Birthday celebrations and their biblical interpretaton

gmeskel

Q. Birthday celebrations are everywhere these days. I have some questions for everyone to discuss.
Are birthday celebrations Christian custom?
What exactly is the origin of birthday celebrations?
Should Christians these days have a reason to celebrate birthdays?
Should Christians celebrate the day they were born or the day they were baptized?

Looking forward to hearing a lot from you guys!

Khepra

I've been dying for someone to discuss this topic. I thought we were just supposed to celebrate name days. And if you have some weird non-saint arabic name, then you celebrate your baptismal name-day.

mabsoota

birthday celebrations are not Christian in origin, but it's fine to celebrate them.

for me, the date i joined the orthodox church is more special than my birthday, but if you have been born on a feast day of a favourite saint, you might like your birthday more.

always, we like to celebrate things, so let's celebrate the mercy of God in making us, baptising us and showing us His love everyday.

let's celebrate by loving all those around us who do not know about this great love.

and happy Christmas too!

the best and most important birthday!

:-)

ReturnOrthodoxy

Are you guys for real? What is this separation of the spiritual from reality. This is not true spirituality. Spirituality is real which means that it exists as a part of real life, and not something which we must live to the exclusion of normal societal norms. I won't even say that celebrating birthdays is "ok" because that implies that there could possibly be something not ok with it. And so what if something isn't Christian in origin? Christianity itself was Jewish in origin. The calendar used by the church is pagan in origin. Celebrating your birthday is normal and has been done for ages.

Christianity was never meant to be a world within itself. A world where normal progress of life is replaced with a spiritual equivalent. Where we don't have halloween, we have a commemoration of the past saints. Where we don't have birthdays we have name days. I was born February 24th. Nothing special about that day. But I don't even know the day I was baptized. Its not like God loved me more then than he did at birth, or at conception. 

We've become so closed off, we christians, that we've almost stopped being Christian altogether and started being "hipsters." Where were so afraid of the outside world and want to have a Christian alternative to EVERYTHING. Its not just about birthdays at this point. I wonder what Jesus would have thought if he came back today and saw the world we've set up. A world within a world. And then He would likely ask, "What was wrong with the world I made? What was wrong with the people around you that I gave?" 

My beef is not with the birthday question, but I am simply tired of Christianity being an alternative life to those in the world. It makes Christianity so irrelevant to reality, and thus, not real. Its no wonder people are forsaking religion. Its simply because religion has become something outside life. One cannot be a normal functioning member of society and a dedicated saint. Its holier to celebrate your name-sake day than your birthday lol

My birthday is February 24. Save the date, everyone. I want a cake sent to my house. 

Ray

cyril

+1000

Khepra

Calling Christianity a religion implies that it is in the mixing pot with the rest of the religions. Didn't Christ say something like 'you are not of this world'?

qawe

ReturnOrthodoxy said:

Where were so afraid of the outside world and want to have a Christian alternative to EVERYTHING.

Even music *cringes*

ReturnOrthodoxy

Khepra said:

Calling Christianity a religion implies that it is in the mixing pot with the rest of the religions. Didn't Christ say something like 'you are not of this world'?

I dont get your objection. The term "Jesus" is a name. Does it devalue that name to be considered a "name?" Christianity is a religion, just like hinduism and islam are "religions." the difference is one is true, the others are false. Simple. And we need to make clear distinction of what Christ mean when he said "of this world." Because as I remember "the son of man came eating a drinking." "Eating and drinking are characteristics of this world...

Ray

Khepra

No. Christianity is the struggle to be Christ-like and partakers of the Divine Nature. Religion is a set of beliefs that sums up what you get to do and not do as a way of keeping life interesting for an otherwise dull, boring and soul-crushing human life lacking Christ. Calling Christianity a religion is just an extension of the plague called 'political correctness'. Christianity is truth as you mentioned, and by virtue of being true it is axiomatic and autonomous. We cannot call Christianity a true version of something that can be true or false. Like a story or gossip can be true or false. Religions are all false. Christianity is above all the rest in a far superior way that it cannot be classified and bundled with the rest.

Likewise eating and drinking are characteristics of human nature. 'The Son of Man came eating and drinking' was to confirm his humanity and the truth about the incarnation. If we choose to not be of this world by not eating and drinking we are then committing suicide. The ascetic fathers did abstain to some varying degrees, but God would deal with them by causing a tree to grow in the middle of the desert, or by giving them some sort of power over hunger as they were completely immersed in prayer and contemplation. Other things of this world that are not essential to life or the way we are created and live can be done away with. I personally celebrate by 'birthday' four months after my actual date of birth since my name-sake is celebrated four months after my biological birthday. As far as I know, any birthday mentioned in the bible has always been the birthday of someone who wasn't a believer in God, such as Pharaoh or Herod. Also, I think Origen says that Christians should look upon birthday celebrations with disgust, but I need to confirm that.

Lastly, I do believe Christianity is a world within itself. After all, when we enter the Liturgy we enter a celebration above time, and by 'extension', space. 

BTW. I'm loving this conversation. And yes, I do support your mission statement 'ReturnOrthodoxy' If that's what it is.

GB

ReturnOrthodoxy

Many of the feast days of the saints are commemorations of their birthdays. I have yet to find a commemoration of a saint's baptism as being one of the saints commemoration days. Further, if we celebrate the birthdays of saints who have passed, why can I not commemorate the birthdays of saints who are still alive (my fellow brothers and sisters?) And if I can celebrate theirs, why can they not celebrate mine? Ill post more about the world within a world after. 

Ray

[Deleted User]

I thought we celebrate the departure or martyrdom of the saint, rather than the birth. Wrong misconception?

ReturnOrthodoxy

Both. That is why doxologies are often sung twice a year. Take a look through the synaxarium. For example, Jan 1st is Abba Takla's birthday. 

Ray

Khepra

Those saints whose birthday we celebrate (St. Mary, John the baptist, St Takla) were born to parents who were either too old or barren. That's why we celebrate the 'miracle' of their birth. And I think St Takla's birthday commemoration has been removed from the new Synaxarium.

I don't think we are all miracles. I'm certainly not, considering my birthday coincided to the day with the 1541th anniversary of the opening session of Chalcedon.

[Deleted User]

Khepra said:

Those saints whose birthday we celebrate (St. Mary, John the baptist, St Takla) were born to parents who were either too old or barren. That's why we celebrate the 'miracle' of their birth. And I think St Takla's birthday commemoration has been removed from the new Synaxarium.

Wasn't aware of this. Are those the only three births we commemorate?

Khepra

I think so. You'll have to double check.

gmeskel

Well, let me explain my perspectives regarding the discussion. I don't have anything against cultures and customs. We shouldn't continue practicing a custom only because it existed.  I am not saying we should stop practicing some custom because pagans have practiced that in the early days either. However, We need to regard our life and way of living with regard to the Bible - the Word of God. I would like to confirm that any custom or culture I follow, or
celebrate for that matter, takes me closer to the Word of God -
definitely not away from it.

This question just popped to my mind from my observations in my Country. I a believer of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church. Let me tell you about birthday celebrations in Ethiopia. Birthday celebrations in Ethiopia have been simple events for ages. As far as I knowl, some years back no one used to celebrate birthdays after the age of 7. And those birthdays below 7 years of age were considered as moments for wishing the baby a happy life and pleading God to bless the life of the baby and grow him/her in a Godly way. The birthdays I see these days are very different from I used to see in many ways:
      1. The way they are celebrated is negative, at least for me. It is full of dances, drinks, and various sins. I even wonder if we remember the Almighty God for adding the years to our lives in our birthdays.
       2. The birthdays I see these days are not actually the customs of the mass; they are customs of the West that inundated us as a result of globalization. Because they were never celebrated the way they are today. I would like to hear from you guys if that is different in Egypt.
       3. They have the idea of  giving too much focus and attention to oneself, which I believe is not a Christian belief and tradition. God should be the center of our lives.
   
Actually it is not birthdays that is bad; it is the way it is celebrated. It becomes evil when you practice it in a way that is not Godly. Personally I couldn't find a reason to celebrate birthdays as it is practiced today. That is why I asked if the day one is baptized should be celebrated instead of birth days coz that sounds reasonable. Actually, it an important event for everyone coz it confirms our union with God by being children of God.

May I know how it is celebrated Orthodox community in Egypt, in case it is different?

mabsoota

interesting discussion.

since i became orthodox (i was a protestant Christian before), i don't feel like having birthday parties.

no one told me not to; it's just not such a big deal.

maybe it's because i am becoming middle aged!

;)