Birthdays: Why We Celebrate Them & Traditions Around the World (#101)

When you think about it, how we celebrate birthdays is pretty self-centered. Your friends and family stop what they’re doing to celebrate you by buying you presents, baking you treats or buying you drinks, and maybe even throwing a surprise party for you.

In some other countries, this idea is turned on its head, and your birthday is a time for you to celebrate the people in your life. You’re the one who bakes the cake and buys the drinks. But there are also some birthday traditions around the world that we might find intriguing or even bizarre, so I thought I’d share some of them!

Why do we celebrate them?

I’m going to start with a little bit of history about why we actually celebrate birthdays, because it wasn’t always the done thing. However, the lack of history on early birthday celebrations may be due to a lack of wealth. There is a theory that the nobles were the only people who could afford to have birthday celebrations, and anyone other than these nobles were not likely to have been written about. So it could be that many birthday celebrations did happen, but there was no one to document them.

So let’s go right back to some of the earliest civilisations, when people had no way to keep track of time other than by using the moon, sun, or some other important event. This made it difficult for them to pay attention to the anniversary of a person’s birth.

As time went on, people realised that they all experienced the effects of aging, they just didn’t have a means to mark a special milestone for it. It wasn’t until ancient people began taking note of the moon’s cycles that they began paying attention to the change in seasons as well. They also noticed this pattern repeated itself over and over again, so they began marking these changes in time.

Enter the first calendars, which marked time changes and other special days. With this time tracking system, they were now more able to celebrate birthdays and other significant events and anniversaries each year.

Scholars have said that the earliest mention of a birthday was around 3,000 B.C.E. and was in reference to a Pharaoh’s birthday — but further studies imply that this was not their birth into the world, but their “birth” as a god. When Egyptian pharaohs were crowned in ancient Egypt, they were considered to have transformed into gods, and this moment became a more important moment in their lives than their actual birth.

Fast forward to Ancient Greece, when gods and goddesses were a huge part of Greek culture. As a tribute to the lunar goddess Artemis, the Greeks would offer up moon-shaped cakes adorned with lit candles to recreate the glowing radiance of the moon and Artemis’ perceived beauty. The candles also symbolised the sending of a signal or prayer. So we potentially have the Greeks to thank for our tradition of birthday candles!

It is assumed that the Greeks adopted the Egyptian tradition of celebrating the “birth” of a god. They, like many other pagan cultures, thought that days of major change, such as these “birth” days, welcomed evil spirits. They lit candles in response to these spirits almost as if they represented a light in the darkness. This implies that birthday celebrations started as a form of protection.

In addition to candles, friends and family would gather around the birthday person and protect them from harm with good cheers, thoughts, and wishes. They would give gifts to bring even more good cheer that would ward off evil spirits.

It was then the ancient Romans who were the first to celebrate the birth of the common “man.” This seems to be the first time in history where a civilization celebrated the birth of non-religious figures. Regular Roman citizens would celebrate the birthdays of their friends and family members. Any Roman turning 50 years old would receive a special cake baked with wheat flour, olive oil, grated cheese, and honey. But an important thing to note is that only men would experience this birthday celebration (of course). Female birthdays were not celebrated until about the 12th century.

In Christianity, it is believed that all people are born with “original sin.” That, in combination with early birthdays being tied to pagan gods, led Christians to consider birthdays to be celebrations of evil. This lasted for the first few hundred years of the existence of the Christian Church. It wasn’t until the 4th century that Christians abandoned that way of thinking and began celebrating the birth of Jesus. Celebrating the birth of Jesus was partly enacted to recruit those who already celebrated Saturnalia, the Roman holiday.

At this point, birthdays had been celebrated around the world, even in China, where a child’s first birthday was more special than most. Kinderfest, which started in the late 18th century, was the name for a German birthday party that is closest to today’s style of parties. This party was held for German children and featured a birthday cake with candles. Kids were given one candle on the cake for each year they had been alive, plus one for the hope of living for at least one more year. Blowing out these candles while making a wish was a big part of these celebrations.

For a long time, sugary cakes were a birthday commodity only wealthy people had access to, because the ingredients were seen as luxuries. But then the Industrial Revolution happened, and it made way for more people to be able to enjoy birthday celebrations with cakes and other goods. The required ingredients became more widely available, and in combination with advances in mass production, bakeries could now offer customers pre-made cakes at lower prices.

So now that we know a little bit about the history of birthday celebrations, let’s have a look at some of the ways people did, or still do, celebrate birthdays around the world. I’ve covered quite a few countries and would have loved to cover more, but I just ran out of time and would be here for hours if I covered every single country!

Quinceañera

Starting with a tradition that you’ve probably already heard of, in Latin American countries, a girl’s 15th birthday is celebrated with a quinceañera. It marks the passage from girlhood to womanhood, and it’s both a religious and a social event that emphasises the importance of family and society in the life of a young woman. It’s celebrated in Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as in Latino communities in the US and elsewhere.

The celebration begins with a mass in church, attended by the girl and her family and godparents, to give thanks for the girl making the transition to a young woman. The girl may wear a full-length ball gown in the colour of her choice and carry a matching bouquet.

This is followed by a reception, or party, to which friends and relatives are invited. The party is an extravagant affair that goes on for several hours. There will be flowers, balloons and decorations matching the birthday girl's dress. The party will consist of dinner and dancing, and the parents, godparents, and often other family members have roles to play in the celebration. There are also a few symbolic elements that I think are particularly common in Mexico (and as always, I’ll try my best with pronunciations but I apologise in advance):

• Chambelanes: This would be translated as "chamberlains," these are boys or young men who escort the quinceañera and perform a choreographed dance with her. The dance is referred to as a waltz, but often incorporates other dance styles. Girls might ask friends, cousins or other family members, neighbours, or anyone they know.
• La última muñeca (the last doll): The birthday girl is presented with a doll which is said to be her last doll because after turning fifteen she will be too old to play with them. As part of a ritual she passes the doll on to a younger sister or other younger family member.
• El primer ramo de flores (the first flower bouquet): the birthday girl is offered a bouquet of flowers which is symbolically the first flowers she is offered as a young woman.
• Finally, the girl might break fifteen small piñatas, one for each year of her life. (This sounds like the most fun part for me!)

The climax of the festivities is the cutting of a multi-tiered birthday cake, and the guests sing the traditional birthday song, Las Mañanitas, to the birthday girl.

The quinceañera is celebrated on a grand scale and often ends up being very costly for the family. For this reason it is customary for the extended family and good family friends to make contributions, with money or help in providing the things that are necessary for the party. In more recent times, some families may decide not to throw a party, and will instead use the money that would have gone towards it for the girl to go on a trip instead.

Germany

Germany has some strange traditions, as explained by Shaun Behrens who runs a podcast called The Germany Experience, about life in Germany from the eyes of outsiders (he’s from South Africa).

First, in Germany, it is customary to approach the person whose birthday it is, wish them happy birthday, and then shake their hand. This means that if you’re the one celebrating your birthday, you can pretty much expect to be shaking hands all day. (I wonder how that works at the moment?) In a German children’s song about birthdays, there’s a line that means, “we shake your hand eternally”.

Next, if it’s your birthday in Germany and you invite people out to a bar to celebrate, the cardinal rule is: you’re paying! (I actually think this isn’t too crazy. Like, if you’re inviting people along to celebrate your birthday, should they have to pay?) Many German birthday hosts opt to pay for only starters or just the first round of drinks, which is acceptable, provided that you make it clear to your guests in advance that they will need to pay for themselves for the rest of the evening.

Following on from that, it’s also your responsibility to provide cake (or other celebratory snacks) on your birthday for your co-workers — and you’re not off the hook if your birthday falls on a day when you’re not at work. For example: if your birthday is on a Saturday, your colleagues will be expecting cake on Monday. You can opt not to provide anything, but in most cases, it will be frowned upon.

Finally, the strangest of all the German birthday traditions: you never, under any circumstances, mention someone’s birthday before their birthday. This means no early birthday cards, no early gifts, no party before your birthday, and no early birthday wishes. The most impractical part of this rule is that you are fairly limited regarding exactly when you can hold your birthday party. Let’s say you have a birthday coming up while you’re on vacation for a few weeks, and you would like to celebrate with your friends on the weekend before you leave. Nope, then you’re just having a normal party, and not a birthday party. Celebrating afterwards is fine (even months after your actual birthday), but never before.

The only case where you may celebrate the day before is if you’re planning to celebrate into your birthday, then you may have a party on the day before. Your friends all arrive, but no one will mention why they are there. Then at midnight, everyone counts down like it’s New Year’s Eve, and only then do you get your birthday wishes.

Brazil

In Brazil, family, friends, and even strangers will pull at the ears of the birthday celebrator, one tug for each year old. The idea behind the custom is to wish that the child lives so long that their ears touch the ground.

Ecuador

In Ecuador a child may only receive a phone call or a card on their actual birthday as they celebrate their birthday on the day of the saint they are named after. Saints day parties are usually an afternoon tea party where the children are served raisin cake, fancy tea cookies, and hot chocolate.

When a girl turns 15 there is a great celebration where the birthday girl wears a pink dress, and her father puts on the girl’s first pair of high heels and dances the waltz with her while 14 girls and 14 boys also dance the waltz along with them.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, certain birthdays are more special than others. Just like in the UK and US we put more emphasis on ages 16, 18, and 21, people in the Netherlands call special years the Crown Years. Crown years happen at age 5, 10, 15, 20, and 21. On these days, kids receive big gifts and are treated with lemonade and hot chocolate. (Linde, please tell us if this is true!)

Vietnam

In Vietnam, everyone’s birthday is celebrated on New Years’ Day in a celebration called Tet. Not only is Tet the beginning of a New Year, it is also everyone's birthday. The Vietnamese don’t acknowledge the exact day they were born; instead, a baby turns one on Tet no matter when they were born that year. Children say they were born in the year of the symbol of the lunar calendar for that year.

On the first morning of Tet, adults congratulate children on becoming a year older by presenting them with red envelopes that contain money. These envelopes are given to the children by parents, siblings, relatives and close friends.

China

According to a few sources, the Chinese typically only celebrate certain birthdays: the first, 10th, 60th, 70th, and 80th. The 60th birthday is important because it is seen as completing a full zodiac.

Birthdays are typically family affairs, but they can also be big events. Food includes a bowl of long-life noodles, which are long noodles that the person slurps into their mouth. It is believed that a long slurp equals a long life for the person celebrating. The biggest birthday gala for a Chinese child happens at age one. Relatives and friends bring armfuls of small treasures to spread near the baby, like a pen, coins, flowers, a book, and so on. Whatever the baby grabs first is supposed to mark what he or she will be drawn to or do later in life.

Also, the actual day of the person's birth might not be when the person celebrates their birthday. Chinese people recognise their birthday by the Chinese astrological calendar. At birth, the child is seen as one-year-old and turns two on the Chinese New Year. If a child is born at the end of one year, he might be seen as two-years-old when he is technically only two days-old.

Japan

In Japan, birthdays aren't celebrated annually like they are in a lot of other places. Similar to Chinese traditions, the Japanese traditionally celebrate a person turning a year older on New Year's Day. Similar to birthdays in the Western world, small gatherings, a cake, and singing might occur. Instead of an official party, young children participate in the 7-5-3 celebration, which is held on November 15th. Because children often died young in ancient times, when a boy reaches the age of five, or a girl reaches the ages of three and seven, the child puts on their finest clothes and visits a religious shrine to give thanks for health. Children might also be allowed to purchase a bag of sweets.

India

In India, birthdays are spiritual as well as secular celebrations. Indian children start their birthdays by visiting a shrine with their parents for blessings for the year ahead. That’s followed by a party of food, desserts, and dancing—and gifts of new clothes and accessories like bracelets that they can wear to school the next day.

Egypt

In Egypt, family and friends are invited to a party that includes singing and dancing. Flowers and fruit are the main party decorations and are "seen as symbols of life and growth." Egyptians usually have a birthday cake but do not send birthday cards like people do in some Western countries like the US and UK.

Australia

A lot of birthday parties in Australia are barbecues. The weather is typically warm, so it makes sense to take the festivities outdoors. Parties are typically decorated with balloons and streamers. A cake with candles is brought out, and the birthday person makes a wish before blowing out the candles. Giving the "key to the house" occurs when the person celebrating a birthday comes of age. This tradition is also celebrated in Ireland. It signifies the ability for the new adult to come and go as they see fit. Children eat a special dish called fairy bread, which is white bread slathered with butter and covered with coloured sprinkles.

Norway

Norwegians are big on celebrating birthdays. Children whose birthdays fall on a school day will be recognised in class, and Norwegians celebrate birthdays with parties, including food, music, dancing, and cake. The cake is typically chocolate or a fruit-and-cream cake. Typical party foods might include seafood and fresh fruit. The 18th birthday is a big one in Norway, as kids make the formal transition to adulthood. Hence, this birthday might be larger than usual. Similar to Germany, instead of someone else throwing a party for the birthday celebrator, the birthday girl/boy plans their own party and invites family and friends.

Canada

In Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland) the birthday child is ambushed and their nose is greased with butter for good luck. The greased nose makes the child too slippery for bad luck to catch them. This tradition is reputed to be of Scottish descent. In Quebec the birthday person receives a punch for each year they are alive and then one for good luck.

US

In the US, throughout history, Native American tribes have placed significance on milestones in a child's development rather than the day they were born. The day a child takes their first step is cause for just as much rejoicing as the day they accept the responsibilities of an adult, get married, become a parent, etc.

Some children receive birthday "spankings", which were originally based on superstition, but are now more of a birthday prank or a joke. Hundreds of years ago, spankings were given for each year of the birthday child's life. Beyond that number, a child received another spanking to grow on, one to live on, one to eat on, one to be happy on, and yet another spanking to get married on. At one time, it was considered back luck if the birthday celebrant was not spanked because it was believed to "soften up the body for the tomb." Historians are unsure if this practice was treated as a joke, as people view it today.

Today, the majority of American children (and in the UK and I’m sure a ton of places around the world too) celebrate birthdays with a cake topped with lit candles, often representing how old they are. The birthday person is supposed to make a wish, without telling anyone what it is, and they blow out the candles. If all the candles go out with one breath, it is believed that the wish will come true.

If you’re from any of these countries or you know more about the traditions there, please tell us if you do any of these, if you’ve even heard of them, or how you celebrate instead!