Did the Jews celebrate their birthdays?

[Magicsilence]

Obviously they do now.

But before Christ, did the Jews celebrate their birthdays? Or was it not something important?

In Christ.

Andre.

 

[Nicene]

Magicsilence:

Obviously they do now.

But before Christ, did the Jews celebrate their birthdays? Or was it not something important?

In Christ.

Andre.

I would say that’s a yes. The midrash traces the Bar Mitzva back to the time of Abraham. It begins on thirteenth birthday or technically the first day of the fourteenth year after his birth, a year earlier for a girl.

Peace and God Bless
Nicene

 

[thistle]

I think there is a previous thread on this because someone was trying to see if they could could work out when Jesus was born.
Although I can’t remember for sure but I think the answer was that birthdays were not celebrated by the Jews in those days.

 

[Magicsilence]

thistle:

I think there is a previous thread on this because someone was trying to see if they could could work out when Jesus was born.
Although I can’t remember for sure but I think the answer was that birthdays were not celebrated by the Jews in those days.

If so, why do we celebrate the Birth of Christ, and not, say his Bar mitzva?

Just curious.

In Christ.

Andre.

 

[thistle]

Magicsilence:

If so, why do we celebrate the Birth of Christ, and not, say his Bar mitzva?

Just curious.

In Christ.

Andre.

More learned posters can help you out on this one. We don’t celebrate his bar mitzva presumably because we are not Jewish. Non Jews do not celebrate this event. We tend to celebrate birth and subsequent birthday anniversaries.

 

[puzzleannie]

actually in the early Church the birth of Jesus was less important than Easter, the commemoration of his death and resurrection. Christmas and the associated events such as Epiphany and the Presentation became feasts much later, in large part due to the influence of Helen, mother of Constantine and later devout empresses. they made it their business to discover the actual locations of various events in the life of Jesus and Mary and to build churches on those sites. the early Church also usually celebrated a saint’s feast on the day of his death (usually by martyrdom), not his birthday, presumably because that would be the day he entered heaven.

 

[Wildgraywolf]

Magicsilence:

If so, why do we celebrate the Birth of Christ, and not, say his Bar mitzva?

Just curious.

In Christ.

Andre.

I’m just gonna throw this out there…

I think maybe we do in a round about sorta way…The Fifth Joyful Mystery;The Child Jesus Lost and Found in the Temple. Aparently there was no set celebration or ritual at that time; it happened automatically when the boy reached the age of 13. Yeah, I know the Bible says Jesus was 12, but what if it was very close to His Birthady?

Luk 2:46 On the third day they found him in the Temple, sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions. Luk 2:47 All who heard him were amazed at his intelligent answers.

 

[Thal59]

Magicsilence:

If so, why do we celebrate the Birth of Christ, and not, say his Bar mitzva?

Just curious.

In Christ.

Andre.

Bar Mitzvah means “son of the commandment.” It means the boy is now responsible for his actions as well as his sins. He can be responsible for observing the commandments. It would be a good guess that Jesus was responsible towards the commandments long before the age of 13.

Since the status of Bar Mitzvah occurs automatically upon the 13th birthday, no formal celebration need be observed. Such celebrations vary from culture to culture, and from age to age.

Thal59

 

[Aaron_I]

Magicsilence:

If so, why do we celebrate the Birth of Christ, and not, say his Bar mitzva?

Just curious.

In Christ.

Andre.

Because we’re not celebrating his birth so much as the Incarnation. The Incarnation is the most important part of salvation history outside of Christ’s death and resurrection.