Serena Williams will not celebrate daughter’s first birthday due to Jehovah’s Witness beliefs

Serena Williams has revealed that she won’t be celebrating her daughter Olympia’s first birthday in September due to religious beliefs, Metro reports.

‘Olympia doesn’t celebrate birthdays,’ the 36-year-old tennis pro said. ‘We’re Jehovah’s Witnesses, we don’t do that.’

Practicing Jehovah’s Witnesses do not observe holidays they believe to have a pagan origin—such as Christmas, Easter, and birthdays. They believe God is the Creator and Supreme Being, and reject the Trinity doctrine.

It is believed Serena’s husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is now practicing with his wife, despite not growing up in a religious household.

Speaking to Vogue last year, Serena said: ‘Being a Jehovah’s Witness is important to me, but I’ve never really practiced it and have been wanting to get into it. ‘Alexis didn’t grow up going to any church, but he’s really receptive and even takes the lead. He puts my needs first.’