The History of Celebrating Birthdays

The History of Celebrating Birthdays

Regardless of where you’re from everyone celebrates their birthday.  Celebrating birthdays may be different depending on your culture.  For the majority of Americans, we celebrate our birthdays with cake, gifts and a party of some sort. Traditional birthday milestones include: Sweet Sixteen – becoming a woman, 18^th – legal age of an adult, 21^st – legal age to consume alcohol, and 40^th – transition to mid-life.

Outside of America we found some interesting birthday facts.  In Vietnam, the day on which you were actually born doesn’t hold much significance, everyone celebrates their birthday on New Year’s Day, also called “Tet.”

In China, on the day you are born you are automatically 1 year old, unlike the USA where you start at 0 and work your way up.

Jamaica and Germany have some fun traditions that they incorporate into their birthday festivities.  In Jamaica your friends and family coat you in flour, regardless of how old you’re going to be.  This is called being antiqued, a show that you are getting older.  In Germany if you’re a child in school you’re in luck.  If your birthday falls on a school day you’re exempt from completing homework, now doesn’t that sound nice!

Cards and Gifts for your next birthday celebration.

Learn about birthstones and birthday flowers.