Birthday Traditions Around The World

By Author: Wendy Baca
Total Articles: 105
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There are birthday traditions around the world that clearly reminds me how diverse our world truly is. If you never traveled abroad and finally make it to another country, it’s amazing how alien everything will seem. No two cultures are the same in detail, but rather in fundamentals. Fundamentally, we all celebrate holidays, grieve at funerals and even celebrate birthdays. However, the kind of filter that sundry cultures look through spring some rather unique birthday traditions. At least they’re unique in my eyes, anyway.

Birthdays are something that we all take for granted. It’s very much a modern practice to celebrate your birthday in terms of completing another chapter in your life in a joyous manner. Presents, cake, and the company of friends and family are the norm. However, this only reigns true with a few select cultures that are peppered across the globe. As diverse civilizations began sprouting up all over the world during primordial times, they all began living through the means they best see fit. Traditions began to take root based on their own kinds of religions, family values and calendar. Of course, ...
... it wasn’t always like this. In fact, during the earliest times of man, birthdays simply did not exist because of people’s ignorance of the lunar calendar. The ancient Egyptians were the first people to create the calendar. They based the days honorably toward the gods they worshipped. Because of this, it became possible to remember when someone was born. However, the only birthdays they celebrated were for gods and pharaohs. This was also practiced in Persia, Rome and Greece. As time went on, certain birthday traditions around the world became ingrained within a myriad of cultures.

Today, one of the more interesting birthday traditions around the world that should be discovered is in Italy. In this country, the child that is having their birthday will have their ears pulled a number of times that’s accordance to their age. This tradition is also similar in Hungary. Except the ears are pulled while the child opens presents and whoever pulls the ears has to say a rhyme. I also find it surprising on how many birthday traditions involves a waltz. This happens in Bolivia, Ecuador, Mexico and Uruguay. In each of these countries, a waltz symbolize as some sort of passage toward adulthood. Treats and birthday gifts are the stable for birthdays around the world today. The birthday child in China eats noodles for lunch. In Russia they eat birthday pies and Guyana involves a special dish of lamb, turkey and duck along with rice. Lastly, in Nepal a concoction of colored dye and rice yogurt is smeared on the child’s forehead for good fortune.

It’s fascinating on how all these different countries view birthdays. No matter how a certain part of the world celebrates their birthday, I see it as just another way to enjoy life. There’s is no right or wrong way to do this; it’s all about acknowledging your existence. Really, that’s what birthdays are all about. They’re not about the presents, food or music but, rather they’re about noticing how many people in your life love you.

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