Why do Jehovah’s Witnesses not celebrate birthdays?

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Three Jehovah's Witnesses stand beside literature carts, holding religious magazines, at the Star Ferry Pier under a blue sign for City Hall and MTR Station in Hong Kong. — Jehovah’s Witness Adherents of the Jehovah's Witness movement distributing literature about their faith in Hong Kong, China.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because they view such observances as having "pagan" origins that are inconsistent with their restorationist goal of returning to the practices of early Christianity.1

This rejection of birthdays is consistent with their broader stance on traditional holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, which they also avoid for similar reasons. Instead of celebrating birthdays or traditional holidays, the group focuses on the annual commemoration of Jesus’ death, known as the Memorial Meal or Lord’s Evening Meal, which they observe in accordance with biblical instructions.1