TENNIS

Jehovah’s Witness Serena Williams won’t be celebrating her daughter’s birthday because of her religion

Published

3 years ago

Serena Williams has revealed she won’t be celebrating daughter Olympia’s birthday due to religious beliefs. The tennis champion first welcomed her daughter three years ago with husband Alexis Ohanian but has no plans to mark the occasion.

Speaking to People, the 39-year-old mother explained: “Olympia doesn’t celebrate birthdays.

“We’re Jehovah’s Witnesses so we don’t do that.”

The official website for Jehovah’s Witnesses sites that they do not celebrate birthdays because they believe the celebrations “displease God” and is thought to have pagan roots. The website also states: “Although the Bible does not explicitly forbid celebrating birthdays, it does help us to reason on key features of these events and understand God’s view of them.”

Williams has previously opened up about struggling with “postpartum emotions” and how she “didn’t feel like a good mum”. In an emotional Instagram post from earlier this month, Williams revealed that the mental impact of motherhood had left her “in a funk”.

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Williams wrote: “Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom. “I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to 3 years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal.

“It’s totally normal to feel like I’m not doing enough for my baby.”