BIRTHDAYS....

Birthday...how well do you know the facts of life on birthday? why do we celebrate birthday? why do we have birthday cakes? why do we put candles on the birthday cake? i came across this special article on "birthday" during my short break on my stressful day at work.....

Celebrating birthdays is a very old custom. Ancient people did not know the exact day of their birth, yet measured time by using the moon and the seasons. As humans began to learn more about the earth's natural time guage, calendars were developed. Calendars made it easy for people to keep track of and celebrate important events each year. Birthdays were some of the special events that people noted on their calendars.

Many of the symbols that we associate with birthdays had their roots hundreds of years ago. There are a few explanations as to why we have birthday cakes. Some say it is because the Greeks used to take cakes to the temple of the goddess of the moon, Artemis. They took her round cakes to represent the full moon. Another view is that the tradition of the birthday cake started in Germany. A bread was made in the shape of the baby Jesus's swaddling clothes. Geburtstagorten is another type of German cake that was said to have been used for birthdays. It was a layered cake that was much sweeter than the bread type cake.

Another symbol that is closely tied to the birthday cake is the custom of putting candles on the cake. The Greek people who took their cakes to Artemis placed candles on the cake because it made the cake look as if it was glowing like the moon (Gibbons, 1986). The Germans were known as good candle makers and started to make small candles for their cakes. Some people say that the candles were put on for religious reasons. Some Germans place a big candle in the center of the cake to symbolize the "light of life" (Corwin, 1986). Others believed that the smoke from fires would take their wishes up to heaven. Today many people make silent wishes as they blow out their candles. They believe that blowing out all the candles in one breath will bring good luck.

A gathering or party is usually held so that the birthday person can have their cake and blow out the candles. The very earliest parties were held because people thought that evil spirits would visit them on their birthdays. They stuck close to their friends and family so that the evil spirits would not bother them. Later on parties were gatherings where friends and family members would give gifts or flowers to the person having the birthday. Today lots of birthday parties are for fun. If people cannot visit someone on their birthday they often send them a birthday card. The tradition of sending birthday cards was started in England about 100 years ago (Motomora, 1989).

Many birthday traditions deal with luck. A good luck birthstone, good luck flower, and a good luck color have been assigned to each month of the year. Birthday presents dealing with these good luck symbols are often given as gifts.

The common birthday symbols have been taken from numerous countries. Yet, each country still has custom and traditions unique to themselves. Some countries have uncommon customs that are very different from the current American view of birthdays. Many birthday celebrations are centered around religious ceremonies or themes. Each country, people, and region have their own set of customs. The following are examples of only a few types of celebrations.

Japanese children use to all celebrate their birthdays on January first. An individual would celebrate their birthday on January first if their birthday was February 19th, October 31st, or any other day of the year. Today most Japanese children celebrate their birthdays on their true birthdays.

In Korea one of the most important birthdays is a child's first birthday. The children are dressed in special clothes and are taken in front of a large gathering of friends and family members. There is a big feast and the guests leave money for the new one-year old child. The child's future is told by the items the birthday child picks up.

Hindu children only celebrate their birthdays until they are 16 years old. Their birthday is very religious. They take flowers to the temple and the child receives a blessing from a priest. The birthday child does not even have to go to school on their birthday.

Many of the common birthday symbols come from Germany. The children in Germany have birthday cakes, parties, and blow out candles. However children may celebrate their birthdays differently depending upon which part of Germany they live in. The parties in south Germany are usually quiet celebrations where the child is the center of attention for the day.

In many countries children are named after saints. In these countries the birthday celebration usually comes on the name day, the feast of the child's patron saint (Price,1969). On this special day the focus should first be on the saint and then on the child. Some children get to celebrate on name day and on their own birthday.

Children in Mexico have birthday customs that have been around for centuries. Most birthday parties in Mexico include a piñata. A piñata is a large paper-mache' object that is shaped like something appealing and covered with colorful paper. The piñata is filled with candy and treats. Piñatas are often shaped like animals or stars. The piñata is hung by a rope and blindfolded children take turns hitting the piñata with a stick. When they break the piñata all the goodies come out. This tradition is over 300 years old.

Many more birthday traditions can be found all over the world. The way people celebrate their birthday is often a combination of old and new traditions. Everyone has a birthday and it is a special day for them.

and for chinese :

On the baby's one year old birthday party, a "Zhua Zhou" (catching one full year of life) ceremony will be held. The baby will take a bath and wear the new clothes and pants given by the grandma on the mother's side. Then the baby will be put on the big table in the family room, which has a book, a calligraphy brush, an abacus, a scale, a pair of scissors, a seal, coins, toys etc on it. What the baby grabs will foretell the future of the baby. If the book or the brush is caught, it means the baby will enjoy reading. If the abacus or the scale or the coin is caught, the baby will be good at doing business. If the seal is caught, the baby will become a politician. If toys are grabbed, the baby will be idle in the future.

hmmm.... i wonder what mei mei will chose on her 1 year old birthday tomorrow?