It’s that magical time of the year, almost like Christmas but dedicated just to you. That’s right, it’s your birthday. You’re celebrating another lap around the sun. Even if you’re not counting the years anymore, birthdays are a time to celebrate, have a few drinks, go out for dinner, and most importantly, eat cake.
Not everyone, however, celebrates birthdays. Those that do, often do so in so many different ways – it’s actually quite spectacular the vast differences that occur across the globe. So we thought we would take a look into some of the traditional celebrations.
How do they celebrate birthdays in…
India
Birthdays in India are a celebration of togetherness and indulgence. Children ditch their school threads in favour of new clothes, often brightly coloured and being worn for the first time on their birthday. You start with your dessert, before dinner! After a happy birthday song has been sung, the birthday boy or girl slices the cake takes a small slice and then feeds it to their guests. The guests will, in turn, return the favour and feed the birthday celebrator back.
Japan
Prior to the 50s, Japan had one day that was dedicated to the celebration of birthdays. New Year’s Day. Everyone’s birthday would be celebrated then, as according to the ancient beliefs, that was the day everyone got older. As time has gone on this has changed and birthdays are celebrated individually, on each person’s true birthday. The only time you’d organise your own party is as a child. Once older anything that is arranged is done so a few days before your actual birthday – and a cake is a must. It is very common in Japan to save your actual birthday for spending time with your partner, alone.
Mexico
Researching this one, I very much got the feeling that a lot of ‘Mexican Stereotypes’ came from their birthday gifts celebrations. The traditions start with mariachis singing a song called ‘Las Mañanitas’ to serenade you as the sun rises. This song can be sung throughout the day as well. It is sung when the candles on the cake are lit, and it translates to ‘Little Mornings’. Speaking of cake, another Mexican birthday tradition is the good ol’ faceplant. The face of the birthday gift for boy or girl is pushed into a creamy cake in this tradition known as ‘la mordida’, while everyone chants Mordida! Of course, we can’t forget the traditional piñata, as no Mexican birthday is complete without one!
One of my favourites is the traditional tres leches cake (just in case you’re wondering – that’s a multicoloured mega cake). The more cream and the more layers the better (couldn’t agree more). This cake is usually adorned with the things you love, similarly to in Western cultures, but in a multicoloured-mega-form. Another incredibly adorable tradition is the covering of your car. This sees your car absolutely covered in an array of brightly coloured post-its, each with a special something written on it. How sweet!
source - https://www.bagsoflove.co.uk/blog/celebrating-birthdays-how-do-different-cultures-celebrate/
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