DID YOU KNOW? 1. The Only Birthdays Mentioned in the Bible Were Pagan Kings. In the Bible, birthdays that were recorded were connected with pagan rulers, not God's people. Example: Pharaoh 📖 Genesis 40:20 – On Pharaoh’s birthday, he executed the chief baker. Herod Antipas 📖 Matthew 14:6–10 – During Herod’s birthday celebration, John the Baptist was beheaded. Because of these negative events, some Christians concluded that birthday celebrations were not part of God’s people’s practice. 2. Early Christians Focused More on Death Than Birth Early Christians believed the day of death of a faithful believer was more important, because it marked their victory in Christ. 📖 Ecclesiastes 7:1 “The day of death is better than the day of birth.” They believed the new life in Christ was more important than the physical birthday. 3. Some Early Church Leaders Opposed Birthday Celebrations Some early Christian writers discouraged birthday celebrations because they thought it came from pagan customs. Examples: Origen (3rd century) He wrote that only sinners like Pharaoh celebrated birthdays, not righteous believers. Tertullian also criticized many pagan customs connected with celebrations. So the opposition to birthdays started with early Christian thinkers, not just modern churches. 4. Why Many Christians Celebrate Birthdays Today Today many Christians celebrate birthdays because: The Bible does not directly forbid it. It can be used to thank God for life. It is seen as a family celebration, not a religious ritual. So different churches have different views. ✅ Summary Reason Some Christians avoid birthdays Because of pagan origins and negative Bible examples Early proponents Early Christian writers like Origen Many Christians today celebrate Because the Bible does not clearly forbid it