Actually JW's do not celebrate anniversaries of Birthdays - they do celebrate birth in a way - or your birth day - the day (not the anniversary) of your birth. Being a blessing and all of that. ;)

Athrael is correct. Like most people, we love babies and their families. Being responsive to others' needs, we like to give gifts and help where we can. It can be said that we do celebrate the only birthday that everyone has. We visit newborns and their mothers, and do what we can to share their joy. This has nothing to do with remembering that date every year. The day of birth is really a big deal; the anniversary of it is, to us, just another day to be glad for all the good things we have.

A baby shower is not a birthday, it is just giving a gift to a baby before its born or after its born, it has to do with just giving gifts not celebrating the childs birthday. celebrating the day the child is born is a bit different than an annual celebration than just keeps on repeaing itself over and over again. There can only ever really be 1 birthday the actual day and year the child was born and never again after because you can never relive that one special day, it only happens once for all time.

Baby showers celebrate birth, but also have a practical function of friends and family coming together to help the new parents get those things necessary to care for their baby (gifts).

Why not? A birth is a wonderful gift from our creator. Celebrating that day - or event is normal for all people. Except we do not continue on a yearly basis. Hope that helps. Malc in Spain

births and anniversaries of the births are two different things. Children are a gift from God and the births should celebrate that.

I DO NOT AGREE WITH ALL THE COMENTS TO THIS QUESTIONS! I MY SELF STUTY THE BIBLE VERY CAREFULLY AND IN THE ALL THE BIBLE, I HAVE NOT READ THAT THE FIRST CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN CELEBREATING BIRTHDAYS OR THE BIRTH OF UNBORN BABY !!!! THIS TRADITION ORIGINATES FROM EGIYPT AND IT WENT ON TILL THE ROMAN EPMIRE! AND AS MANY OF YOU CLAIM TO KNOW THE BIBLE MAY KNOW THAT THERE WAS NEVER TRUE CHRISTIAN BELIVES. I ALSO KNOW MANY WHO ARE CELEBRATING WEDDING ANIVERSIS( BUT THIS IS ANOTHER TOPIC) DID ANYONE KNOWS OR HAVE READ WHEN DID JESUS CHIRST HAD HIS BABY SHOWER CERLEBRATION OR THE FIRST CHRISTANS??????? IN MY OPINION I BELIVE YOU TRY TO TRICK GOD - NOT CELEBREATING BIRTHDAYS BUT BIRTH OF UNBORN CHILD. IN A SENCE IT IS THE SAME OR MAYBE MORE AS BIRTHDAY BECOUSE YOU DO HAVE A PARTY WITH ALCOHOL! DO YOU THINK YOU FOLLOW THE TRUE GOD JEHOWA

Cause they want the free gifts

Baby shower not linked to any pagan celebrations:) As for birthdays: The first mention of a birthday is in Genesis when Joseph was in Egypt and he interpreted the meaning of a dream. The dream included, among other things, the hanging of the chief baker on Pharaoh's birthday (see Gen 40:20-22). In the New Testament, the other mention concerns the beheading of John the Baptist when Herod was celebrating his own birthday. During the party, Herod promised Herodias' daughter any gift she wanted, because he was so pleased by her dancing. At her mother's urging, she asked for John's head and she received it on a platter (see Matt. 14:6-10). Some religions make a big thing of these events to demonstrate to their members the importance of not celebrating birthdays. Another scripture they use, to persuade belief in their attitude, is Ecclesiastes 7:1,8: ...the day of death [is better] than the day of birth...[and] the end of a thing is better than its beginning...(RSV). To be sure, this sentiment was felt by most of the Old Testament Hebrews. And to the early Christians, the birthday revelry of the Romans was looked upon as pagan orgies.