Contents
In most cultures of our multinational world, the date of birth of a child is considered something sacred, symbolic (both for the newest person and for his entire family). It is customary to celebrate it, as a rule, solemnly, in the circle of close relatives and friends. The birthday boy is usually wished various material and non-material benefits – it is believed that all this will certainly come true, because a birthday is not just an ordinary day, but something almost magical. On this date, many of us, willingly or involuntarily, are waiting for at least a small, but still a miracle, anticipating in advance numerous congratulations on social networks, warm calls and SMS, pleasant gifts, hugs from loved ones, and, finally, special treats.
By the way, does anyone know that birthdays were celebrated for the first time in ancient Egypt? True, of course, not all – this privilege was available only to the pharaohs and members of their families (and only to boys). The first woman to celebrate the day of her own birth was the legendary queen Cleopatra (in the 2nd century BC).
In Russia, birthdays have been celebrated only since the 17th century (and also at first only tsars, boyars and other noble persons celebrated them, while the majority of the population had no idea about the exact dates when their children were born). And in general, in pre-revolutionary Russia, until the end of the 19th century, it was more often not a birthday, but a name day (that is, “name day”), and, of course, these two dates did not always coincide.
Well, the tradition of celebrating the “birthday” the way we do it now – with numerous guests, gifts, a feast with the obligatory cake and blowing out candles – appeared already in the middle of the 20th century. But it turns out that this wonderful day is far from being celebrated everywhere in much the same way as ours – in some countries there are “birthday” customs and traditions that can be very, very surprising. Let’s find out the most unusual, funny and strange of them.
10 Denmark
The Danes are the most “stubborn” patriots in Scandinavia (and, perhaps, in the rest of Europe). Therefore, at every more or less suitable occasion, they hang the Danish flag on the house (and also quite willingly use the same small red flags with a white cross everywhere and everywhere).
Children’s birthdays are no exception. When a Danish baby becomes a year older, all his neighbors will know about it by proudly flying the Dannebrog flag in the window of the house. In addition, small “dannebrogues” are stuck in a birthday cake. By the way, parents lay out gifts for a little birthday boy around his bed early in the morning, while the child is still sleeping, so that he can see and unpack them as soon as he opens his eyes.
9. Netherlands
In the Netherlands, instead of the usual “Happy birthday!” say “Gefeliciteerd!” – it simply means “Congratulations!” Moreover, these very congratulations are accepted not only by the birthday man himself, but also by his parents, brothers and sisters, husband or wife, and even very distant relatives who were nearby – that is, everyone who has ever been “involved” in something to the birth or the main events of the life of the honored person.
At school, a child whose birthday “happened” is given a colored cardboard hat by the teacher, and classmates decorate his chair with bright ribbons, flowers, and balloons. In response, the birthday boy “gives away” sweets. The most important birthdays in the Netherlands are considered the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 21st (the last – the day of full adulthood) – the so-called “crown” dates. On these dates, Dutch boys and girls receive the most expensive (in every sense) gifts.
8. Germany
In Germany, birthdays (especially for children – Kinderfest) have been celebrated since the 13th century. At the same time, the first traditions of celebrating this wonderful date were born: in the early morning, one of the parents (or another family member) lights the whole house, as well as on the “birthday” cake, holiday candles (and there should be as many of them on the cake as there are years ” knocked” to the birthday man, plus one candle “for good luck”). These candles must burn all day (burnt out completely immediately replaced). And only late in the evening, after a congratulatory dinner, the birthday man can blow them out, while making a wish.
After that, he is finally allowed to open the gifts. By the way, the Germans have another interesting custom for celebrating a birthday: it concerns men who never married before the age of 30. Such birthday bachelors, right on their holiday, have to pick up a broom and sweep the main city streets. In the meantime, the “newborn” is working hard, his friends do their best to complicate his task: they add a variety of garbage – pebbles, grass, leaves, torn and crumpled paper, etc. “Amnesty” comes only when the poor man is kissed by any unmarried girl passing by. After that, he has the right to finally start celebrating normally.
7. Ireland
Ireland has always been famous for both crowded and noisy celebrations, and very, at times, unusual traditions. One of them concerns just a child’s birthday. On this day, mom and dad take their child by the legs and gently beat him with their head on the floor (as many times as he turns years old, and one more – “for good luck”). Yeah … That’s happiness – to get a slight concussion on your own birthday …
True, now the Irish more often still do not knock the kids with their heads, but simply throw them up in their arms (again, by the number of years). Hmm … And what to do if the “baby” has a kilogram of 80-100 live weight? That way you can’t turn it over or throw it up – you can overstrain.
6. Vietnam
The East, as they say, is a delicate matter. For example, the Vietnamese don’t care about birthdays at all. Moreover, they do not even always remember a specific date. What for? They have a national holiday Tet – the Vietnamese New Year, in which all the inhabitants of the country simply add one more year to their age. And only on the very first anniversary, relatives give the little Vietnamese a scarlet envelope with “lucky” money. Then – already “it is not necessary”.
A very similar attitude to the birthday and the closest neighbors – the Japanese and Koreans. In Japan, a holiday in honor of this date is arranged for kids at 3, 5 and 7 years old. It is called Shichi-Go-San and is celebrated on the same day for many children at once (and in the end, only a few of them have it on a real birthday). The kids are put on new beautiful outfits and taken to the temple, where they are congratulated not on themselves, but on their parents (yeah, for giving birth).
By the way, gifts in Japan are given only for 60, 70, 79, 88 and 99 years. In South Korea, too, they don’t really celebrate the day of their birth. As in Vietnam, in this country everyone officially becomes a year older in the so-called “Lunar New Year”. But there are nuances: in Korean tradition, it is believed that when a child is born, he is already a year old. If the Lunar New Year comes only, for example, a month after that, then (can you guess?) – oops! – The child is two years old.
Officially, the birthday of a Korean is celebrated only twice in his life: on the first Lunar New Year (moreover, on this day, relatives arrange a kind of “choice that determines the future” for the baby: they put a pencil, a ruler, a thread and a coin in front of him – for which the child will reach, such will be his fate – he, accordingly, will become a diligent student, an excellent worker, a long-liver or a “rich pinocchio”) and at the age of 60. Of course, modern Korean and Japanese youth no longer strictly adhere to old traditions: boys and girls celebrate their birthdays on the “same date” like Europeans, and there is often a cake with candles on the festive table.
5. China
Globalization is ubiquitous (Anglo-Saxon traditions are spreading especially quickly around the world – thanks to Hollywood, TV and many world media), so now a cake with candles, funny paper caps and striped “horns” on birthdays can often be seen in China. But still, the most important dish on the table on this day among the Chinese remains long, long noodles. And the longer it is, the better, because it is a symbol of longevity.
The birthday boy must eat this noodle (or rather, “pull” it into his mouth), without damaging it: without tearing it off, without biting it off, etc. It is believed that the better he succeeds, the longer life he will provide himself. And on this day, the birthday man is sure to give money, regardless of his age, and he must politely refuse the gift several times – this is also a tribute to tradition (one must not seem greedy). By the way, in addition to the actual birthday, the Chinese celebrate the 100th day since the birth of the child, the day when he first sat down on his own, and the day when he first walked.
4. Canada
And in Canada (more precisely, in its eastern part – in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, etc.) birthdays are celebrated with an oily nose. It is believed that if parents smear a child’s nose with butter or margarine while he is sleeping (well, or just sneaking up on him on a white day from an ambush), then all the troubles, troubles, troubles and similar things will not be able to “catch” on the birthday this year, and will slide off of it. And after that, mom or dad gently push the baby in the chest as many times as he is old (and again “for good luck”).
3. Jamaica
In Jamaica, on their birthday, people, like in many other countries, willingly have fun, dance and sing (of course, the most popular music here is reggae). But there is also a “birthday” custom in this country that is not very beloved by many – sprinkling the birthday man with flour (which, as it were, is the “dust of centuries” that settles on him because of the next year he has lived).
Just imagine – it’s hot in the yard (it’s Jamaica!), you are covered in perspiration, and suddenly your dear friends jump out suddenly from around the corner and dump a bag of flour on your head. There was a man, – there was a huge sticky “dumpling”. Now you need to urgently wash, and the clothes will have to be washed. (Particularly harmful friends sometimes add raw eggs to the flour, which, of course, greatly aggravates the situation). Well, at least for such “inconveniences”, small children are given sweets (or money) as compensation.
2. Mexico
Whether it’s a birthday in Mexico – no one knocks your head on the floor, no one sprinkles flour and smears your nose with oil: here the main attribute of the holiday is a piñata – a large figure made of papier-mâché or thick paper in the form of some animal or cartoon character. The piñata (which contains small gifts or sweets) is hung on a rope to a tree, and the little birthday boy is given a bat or just a stick in his hands, blindfolded and untwisted on the spot.
Now he must not only hit the piñata, but also break it so that the “stuffing” falls out and can be divided among everyone. (Oh, how many innocent guests are tucked under this bat at the wrong time! But nothing can stop the fun). Well, older birthdays (especially teenagers) in Mexico often dip their faces in a cream cake.
1. Brazil
And in Brazil there is a tradition that is very familiar to us – the birthday boy on his birthday should be pulled by the earlobes as many times as he is old – so you wish him to grow up big. Another Brazilian “birthday” custom is that the first piece of cake goes not to the birthday person, but to the person closest to him. (Hmm… That’s the choice! If you give the cake to your mother, your father will be offended, and vice versa… Or maybe even give it to your grandmother? ..)
Another beautiful local tradition concerns girls who turn 15: on this day they (of course, in the most beautiful dresses and shining tiaras) dance their first waltz, first with their father, and then with 14 more young boys (then there are 15 partners in total – according to the number of years lived).
The same holiday is arranged for 15-year-old girls in Argentina and Ecuador (by the way, in Ecuador, the dress must be pink, and for the first time girls are allowed to wear high-heeled shoes on their feet). But in Bolivia, this event takes place a year later – at the age of 16 (and here the dress can only be snow-white). Thus, there is a symbolic transition from a teenager to an adult young lady.