Birthday Traditions Around the World- Global birthday celebrations

The traditions of how to celebrate birthdays are very different around the world. There are many ways people choose to celebrate, and they are passed down through families. Often families will adapt the most popular traditions to suit their own needs, and this is how new traditions are formed. One thing that unites everyone and that most cultures share, is that every birthday is marked in some way. So what are birthday traditions around the world? Read on to find out.

How is Birthday Celebrated in China?

China maintains traditions for birthdays dedicated to milestone years. They celebrate the tenth, sixtieth, seventieth, and eightieth birthdays for everyone. Celebrated with bowls of noodles called long life noodles, the person celebrating their birthday sips the noodles. A long slurp of noodles is believed to represent a long life. Other traditions guide when a birthday is celebrated. Every child is considered a year old in their first year of birth. Then they are said to be two years old and celebrate this birthday on Chinese New Year. Many choose to celebrate on their birthday, the new year, or both, allowing them to have two birthdays.

How Are Birthdays Celebrated in Russia?

Russians have many birthday traditions including what food they eat, what dessert is served, and when they have parties. Meals are often made with fish and pirozhkis filled with meat, potatoes, cheese, and other ingredients, even filled with jelly for dessert. The birthday person can request any food they want for their birthday, and this is often accepted. As common as birthday cakes are, double crusted fruit pies are also common. Although it is customary to celebrate on the day of the birthday or later when this is not possible, celebrating before the actual birthday should be avoided as bad luck.

How are Birthdays Celebrated in Australia?

Australia is known for many things including hot summers, big bugs, and beautiful scenery. Most of their birthday parties are held outdoors and BBQ is the most popular way to do it. Familiar to many celebrants, these have the expected birthday trappings of balloons and cake, but also have a hint of fairy bread. It is a thick slice of white bread spread with butter then sprinkled with candy, eaten in triangles.

How Are Birthdays Celebrated in Mexico?

Birthdays in Mexico are celebrated with a fiesta, or party, steeped in tradition. Tacos are often enjoyed as a meal, along with other traditional foods. And they’re sure to have a pinata that the kids will hit with sticks until it pops and the candy spills inside for everyone to enjoy.

Perhaps the most celebrated birthday is the 15th when girls have their Quinceanera. Marking the transition from girl to girl is often a big celebration with dances, ball gowns, and a large cake that may require several tiers to serve all the guests.

How is Birthday Celebrated in Japan?

Japan maintains the tradition of celebrating the safety of all children on November 15^th. Instead of celebrating every year for each child, they celebrate the salvation of boys on their third and fifth birthdays and girls on their third and seventh. Rooted in past centuries when children often did not make it out of childhood, these birthdays see them dressed in their best clothes and taken to a religious shrine where people give thanks for the gift another year with them. Some children will be given candy and gifts from their families.

How Are Birthdays Celebrated in Brazil?

Brazil is a country with many strong traditions and keeps people close to their roots and beliefs. Birthdays are no exception to this. And in the hope that the birthday person lives until their ears touch the ground, everyone who attends their birthday will pull their ears. Even a stranger can partake in it, with each pull representing a year of their life. It’s balanced with a feast for family and friends that includes their decadent truffles.

How Are Birthdays Celebrated in Jamaica?

Along with the expected birthday party with friends and family including cake and music, games and decorations, there is a tradition that started as a prank. This tradition involves dusting the birthday person with flour. And this can happen just once during the party or several times throughout the day.

How Are Birthdays Celebrated in the Netherlands?

The Netherlands has some differences between children’s and adults’ birthdays. Children often have a full meal served at their birthday party inside their own home, while adults can only get cake at their home parties. Greetings are greetings with kisses on the cheek, rather than happy birthdays shared elsewhere. And guests will shake hands and kiss each party member’s cheek with friends and family. They sing happy birthday and end it with a hip hip hooray.

How Are Birthdays Celebrated in Norway?

Not only birthdays in Norway are celebrated at the home of the birthday person, but also in schools in their classes. Parties always include music and dancing, cake, and food to share. Everyone plans and hosts their own birthday party with all their family and friends. There they will also sing and receive a small birthday gift from each guest.

How Are Birthdays Celebrated in Ireland?

Irish birthdays are celebrated with friends and family, food and drink, dancing and singing. And festivities often take precedence over traditional meals. A birthday crash may occur, where the child is upside down and gently hits the floor once per year of their age. The twenty first birthday is when the birthday person is given the keys to their home in a way of welcoming them into adulthood.

How Are Birthdays Celebrated in Egypt?

Egyptian birthday traditions include a party that invites all gatherings of friends and family. The decorations were made to represent the life and growth of the guest of honor. And the main parts of these decorations are usually flowers and fruits. Birthday cake is common, however, birthday cards are not often sent.

How Are Birthdays Celebrated in Ghana?

Throughout Ghana there are birthdays that are celebrated in the traditional way, with a fried sweet potato patty rather than a cake. When family and friends gather for birthday parties, they are served stew and traditional games are played.

How Are Birthdays Celebrated in the USA?

Birthdays in the US are celebrated in many traditional ways. However, the size of the party and how elaborate it is will vary greatly with the economic and financial landscape. There are often decorations of streamers, balloons, and a birthday cake with a candle for each year of age of the birthday person. They blow out the candles while others sing. And if they can blow out all the candles in one blow their wish will come true. Making wishes and blowing out candles is just one of the traditions that are followed.

Guests can enjoy games, music, and cake, and bring a gift for the guest of honor. Some may be small celebrations or BBQs. While others rent out places where they can play or dance, while others will hold large and lavish parties full of food and catering, lots of decorations, and big gifts. It is common for young guests to be given a goodie bag of small trinkets and candy to take home as a thank you for attending.

General Birthday Traditions Around the World

Birthdays are celebrated all over the world and this tradition is based on times when children often do not reach their adulthood. Since it is not known whether a child will live to their next birthday, every year is celebrated.

This continued over the years. And it remains a tradition that brings families and friends together every year to celebrate their loved ones. Traditions of eating a meal or snack and dessert together are common in many cultures, and gifts are often part of celebrations.

Over time, each family will develop its own traditions. And in this way many develop over the years, while some things connected with the celebrations remain unaffected. The tradition of eating cake, or pie, has been open to many types of cake and cupcakes are often used to prevent the birthday person from blowing out the candles on a cake that everyone will eat, and for easy cleanup, songs birthdays are exchanged. for other tunes, and birthday rants began to fade from popularity.