Birthdays Are the Ultimate Shared Human Experience
A Look at Celebrations & Traditions Around the Globe
Benjamin Franklin said nothing is certain except death and taxes, but he forgot to mention birthdays. Some of us rejoice in them and some of us try to avoid them, but every one of us has one, every single year. And while our celebrations may vary according to culture and personal preference, birthdays are a universal reminder that we have successfully navigated another trip around the sun.
In the US and elsewhere, people are known to celebrate with parties, cake and candles, dinner out, cards, and singing “Happy Birthday.” For some people, birthday celebrations stretch into a week or longer. “It’s my birthday month!” you might hear someone exclaim when they want special treatment. Let’s take a look at some common birthday celebrations around the world—and some quirky ones, too.
A Celebration in Song
Did you know “Happy Birthday” is one of the most recognized songs in the English language? And that it’s been translated into numerous languages?
Happy birthday to you / Happy birthday to you / Happy birthday dear [name] / Happy birthday to you.
That simple verse is sometimes followed with “How old are you now?” (repeated several times) or “And many more!” If your friends are feeling feisty, it may devolve into something like:
Happy birthday to you / You live in a zoo / You look like a monkey / And you smell like one too.
Have Your Cake
Birthday cakes run the gamut from simple frosted cakes to festive ice cream cakes to fancier options. Often, cakes are topped with candles for the celebrant to blow out after “Happy Birthday” is sung. Some people use one candle per year of age (sometimes with an extra for good luck); others use a single candle or candles that have been formed into the shape of numbers to represent the person’s age.
Sometimes people will use “trick candles” on a cake that are impossible to blow out. Everyone gets a laugh out of watching the birthday person unsuccessfully huff and puff.
Milestone Birthdays
1: This is a milestone birthday in many cultures. For Hindus, children ages one or three have their heads shaved during a mundan ceremony. In Hawaii, the first birthday often means a luau with a pig roast; for Nigerians, first-birthday celebrations may include a whole roasted cow!
10: Turning 10 marks entry into double digits.
13: This signifies the start of puberty. In Judaism, age 13 (12 for girls) marks entry into adulthood with the honoree becoming a bar or bat mitzvah.
15: In Latin American cultures, a quinceañera is a religious and social celebration of a girl’s 15th birthday. The quinceañera includes a Catholic Mass and a party.
16: Sixteen often means driving privileges—and a special “sweet 16” party.
18: In many countries, age 18 marks the beginning of adulthood and brings drinking rights and/or voting rights.
21: A significant milestone in many cultures, marking the legal drinking and voting age.
30: For many people, 30is a sort of “real entry” into adulthood. In the US, some women dress like princesses and dunk their faces into plates of birthday cake. When a single man in Germany turns 30, it is tradition for them to sweep the steps of their local city hall as their friends throw debris at them.
40: The entrée into mid-adulthood.
50: You’ve been alive for a half-century!
60: A milestone that heralds the retirement decade. In Japan, turning 60 (known as kanreki) is seen as a rebirth. In Korea, the 60th birthday, known as hwangap, is also a major milestone.
88: The 88th birthday celebration is known among Japanese as beiju or yone no iwai. The characters that represent the number 88 resemble the character for rice, and rice is a symbol of purity and happiness.
Party Hearty
From small family affairs to elaborate celebrations, parties are a birthday staple. Children’s birthday parties often feature a theme, such as a beloved movie. Parties can also be much more lavish affairs.
In Egypt, birthday parties, include singing and dancing. Decorations include flowers and fruit, which symbolize growth and new life.
In China, birthday celebrations tend to be large. At age two (one in other countries, as Chinese are considered to be one year old at birth), parents will throw a gala. Guests will bring loads of small treasures to display near the baby; whatever the baby grabs indicates what they will be drawn to later in life. Subsequent birthdays often come with a red envelope containing money.
In Mexico, children’s parties, or fiestas, include a candy-filled piñata. The birthday child and guests are blindfolded and take turns swinging a bat at the piñata until it breaks.
Quirky Birthday Traditions Around the World
Watch Those Body Parts!
You may want to cover your ears if you’re celebrating your birthday in Spain, as friends and family will pull your ear one time for each year you’ve lived—with an extra-hard pull for good luck.
Cover Them with Food!
In the Caribbean, the birthday child gets a surprise head-to-toe dusting of flour—sometimes several times throughout the day. In Nepal, the celebrant’s forehead is smeared with brightly colored yogurt, while in Canada, the birthday person’s nose is greased with butter to stave off bad luck.
Slurp, Slurp!
Chinese eat extra-long noodles that symbolize longevity. The goal is to slurp them in as far as possible before biting.
Off with Its Head!
Danish birthday children often celebrate with a cake man (kagemand) or cake lady (kagekone). It is customary to chop the head off and eat that first.
When Is a Birthday Not a Birthday?
Vietnamese don’t celebrate individual birthdays. Instead, birthdays are communally celebrated on Tết, the Vietnamese New Year. As such, regardless of when they were born, all babies turn one on the day of Tết.
Final Thoughts
With so many ways to celebrate a birthday, you can have your cake and eat it, too. Regardless of whether you opt for a night on the town, a cozy party with friends, or quiet reflection, birthdays are a reminder of our shared humanity—a yearly chance to think of how we’ve grown and what we want next. And since you’ve got one coming up within the next year, happy birthday to you!