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Prince reportedly once said he wanted President Obama to outlaw birthdays and Christmas. “Why doesn’t Obama just outlaw birthdays?” the “Purple Rain” singer once asked Van Jones, the CNN political commentator reveals in a story published Thursday in GQ magazine. The “Purple Rain” singer, who died in April at age 57 from an accidental drug overdose, was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in 2003. Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays because they “believe that such celebrations displease God” and because Christmas has pagan roots, according to the Church’s official website. “Although we choose not to celebrate Christmas ourselves, we respect each person’s right to decide for himself in this matter. We do not interfere in the Christmas celebrations of others,” the website states. Jones said Prince told him, “I was hoping that Obama as soon as he was elected, would get up and announce there’d be no more Christmas presents and no more birthdays — we’ve got too much to do. Jones, who indicated he was laughing during the conversation with the music superstar, replied, “I don’t know if that would go over too well.” https://origin-nyi.thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/309451-van-jones-prince-wanted-obama-to-outlaw-birthdays-christmas