Sunday, March 6, 2022

Happy Birthday?

Happy Birthday? It seems unusual to see a question mark after the popular phrase, "happy birthday" doesn't it? The reasoning is that I'm calling into question this celebration that seems to practiced by people all around the globe. Where did the origin of birthday celebrations originate? We're they a common practice among believers in Scripture? Did the early "church" fathers celebrate them? When did it become acceptable and should it be among Christians?

Remember, Paul warned the Colossians not to be led captive through philosophies, principles, fundaments, traditions and opinions of men. (Col. 2:8)

To begin, there are only three passages in Scripture that we see anyone observing birthdays. They pertain only to two individuals, namely:

1) Pharaoh - Ge. 40:20; and
2) Herod - Mt. 14:6; Mk. 6:21

Pertaining to Pharaoh’s birthday, no evidence for celebrations surrounding the birthday of a pharaoh is known until the first millennium BC. The day of birth may refer to the anniversary of his accession or coronation as king (cf. Ps 2:7), for which there is evidence as early as the Sixth Dynasty (second half of the third millennium). - Cultural Backgrounds SB

Concerning Herod’s birthday:

Only Pagans held birthday celebrations; Jews never did. And the Jews used to look on the Pagan birthday celebrations as a terrible act of shame. In fact, there was a phrase, “Herodis dies” in Latin, which means “Herod’s birthday,” and it came to be a proverb for excessive, orgiastic festivals. In those days, the Romans held stag birthday parties. All the birthday parties were stag parties; only men came – and they were gluttonous, and they were drunken brawls, and they were climaxed by women who came in and danced immoral, lewd, seductive dances; and then the thing became an orgy; and that was Herod’s birthday. - JMSB

Aside from these two men there are no references to observance to a person's date of birth. Therefore we shall look at some sources outside of the Scriptures to gain insight into this custom that we take for granted. Our search begins with astrology.

The Babylonians are generally credited with the birth of astrology. Babylonian astrology was introduced to the Greeks early in the 4th century B.C. and, through the studies of Plato, Aristotle, and others, astrology came to be highly regarded as a science. It was soon embraced by the Romans (the Roman names for the zodiacal signs are still used today) and the Arabs and later spread throughout the entire world. (https://www.astrologers.com/about/history)

“Astrology is an ancient system of divination based on the belief that the stars can influence the fate and behavior of men and the general course of human events. A belief in the supernatural powers of the celestial bodies was common to the Babylonians, Egyptians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans. In the 4th century BC, it reached the Greeks and somewhat later the Romans.” (Negev, Avraham. The Archaeological Encyclopedia of the Holy Land. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1990.)

Horoscope - The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
  1. The aspect of the planets and stars at a given moment, such as the moment of a person's birth, used by astrologers.
  2. A diagram of the signs of the zodiac based on such an aspect.
  3. An astrological forecast, as of a person's future, based on a diagram of the aspect of the planets and stars at a given moment.

In Scripture we find reference that God does not want His people to observe or practice the ways and customs of the other nations around them, including astrology.

Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment [5172], nor observe times [6049]. - Le. 19:26

5172 nachash {naw-khash'}
Meaning: 1) to practice divination, divine, observe signs, learn by experience, diligently observe, practice fortunetelling, take as an omen 1a) (Piel) 1a1) to practice divination 1a2) to observe the signs or omens

6049 anan {aw-nan'}
Meaning: 1) (Piel) to make appear, produce, bring (clouds) 2) (Poel) to practise soothsaying, conjure 2a) to observe times, practice soothsaying or spiritism or magic or augury or witchcraft 2b) soothsayer, enchanter, sorceress, diviner, fortuneteller, barbarian, Meonenim (participle)

 15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
 16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
 17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
 18 The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
 19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
 20 But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day. - Dt. 4:15-20

 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. - Ro. 1:21-25

 9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
 10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
 13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
 14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do. - Dt. 18:9-14

We even see that the prophets derided those that consult astrologers.

 12 Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.
 13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.
 14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it. - Is. 47:12-14

 2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. * Jer. 10:2

There are also references to astrology in the apocrypha. In the Book of Jubilees 12:16–18 it says that Abraham overcame the beliefs of astrologers by accepting one God. In the first Book of Enoch (8:3) includes astrology among the sins spread among mortals by the primeval giants (nefilim).

It is palpable that astrology and all things relating to it are an abomination to the Lord. Which things consist of horoscopes and birthdays.

“The Egyptians… discovered to which of the gods each month and day is sacred; and found out from the day of a man’s birth, what he will meet with in the course of his life, and how he will end his days, and what sort of man he will be” (Herodotus, Persian Wars, Book II, ch. 82)

Since it was believed that the positions of the stars at the time of birth influenced a child’s future, astrological horoscopes came into being, purporting to foretell the future, based on the time of birth. “Birthdays are intimately linked with the stars, since without the calendar, no one could tell when to celebrate his birthday. They are also indebted to the stars in another way, for in early days the chief importance of birthday records was to enable the astrologers to chart horoscopes” (The Lore of Birthdays, p. 53). Rawlinson’s translation of Herodotus includes the following footnote: “Horoscopes were of very early use in Egypt… and Cicero speaks of the Egyptians and Chaldees predicting… a man’s destiny at his birth"

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 Lore of Birthdays (New York, 1952) by Ralph and Adelin Linton, pgs 8, 18)

The ancient Romans enthusiastically celebrated birthdays with hedonistic parties and presents (Argetsinger K. "Birthday Rituals: Friends and Patrons in Roman Poetry and Cult." Classical Antiquity 11 (2), 1992: pp. 175–193).

It is of little wonder that we find disdain of birthday observances among the Jews, as we view more of their beliefs and practices:

 The famous historian Titus Flavius Josephus lived in the first century - a contemporary with Christ - and he wrote:

"Nay, indeed, the Law does not permit us to make festivals at the births of our children, and thereby afford occasion of drinking to excess; but it ordains that the very beginning of our education should be immediately directed to sobriety. It also commands us to bring those children up in learning, and to exercise them in the Laws, and make them acquainted with the acts of their predecessors, in order to their imitation of them, and that they might be nourished up in the Laws from their infancy, and might neither transgress them, nor have any pretense for their ignorance of them." (Josephus. Translated by W. Whiston. Against Apion, Book II, Chapter 26. Extracted from Josephus Complete Works, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids (MI), 14th printing, 1977, p. 632). 

The Imperial Bible-Dictionary (London, 1874), edited by Patrick Fairbairn, Vol. I, p. 225 says:

 "The later Hebrews looked on the celebration of birthdays as a part of idolatrous worship, a view which would be abundantly confirmed by what they saw of the common observances associated with these days."

 M'Clintock & Strong's Cyclopedia (Vol. I, p. 817) says the Jews "regarded birthday celebrations as parts of idolatrous worship ... , and this probably on the 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."

"Birth-day: The observance of birth-days was common in early times (Job 1:4, 13, 18). They were specially celebrated in the land of Egypt (Gen. 40:20). There is no recorded instance in Scripture of the celebration of birth-days among the Jews. On the occasion of Herod's birth-day John the Baptist was beheaded (Matt. 14:6)." - Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary

In addition, even among the early "church: fathers the observance of birthdays were frowned upon.

"Some one of those before us has observed what is written in Genesis about the birthday of Pharaoh, and has told that the worthless man who loves things connected with birth keeps birthday festivals; and we, taking this suggestion from him, find in no Scripture that a birthday was kept by a righteous man. " (Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol IX Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew Chapter XXII, p429)

“The notion of a birthday festival was far from the ideas of the Christians of this period in general.” (The History of the Christian Religion and Church, During the Three First Centuries; New York, 1848, Augustus Neander - translated by Henry John Rose, p. 190.)

Grolier's The New Book of Knowledge, 1979, p. 289 states: "The early church fathers frowned upon the celebration of birthdays and thought them a heathen custom."

Origen of Alexandria, in 245 A.D., wrote in a dissertation on Leviticus that:

". . . none of the saints can be found who ever held a feast or a banquet upon his birthday, or rejoiced on the day when his son or daughter was born. But sinners rejoice and make merry on such days. For we find in the Old Testament that Pharaoh, king of Egypt, celebrated his birthday with a feast, and that Herod, in the New Testament did the same. But the saints not only neglect to mark the day of their birth with festivity, but also, filled with the Holy Spirit, they curse this day, after the example of Job and Jeremiah and David."

The writings of the late third century Catholic theologian Arnobius show that, even that late, most Catholics were against the celebration of birthdays as he wrote: "...you worship with couches, altars, temples, and other service, and by celebrating their games and birthdays, those whom it was fitting that you should assail with keenest hatred." (Arnobius. Against the Heathen (Book I), Chapter 64. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 6. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1886.).

The origin of birthday celebrations among Christians was inaugurated in the fourth century when faith and practice became syncretized with gnostic philosophies and took hold of another, foreign identity after Constantine supposedly came to Christ and granted Christians full liberty, favoring them in every way. Thus for the first time it became popular to be a Christian.

No comments:

Post a Comment