WynnJera
September 7th, 2004, 12:59 PM
Ok as you might sense .. I have had my fill of negativity about the B-day threads .... that is why I stopped doing them, cuz I got such flack about them on Aug 13th / 2004 from a member when she complained about them .... now there is another thread doing the same thing now but also including the milestine post counts ... I thought it is time to post Birthday traditions from around the world since we have members from around the world and really see if a little joy on someone's special day is all that difficult to bear ....
Africa Traditions
In many African cultures, the day a child is born is not observed as a special day. Instead, when African children reach a certain age, they are initiated into the community. This allows them to learn about the laws of their culture and participate in ancient rituals. Coming-of-age initiations are commonly done in groups rather than with individual children.
Each year, Asante people in Ghana celebrate krada (meaning Soul Day) on the day of the week that they were born. This observance involves a cleansing ritual intended to purify the inner soul. On a person's krada, he or she wakes up early and washes using a special leaf soaked overnight in water. An afternoon feast with family and friends is held in the persons honor, and the celebrant usually dresses in clothing with a white background.
Latin America Traditions
In several Latino cultures, a girl's 15th birthday, called a quinceanera, marks her passage into adulthood. This celebration often includes a religious ceremony at church, in which the young lady recognizes her heritage and her spiritual journey. Many quinceaneras include a candle-lighting ceremony, where a young woman illuminates her parents' candles using the flame of her own candle. In turn, her parents light the candles of their parents, and so on. In some Latin American countries, a young woman changes her shoes from flats to heels during the ceremony.
Mexican birthday celebrations feature piņatas filled with candy and small toys. At birthday parties, children take turns hitting the piņata, a hollow figure shaped like an animal, flower, automobile, or other object that is suspended from the ceiling. While blindfolded, kids reach out and hit the piņata with a stick until it breaks open. When the treasures rain down on the floor, everyone scrambles to collect them. People believe that the child who breaks open the piņata will have good luck.
Argentina Traditions
Children in Argentina receive pulls on the earlobe for their birthday. Traditionally, they get one pull for each year of their life.
Anyone from Argentina Here :lol:
Scandinavia Traditions
Danish people fly the country's flag outside their home to signify that someone in the family is having a birthday. Gifts are placed around a child's bed while they are asleep, so presents will be the first thing in view when the child wakes.
On their birthday, a Norwegian child dances in front of the class with a friend while the rest of the students sing a song to wish them a happy birthday. Norway's national flag is also displayed outside the home of a birthday person. When important people have birthdays, the streets in Norway are decorated with flags.
Like Danish and Norwegian people, Swedes like to use their national flag to decorate on birthdays and special occasions. Swedish children are often served breakfast in bed. Birthday cakes in Sweden are similar to pound cakes and are decorated with marzipan.
Middle East Traditions
Egyptian birthday parties are filled with dancing and singing when a child turns one year old. Flowers and fruit are used to decorate the party as symbols of life and growth.
In Saudi Arabia, people do not observe birthdays due to spiritual beliefs. Religious holidays and weddings, however, are occasions for great celebration.
At an Israeli child's birthday party, he or she sits in a special chair decorated with fresh flowers and greens. To celebrate the child's age, family and friends gather around the chair, lifting and raising it once for each year of life - plus one more for good luck!
Asia Traditions
When Japanese children turn 3, 5, or 7, it is thought to be especially lucky. They are allowed to participate in the upcoming Shichi-go-san Festival (meaning the "Seven-Five-Three" Festival), celebrated annually on November 15. During this festival, children and their families visit a shrine or other place of worship, give thanks for good health, and ask to be blessed with continued well-being in the future. Afterwards, a family will often a throw a party and bestow gifts upon the child. For this occasion, girls and boys always dress in their finest clothes, which may be traditional kimonos or western-style clothing.
In China, people believe that tigers protect children. Family members bring newborns special food and present them with gifts of clothing or toys decorated with tigers. When a Chinese girl or boy turns one year old, a variety of objects and toys are placed on the floor around the child. According to ancient beliefs, the object that the child chooses is a symbol foreshadowing the profession he or she will pursue in life.
In Hong Kong and some other Chinese communities, special noodles are served for lunch in honor of the birthday child. The noodles are extra-long to symbolize a long life.
Filipino families display blinking colored lights to show that someone is having a birthday at their home. The whole family usually goes to church together to thank god, and a celebration with close family and friends may follow.
In Korea, paegil (the 100th day after a child's birth) is a day of feasting for the child's family. Similarly, on a Korean child?s first birthday, called tol, a feast is held in his or her honor. Family and friends gather to enjoy food together and offer the one-year-old money as a gift.
Europe Traditions
In Germany, a children's birthday celebration is called kinderfeste. Kinder means child and feste means festival, or party. Historians attribute Germans with the first birthday parties for kids.
People in Holland hang Birthday Calendars to remind them of the birth dates of all their family and friends. When a Dutch person is unable to visit a birthday child on their special day, a card is always sent to wish the child well. Adults often bring a birthday cake to work to share with co-workers on their special day.
If you've never like cake much, celebrate your birthday like a Russian children does. On their birthdays, Russian children are presented with birthday pies, inscribed with a special birthday message.
"Birthday Bumps" are given to Irish children in honor of their birthday. While held upside down, the birthday celebrant is gently bumped on the floor one time for every year of their age - plus one extra for good luck! ... All you Irish Lads and Lasses come on out :lol:
Sending birthday cards is a custom that began in England about 100 years ago. Today, millions of cards are sent around the world each year to wish family and friends a happy birthday.
Another old tradition still practiced by some English people is to make a birthday cake with symbolic objects baked inside. In medieval times, objects such as coins and thimbles were mixed into the batter. People believed that the person who got the coin would be wealthy, while the unlucky finder of the thimble would never marry. Today, small figures, fake coins and small candies are more common. Guests are warned ahead of time as well, so no one injuries their teeth or swallows a tiny treasure.
North America Traditions
Throughout history, Native American tribes have placed significance on milestones in a child's development rather than the day he or she was born. The day a child takes its first step is cause for just as much rejoicing as the day he or she accepts the responsibilities of an adult, gets married, becomes a parent, etc.
The majority of American children, however, celebrate birthdays with a cake topped with lighted candles. Most families use the candles to represent how old a person is turning, i.e., one candle for a one-year-old, etc. When the cake is set before the guest of honor, he or she is supposed to make a wish, without telling anyone what it is. After making a wish, he or she tries to blow out the candles. If all the candles go out with one breath, it is believed that the wish will come true!
Some children receive birthday "spankings", which are 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 the practice of swatting the birthday girl or boy was treated as a joke, as people view it today.
Singing "Happy Birthday to You" has also been a long-standing tradition on birthdays as well. It was written by two American sisters in 1893, and has been translated into several languages around the world
Birthday Traditions and Spiritual Beliefs
Religious beliefs have a strong effect on the way some people celebrate their birthday. Since people thousands of miles apart can share the same spiritual beliefs, the following customs have been divided by religion instead of geographic location.
In Muslim cultures, people thank God following the birth of a child by giving gifts to the poor. After the child is a week old, its head is shaved. The family then donates an amount of silver equal to, and often more than, the weight of the child's hair. Following this ritual, family and friends come together for a feast and a naming ceremony. It is expected that some of the food will be given to those in need as well.
According to religious customs, Hindu children only celebrate their birthdays until they are 16. Until then, however, they do not go to school on their birthdays. Instead, a birthday is observed with a religious ceremony where a priest blesses the child. On a Hindu child?s first birthday, his or her head is shaved while being held by a special fire. Removal of the hair cleanses the child of any evil in past lives, symbolizing a renewal of the soul.
In many Jewish communities, a male child's hair is not cut until he is 3 years old. On his third birthday, the boy's first haircut is accompanied by a special ceremony called an upsherin, which also symbolizes the beginning of the child's Jewish education.
Now with all this History behind these special days ... Does it " REALLY " hurt anything or anyone to spread some birthday cheer around here :fprtyman2 :happybday ... Cuz let's be honest of we were not supose to wish people a happy birthday then why is there a birthday Smiley ... Hmmmmmm ?
P.S. b-day info gathered from http://www.birthdayexpress.com/bexpress/planning/birthdaycelebrations.asp .. do not want to get in trouble
Africa Traditions
In many African cultures, the day a child is born is not observed as a special day. Instead, when African children reach a certain age, they are initiated into the community. This allows them to learn about the laws of their culture and participate in ancient rituals. Coming-of-age initiations are commonly done in groups rather than with individual children.
Each year, Asante people in Ghana celebrate krada (meaning Soul Day) on the day of the week that they were born. This observance involves a cleansing ritual intended to purify the inner soul. On a person's krada, he or she wakes up early and washes using a special leaf soaked overnight in water. An afternoon feast with family and friends is held in the persons honor, and the celebrant usually dresses in clothing with a white background.
Latin America Traditions
In several Latino cultures, a girl's 15th birthday, called a quinceanera, marks her passage into adulthood. This celebration often includes a religious ceremony at church, in which the young lady recognizes her heritage and her spiritual journey. Many quinceaneras include a candle-lighting ceremony, where a young woman illuminates her parents' candles using the flame of her own candle. In turn, her parents light the candles of their parents, and so on. In some Latin American countries, a young woman changes her shoes from flats to heels during the ceremony.
Mexican birthday celebrations feature piņatas filled with candy and small toys. At birthday parties, children take turns hitting the piņata, a hollow figure shaped like an animal, flower, automobile, or other object that is suspended from the ceiling. While blindfolded, kids reach out and hit the piņata with a stick until it breaks open. When the treasures rain down on the floor, everyone scrambles to collect them. People believe that the child who breaks open the piņata will have good luck.
Argentina Traditions
Children in Argentina receive pulls on the earlobe for their birthday. Traditionally, they get one pull for each year of their life.
Anyone from Argentina Here :lol:
Scandinavia Traditions
Danish people fly the country's flag outside their home to signify that someone in the family is having a birthday. Gifts are placed around a child's bed while they are asleep, so presents will be the first thing in view when the child wakes.
On their birthday, a Norwegian child dances in front of the class with a friend while the rest of the students sing a song to wish them a happy birthday. Norway's national flag is also displayed outside the home of a birthday person. When important people have birthdays, the streets in Norway are decorated with flags.
Like Danish and Norwegian people, Swedes like to use their national flag to decorate on birthdays and special occasions. Swedish children are often served breakfast in bed. Birthday cakes in Sweden are similar to pound cakes and are decorated with marzipan.
Middle East Traditions
Egyptian birthday parties are filled with dancing and singing when a child turns one year old. Flowers and fruit are used to decorate the party as symbols of life and growth.
In Saudi Arabia, people do not observe birthdays due to spiritual beliefs. Religious holidays and weddings, however, are occasions for great celebration.
At an Israeli child's birthday party, he or she sits in a special chair decorated with fresh flowers and greens. To celebrate the child's age, family and friends gather around the chair, lifting and raising it once for each year of life - plus one more for good luck!
Asia Traditions
When Japanese children turn 3, 5, or 7, it is thought to be especially lucky. They are allowed to participate in the upcoming Shichi-go-san Festival (meaning the "Seven-Five-Three" Festival), celebrated annually on November 15. During this festival, children and their families visit a shrine or other place of worship, give thanks for good health, and ask to be blessed with continued well-being in the future. Afterwards, a family will often a throw a party and bestow gifts upon the child. For this occasion, girls and boys always dress in their finest clothes, which may be traditional kimonos or western-style clothing.
In China, people believe that tigers protect children. Family members bring newborns special food and present them with gifts of clothing or toys decorated with tigers. When a Chinese girl or boy turns one year old, a variety of objects and toys are placed on the floor around the child. According to ancient beliefs, the object that the child chooses is a symbol foreshadowing the profession he or she will pursue in life.
In Hong Kong and some other Chinese communities, special noodles are served for lunch in honor of the birthday child. The noodles are extra-long to symbolize a long life.
Filipino families display blinking colored lights to show that someone is having a birthday at their home. The whole family usually goes to church together to thank god, and a celebration with close family and friends may follow.
In Korea, paegil (the 100th day after a child's birth) is a day of feasting for the child's family. Similarly, on a Korean child?s first birthday, called tol, a feast is held in his or her honor. Family and friends gather to enjoy food together and offer the one-year-old money as a gift.
Europe Traditions
In Germany, a children's birthday celebration is called kinderfeste. Kinder means child and feste means festival, or party. Historians attribute Germans with the first birthday parties for kids.
People in Holland hang Birthday Calendars to remind them of the birth dates of all their family and friends. When a Dutch person is unable to visit a birthday child on their special day, a card is always sent to wish the child well. Adults often bring a birthday cake to work to share with co-workers on their special day.
If you've never like cake much, celebrate your birthday like a Russian children does. On their birthdays, Russian children are presented with birthday pies, inscribed with a special birthday message.
"Birthday Bumps" are given to Irish children in honor of their birthday. While held upside down, the birthday celebrant is gently bumped on the floor one time for every year of their age - plus one extra for good luck! ... All you Irish Lads and Lasses come on out :lol:
Sending birthday cards is a custom that began in England about 100 years ago. Today, millions of cards are sent around the world each year to wish family and friends a happy birthday.
Another old tradition still practiced by some English people is to make a birthday cake with symbolic objects baked inside. In medieval times, objects such as coins and thimbles were mixed into the batter. People believed that the person who got the coin would be wealthy, while the unlucky finder of the thimble would never marry. Today, small figures, fake coins and small candies are more common. Guests are warned ahead of time as well, so no one injuries their teeth or swallows a tiny treasure.
North America Traditions
Throughout history, Native American tribes have placed significance on milestones in a child's development rather than the day he or she was born. The day a child takes its first step is cause for just as much rejoicing as the day he or she accepts the responsibilities of an adult, gets married, becomes a parent, etc.
The majority of American children, however, celebrate birthdays with a cake topped with lighted candles. Most families use the candles to represent how old a person is turning, i.e., one candle for a one-year-old, etc. When the cake is set before the guest of honor, he or she is supposed to make a wish, without telling anyone what it is. After making a wish, he or she tries to blow out the candles. If all the candles go out with one breath, it is believed that the wish will come true!
Some children receive birthday "spankings", which are 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 the practice of swatting the birthday girl or boy was treated as a joke, as people view it today.
Singing "Happy Birthday to You" has also been a long-standing tradition on birthdays as well. It was written by two American sisters in 1893, and has been translated into several languages around the world
Birthday Traditions and Spiritual Beliefs
Religious beliefs have a strong effect on the way some people celebrate their birthday. Since people thousands of miles apart can share the same spiritual beliefs, the following customs have been divided by religion instead of geographic location.
In Muslim cultures, people thank God following the birth of a child by giving gifts to the poor. After the child is a week old, its head is shaved. The family then donates an amount of silver equal to, and often more than, the weight of the child's hair. Following this ritual, family and friends come together for a feast and a naming ceremony. It is expected that some of the food will be given to those in need as well.
According to religious customs, Hindu children only celebrate their birthdays until they are 16. Until then, however, they do not go to school on their birthdays. Instead, a birthday is observed with a religious ceremony where a priest blesses the child. On a Hindu child?s first birthday, his or her head is shaved while being held by a special fire. Removal of the hair cleanses the child of any evil in past lives, symbolizing a renewal of the soul.
In many Jewish communities, a male child's hair is not cut until he is 3 years old. On his third birthday, the boy's first haircut is accompanied by a special ceremony called an upsherin, which also symbolizes the beginning of the child's Jewish education.
Now with all this History behind these special days ... Does it " REALLY " hurt anything or anyone to spread some birthday cheer around here :fprtyman2 :happybday ... Cuz let's be honest of we were not supose to wish people a happy birthday then why is there a birthday Smiley ... Hmmmmmm ?
P.S. b-day info gathered from http://www.birthdayexpress.com/bexpress/planning/birthdaycelebrations.asp .. do not want to get in trouble