Birthday Customs: Around the World

In light of my son's fourth birthday this month, I decided to do a little research on Birthday customs from the United States and other countries.

Here in the United States, birthdays are usually celebrated with a birthday cake with candles equal to the number of years the person is becoming on that day. Generally, a party is held at a location where the child and his party guests can do something they enjoy, and party games are played. Party favors are sometimes given out so that each child in attendance will have something to bring home from the party, and everyone gets a little gift. We also sing the infamous birthday song.

The custom of blowing out candles comes from the concept of sending wishes up to God in hopes that they will come true. It is said that the wish will only come true if you do not disclose it to anyone, and if you blow out all the candles at one time.

The Birthday song was written in 1893 by two American school teachers. It was originally supposed to be a sort of morning classroom greeting with the title "Good Morning to You". It is the most popular song in the English language, per the Guinness Book of World Records.

In Canada, a birthday child's nose is greased with butter. As interesting as it sounds, the reason behind this tradition is that the child is too slippery for bad luck to catch them. In other parts of Canada, birthday punches are administered in the same manner which we Americans proudly deliver the birthday spanking. One for each year the child is celebrating, plus one for good luck.

Puerto Ricans receive taps on the arm for each year in place of the punches or spankings delivered in other countries. There is also a formal dinner held for celebration.

In Vietnam, all birthdays are celebrated at the dawn of the New Year, and actual days of birth are not acknowledged. Children are given red envelopes filled with "Lucky Money" in celebration of their aging. When children are asked about their birthday, they respond by saying they were born in the year of the symbol of the lunar calendar for the corresponding year.

Russian children celebrate their birthdays with birthday pies in place of the American birthday cake.

It is always interesting to take a look into other customs around the world, and I certainly enjoyed learning about all these customs. Maybe next year I'll celebrate one of them instead of the traditional way. For more countries and their customs, check out this site.