i.e.someone getting their head cut off. Forgive me for the lack of scriptural back up, Im new to all this and don't have much background info at the mo. I read the questions above but I want to dig deeper into why exactly JW's say this and is it wrong to celebrate birthdays as they say ?? or is it just down to man's interpretation?? I hope you can help anyone.

Er... Jesus was born on what we now know as christmas day?

Jesus of Nazareth was born within a few minutes of 6:30-7:30 pm on the evening of September 11th, 3 BC. Source cited; http://petragrail.tripod.com/page5.html Enjoy.

The bible does not directly say not to celebrate birthdays, but if you reason on how God feels about celebrations with pagan origins AND you look up the actual origin of birthdays, for example this site: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_origin_of_birthday_celebrations ANOTHER, in more detail: http://www.triumphpro.com/birthdays_origin.htm If you really get to know God and know how he feels about things, you could come to a conclusion as to what is and what is not acceptable to Him.

All the commentary and background information given about this topic is surely appreciated. I think there’s one source, at least to me, that sums up this particular day as one we could certainly do without in every form. The Church of Satan’s views our birthday as the most important holiday of the year. Anton LaVey, leader of the Church and author of The Satanic Bible states in the Book of Lucifer: “The highest of all holidays in the Satanic religion is the date of one's own birth. This is in direct contradiction to the holy of holy days of other religions, which deify a particular god who has been created in an anthropomorphic form of their own image, thereby showing that the ego is not really buried. The Satanist feels: "Why not really be honest and if you are going to create a god in your image, why not create that god as yourself." Every man is a god if he chooses to recognize himself as one. So, the Satanist celebrates his own birthday as the most important holiday of the year. After all, aren't you happier about the fact that you were born than you are about the birth of someone you have never even met? Or for that matter, aside from religious holidays, why pay higher tribute to the birthday of a president or to a date in history than we do to the day we were brought into this greatest of all worlds? Despite the fact that some of us may not have been wanted, or at least were not particularly planned, we're glad, even if no one else is, that we're here! You should give yourself a pat on the back, buy yourself whatever you want, treat yourself like the king (or god) that you are, and generally celebrate your birthday with as much pomp and ceremony as possible. After one's own birthday, the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht and Halloween (or All Hallows' Eve).” I skimmed over this Bible and noticed how every single thought, comment, and doctrine was in direct contrast to what our Most High God teaches us. I believe that our Holy Bible was inspired by the Almighty, so it’s not too far fetched to believe that Mr Lavey’s bible was inspired by Satan himself. Therefore, I have no other choice than to reject and totally eliminate from my life anything that is mentioned as good in this unholy writ including the acknowledgement and/or celebration of ones day of birth.

I appreciate all of the answers and input given. I am a Christian and I too had questions about birthday celebrations and/or acknowledgements. During my research, I stumbled along something alarming. There is one source that, for me, answers the birthday question once and for all. The Church of Satan's number one holiday is ones own day of birth. Anton Lavey, the church's leader and author of the Satanic Bible, states in the Book of Lucifer: "THE highest of all holidays in the Satanic religion is the date of one's own birth. This is in direct contradiction to the holy of holy days of other religions, which deify a particular god who has been created in an anthropomorphic form of their own image, thereby showing that the ego is not really buried. The Satanist feels: "Why not really be honest and if you are going to create a god in your image, why not create that god as yourself." Every man is a god if he chooses to recognize himself as one. So, the Satanist celebrates his own birthday as the most important holiday of the year. After all, aren't you happier about the fact that you were born than you are about the birth of someone you have never even met? Or for that matter, aside from religious holidays, why pay higher tribute to the birthday of a president or to a date in history than we do to the day we were brought into this greatest of all worlds? Despite the fact that some of us may not have been wanted, or at least were not particularly planned, we're glad, even if no one else is, that we're here! You should give yourself a pat on the back, buy yourself whatever you want, treat yourself like the king (or god) that you are, and generally celebrate your birthday with as much pomp and ceremony as possible. After one's own birthday, the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht and Halloween (or All Hallows' Eve). "

Yes. The angels in heaven rejoiced in song on the day of the birth of Jesus Christ, God the Son. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:10-14) With love in Christ.

actually lala, I do believe your "version" of the bible adds a name to the new testament that was never in any of the original scriptures. the name jehovah, was never in any translation, or version of any new testament. this is a quote from an article by George Howard in the March 1978 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, who believes that the tetragrammaton was removed from the new testement. "This thesis has not found wide acceptance, and Howard has qualified it: "my theory about the Tetragrammaton is just that, a theory. Some of my colleagues disagree with me (for example Albert Pietersma). Theories like mine are important to be set forth so that others can investigate their probability and implications. Until they are proven (and mine has not been proven) they should not be used as a surety for belief." If this is how you as jw's read the bible, with added names, and scriptures (ie: john 1:1 "in the beginning was the Word and the word was with God and the Word was God", while your "version" says "was a god"), then how are we to believe anything else that comes from your religion? What do you think of the Mormoms? do you think they are a cult, and misled also? how is that any different from your "version"? The Word of God is the Word of God. Jesus is the Word, who was with God, and who is God!!

No, not really,...except that there was "rejoicing" on the birth of many individuals. Dates are really unknown. We don't really know on what day of the year Jesus was born, for example. It was not December 25th. That is an arbitrary date for the celebration of Christmas. It was to off-set the Saturnalia/Winter Solstice festival of pagan tradition. The ancient Hebrews were not really into the celebration of birthdays. There were holy days that were observed faithfully. Perhaps they were afraid individual birthday celebrations would interfere with these.

the Bible has mention of 2 birthday celebrations by atheist kings.....

The only two birthday celebrations spoken of in the Bible were held by persons who did not worship GOD. (Genesis 40:20-22; Mark 6:21, 22, 24-27) The early Christians did not celebrate birthdays. The custom of celebrating birthdays comes from ancient false religions. Gen. 40:20-22 "Now on the third day it turned out to be Phar´aoh’s birthday, and he proceeded to make a feast for all his servants and to lift up the head of the chief of the cupbearers and the head of the chief of the bakers in the midst of his servants. 21 Accordingly he returned the chief of the cupbearers to his post of cupbearer, and he continued to give the cup into Phar´aoh’s hand. 22 But the chief of the bakers he hung up, just as Joseph had given them the interpretation." Mark 6:21,22,24-27 "But a convenient day came along when Herod spread an evening meal on his birthday for his top-ranking men and the military commanders and the foremost ones of Gal´i·lee. 22 And the daughter of this very He·ro´di·as came in and danced and pleased Herod and those reclining with him. The king said to the maiden: “Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother: “What should I ask for?” She said: “The head of John the baptizer.” 25 Immediately she went in with haste to the king and made her request, saying: “I want you to give me right away on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” 26 Although he became deeply grieved, yet the king did not want to disregard her, in view of the oaths and those reclining at the table. 27 So the king immediately dispatched a body guardsman and commanded him to bring his head. And he went off and beheaded him in the prison" A name is better than good oil, and the day of death than the day of one's being born." (Ecclesiastes 7:1) I don't know about you but the Bible does not seem to relate well about birthdays!

History of Birthdays It is customary today to celebrate a living person’s birthday. But if one Western tradition had prevailed, we’d be observing annual postmortem celebrations of the death day, once a more significant event. Many of our birthday customs have switched 180 degrees from what they were in the past. Children’s birthdays were never observed, nor were those of women. And the decorated birthday cake, briefly a Greek tradition, went unbaked for centuries – though it reappeared to be topped with candles and greeted with a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday to You”. How did we come by our many birthday customs? In Egypt, and later in Babylonia, dates of birth were recorded and celebrated for male children of royalty. Birthday fetes were unheard of for the lower classes, and for women of almost any rank other than the queen; only a king, queen, or high-ranking nobleman even recognized the day he or she was born, let alone commemorated it annually. The first birthday celebrations in recorded history, around 3000 B.C., were those of the early pharaohs, kings of Egypt. The practice began after Menes united the Upper and Lower Kingdoms. Celebrations were elaborate household feasts in which servants, slaves and freedmen took part; often prisoners were released from the royal jails. Two ancient female birthdays are documented. From Plutarch, the first-century Greek biographer and essayist, we know that Cleopatra IV, the last member of the Ptolemaic Dynasty to rule Egypt, threw an immense birthday celebration for her lover, Mark Antony, at which the invited guests were themselves lavished with royal gifts. An earlier Egyptian queen, Cleopatra II, who incestuously married her brother Ptolemy and had a son by him, received from her husband one of the most macabre birthday presents in history: the slaughtered and dismembered body of their son. The Greeks adopted the Egyptian idea of birthday celebrations, and from the Persians, renowned among ancient confectioners, they added the custom of a sweet birthday cake as hallmark of the occasion. The writer Philochorus tells us that worshipers of Artemis, goddess of the moon and the hunt, celebrated her birthday on the sixth day of every month by baking a large cake of flour and honey. There is evidence suggesting that Artemis’s cake might actually have been topped with lighted candles, since candles signified moonlight, the goddess’s earthward radiance. Birthdays of Greek deities were celebrated monthly, each god hailed with twelve fetes a year. At the other extreme, birthdays of mortal women and children were considered too unimportant to observe. But when the birthday of the man of the house arrived, no banquet was deemed too lavish. The Greeks called these festivities for living males Genethlia, and the annual celebrations continued for years after a man’s death, with the postmortem observances known as Genesia. The Romans added a new twist to birthday celebrations. Before the dawn of the Christian era, the Roman senate inaugurated the custom (still practiced today) of making birthdays of important statesmen national holidays. In 44 B.C., the senate passed a resolution making the assassinated Caesar’s birthday an annual observance – highlighted by a public parade, a circus performance, gladiatorial combats, an evening banquet, and a theatrical presentation of a dramatic play. With the rise of Christianity, the tradition of celebrating birthdays ceased altogether. To the early followers of Christ, who were oppressed, persecuted, and martyred by the Jews and the pagans – and who believed that infants entered this world with the original sin of Adam condemning their souls – the world was a harsh, cruel place. There was no reason to celebrate one’s birth. But since death was the true deliverance, the passage to eternal paradise, every person’s death day merited prayerful observance. Contrary to popular belief, it was the death days and not the birthdays of saints that were celebrated and became their “feast days.” Church historians interpret many early Christian references to “birthdays” as passage or birth into the afterlife. “A birthday of a saint,” clarified the early Church apologist Peter Chrysologus, “is not that in which they are born in the flesh, but that in which they are born from earth into heaven, from labor to rest. There was a further reason why early church fathers preached against celebrating birthdays: They considered the festivities, borrowed from the Egyptians and the Greeks, as relics of pagan practices. In A.D. 245, when a group of early Christian historians attempted to pinpoint the exact date of Christ’s birth, the Catholic Church ruled the undertaking sacrilegious, proclaiming that it would be sinful to observe the birthday of Christ “as though He were a King Pharaoh.” In the fourth century, though, the Church began to alter its attitude towards birthday celebrations – and it also commenced serious discussions to settle the date of Christ’s birth. The result, of course, marked the beginning of the tradition of celebrating Christmas. It was with the celebration of Christ’s nativity that the Western world returned to the celebration of birthdays. By the twelfth century, parish churches throughout Europe were recording the birth dates of women and children, and families were observing the dates with annual celebrations. Around this time, the birthday cake reemerged, now topped with candles.

The bible doesn't use the exact words "Do not celebrate birthdays." That's because god did not make us mindless robots. He gave brains and his word to make our own determination to the decisions in our lives. So read the bible and make up your own mind. In the book of Gen. 40:8-23 Joseph foretold a dream that a man had. Joseph told him that he would be beheaded on King Phar'aoh's birthday. And it happened. Also, in the book of Matt. 14:2, it mentions Jesus cousin John the Baptist. In verse 4 of chap.14,John the Baptist told King Herod it was not lawful for the King to be sleeping around with his brother's wife, Herodias. King Herod was ashamed and mortified, so he threw John the Baptist in prison. In verse 6 of chap 14, It says that Herodias danced for King Herod and it pleased him so much that he promised her whatever she wanted. Then under her mother's coaching said:"Give me here upon a platter the head of John the Baptist." (Matt. 14:8) And he was killed. Matt.14:13- " Hearing this Jesus withdrew from there by boat into a lonely place for isolation..." There is nothing mentioned in the bible that Jesus and his disciples had to stop their ministry in order to make a cake, find candles, wrap presents or sing "Happy Birthday." What was the popular saying for a while that Christians were using and wearing... WWJD(What Would Jesus Do).If your family member was murdered at someone's request on a certain celebration, wouldn't you have a bad regard for those who continued on celebrating what brought you and your family so much grief? For Jesus to find a lonely place for isolation, shows us that even though he was a perfect man, he had feelings as we do.