The Bible on Birthdays – by Chiamaka Okafor

I have celebrated birthdays since I knew I could age. Not once had it ever come to my mind that something as jolly as birthdays could or could not be Biblical. Now I find myself asking, “is the Bible against birthdays?” Today, let’s take a look at the Bible and see if it has anything to say about birthdays.

When it comes to birthday celebrations, the Bible seems to explicitly have an account of
two birthday celebrations: Pharaoh’s birthday (Genesis 40:20-22) and Herod’s birthday (Matthew 14:6-11, Mark 6:21-28). These two accounts are of “pagan rulers” who celebrated their birthdays often inviting people of high status. Pharaoh’s birthday was commemorated with a celebration for all his officials. He restored the chief cupbearer and killed the chief baker just as Joseph had described in his interpretation of the two servants’ dreams.

Herod held a banquet for his military and nobles on his birthday. This was where Herodias led her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist. Do these two instances suggest that birthday celebrations are a pagan ritual? I would rather think that these birthdays were mentioned because something important to the story being told occurred during those celebrations.

For the story of Joseph, the events of Pharaoh’s birthday particularly prove that Joseph’s dream interpretation is true. For John the Baptist, the account of what happened at Herod’s birthday informs us of the exact nature of John’s death. In the Bible, we are introduced to the birth of some key figures such as Moses, John the Baptist, and Jesus. We also know that there seems to be a record of how old most  people in the Bible are. We know that Jesus was about 30 when he began his ministry.

Genesis provides a record of how long people lived from Adam to Moses. How could we
know that if these people or someone else were not keeping a record of how long they
had been on the earth since their birth. Numbering our days or having an awareness of how long we have lived can be useful to help us use the time God has given us wisely.
Setting up reminders of God’s goodness over the years is also something that scripture
is not against (Joshua 4:1-7).

If celebrating or remembering the anniversary of one’s birth were something to be avoided, God would have at least mentioned it as a command somewhere in the Bible. Are there any particular verses that specifically mention that people should not remember or celebrate the day of their birth? I haven’t found any. If you have, you can share in the comments. For now, we can say that there is no command to celebrate birthdays or avoid birthdays. It is simply a day one can choose to remember or
celebrate if they desire.

Here are some things I have in mind when I consider birthdays:
When it comes to celebrating with another person on the event of their birthday, I think
that celebrating with those who celebrate is acceptable. It can be a good way to show brotherly love to another believer and thank God with them for another year of life. It can
also be a way to show them that we are grateful to God for our friendship with them.

Are birthdays forbidden? They are not forbidden in the Bible. It is safe to say that the
conclusion is, whatever we do, let God be honored and glorified in our remembrance or
celebration of our birthdays.