| Since becoming proprietor of an online gift | | | | nations, such as the specific colors to be |
| basket and gourmet foods website, I have come | | | | worn by the girls, such as in Ecuador, where |
| to realize that the most commonly celebrated | | | | the birthday girl must wear pink. Some |
| event is....drum roll please.... The | | | | customs are very specific about how many |
| Birthday! I never really thought about it | | | | people are invited, like in Puerto Rico, |
| before, but birthdays are the most celebrated | | | | where the birthday girl must have fourteen |
| event world wide. What makes birthdays so | | | | members of boys and girls with her, also age |
| popular? Well, everybody has one...duh. | | | | fifteen. And some customs even specify where |
| Another obvious fact is that birthdays are | | | | the celebrations are to be held, as in Cuba, |
| one of the only occasions celebrated in | | | | where the party must be held in the girl's |
| nearly every society and culture of our | | | | home or in a relative's home. Such |
| world. And although we may celebrate this | | | | festivities are very similar to our sweet 16, |
| universal conception in many different ways | | | | but more formal, like a wedding. These |
| throughout the seven continents, the basic | | | | birthday celebrations are so special and have |
| idea is the same. To celebrate the life and | | | | become so popular that some can cost as much |
| growth of our friends and families. | | | | as a wedding or even a new car. |
| | | | |
| Here in America, we celebrate birthdays most | | | | There are also countries that have very |
| typically with a decorated birthday cake and | | | | unique birthday traditions, far different |
| by showering the birthday boy or girl with | | | | from any other in the world. Take Germany for |
| birthday gifts. We sing "Happy Birthday" as | | | | example. If a man reaches the age of 30 and |
| they blow out birthday candles and make a | | | | does not have a girlfriend, the birthday |
| special birthday wish. Which when you really | | | | tradition is to have him sweep the stairs of |
| think about it, is quite superstitious. And | | | | City Hall. Friends are invited to throw |
| that got me wondering how our brothers and | | | | rubble on the stairs and when he's finished, |
| sisters around the world celebrate birthdays. | | | | they'll throw more rubble and so on. This is |
| Here are a few traditions that I found | | | | to show every girl that this man reached the |
| interesting. Some of them were very similar | | | | age of 30 and still doesn't have a |
| to American traditions, some of them were | | | | girlfriend, and that he can clean a house |
| similar to each other, and some were just | | | | very well. A "Good Catch" perhaps? |
| very different. | | | | |
| | | | In Canada, the birthday child is ambushed and |
| In China, friends and family members are | | | | their nose is greased with butter or |
| invited to celebrate with the birthday boy or | | | | margarine for, (get this), good luck. The |
| girl, but instead of cake, they are offered | | | | idea being that having a greased nose makes |
| noodles for the celebration. The birthday boy | | | | the child too slippery for bad luck to catch |
| or girl are also expected to pay respect to | | | | them. Sounds like fun! Where's the toast? |
| their parents and are offered gifts of money. | | | | |
| Very similar to the American version with the | | | | But the one that really caught my attention |
| main differences being the food served and | | | | was Vietnam, where every citizen's birthday |
| the types of gifts expected. | | | | is celebrated on New Year's Day. Because the |
| | | | Vietnamese do not know or acknowledge the |
| Another country similar to ours is Bolivia. | | | | exact day they were born, every baby turns |
| At the age of 16, girls are expected to wear | | | | one on Tet, (Vietnamese New Year's), |
| a white dress and waltz with their fathers | | | | regardless of when he or she was born that |
| and other boys. This celebration is very | | | | year. And on the first morning of Tet, adults |
| similar to our "Sweet 16" birthday | | | | congratulate children on becoming a year |
| celebrations in the states. In England, | | | | older by presenting them with red envelopes |
| symbolic objects are mixed into the cake, | | | | that contain "Lucky Money," or li xi. These |
| such as coins, foretelling that the birthday | | | | envelopes are given to the children by |
| boy or girl will be wealthy someday. It may | | | | parents, siblings, relatives and close |
| be a little more dangerous, but cake is cake | | | | friends. I suppose that this is easier than |
| right? | | | | baking one cake for 85 million people. |
| | | | |
| Some countries that celebrate much | | | | So there you have it. Birthdays are |
| differently from our own, are surprisingly | | | | celebrated almost everywhere and very |
| similar. Many Latin nations throughout the | | | | differently from country to country, but the |
| world celebrate what is known as a | | | | important thing is that they are celebrated |
| "Quinceañera", in which a young girls | | | | together, with familiar faces of friends and |
| fifteenth birthday is commemorated in a | | | | family members. |
| unique and special way from all of her other | | | | |
| birthdays. This same tradition is called by | | | | In case I don't talk to you soon, Happy |
| different names in different Latin countries | | | | Birthday! |
| and the customs vary with different Latin | | | | |