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| FRIENDSHIP & LOVE General Discussions on friendship & love related topics |
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Rep Power: 74 | History of Birthday A birthday is the date on which a person is born, marking the day a life outside the womb begins. It is customary in many cultures to celebrate the anniversary of one's birthday, for example by having a birthday party with family and/or friends. Gifts are often given to the person celebrating the birthday. It is also customary to treat people specially on their birthday, either generally acceding to their wishes, or subjecting them to a rite of transition. History of celebration of birthdays in the West It is thought that the large-scale celebration of birthdays in Europe began with the cult of Mithras, which originated in Birthday celebrations were rare during the Middle Ages but saw a resurgence with the advent of the Reformation. During this period, they were seen as a good way to transfer customs from the saint's days to other dates not linked to the newly repudiated veneration of saints. Even today, the celebration of birthdays is not universal in the West; in addition to those people preferring name day celebrations, Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate either, considering them to be pagan festivals along with Christmas and Easter. Many adults loathe celebrating it as it reminds them that they are getting progressively older. In most English-speaking countries it is traditional to sing the song Happy Birthday to You to the honored person celebrating his birthday. The Happy Birthday Song melody is thought to be the most frequently sung melody in the world. Similar songs exist in other languages such as "Lang zal hij/zij leven" (and several others) in Dutch, "Zum Geburtstag Viel Glück" in German, "Cumpleaños Feliz" in Spanish, "Sto lat" in Polish and "Tanti Auguri a te" in italian. This happens traditionally at a birthday party while someone brings a birthday cake into the (often darkened) room. The birthday cake is traditionally highly decorated, and typically covered with lit candles when presented; the number of candles often equals the age of the person. The person whose birthday it is makes a silent wish and then blows out the candles; if done in one breath, the wish is supposed to come true, but only if the person keeps the wish to himself (or herself). It is also common for the "birthday boy" or "birthday girl" to cut the initial piece of the cake like as a newlywed couple might with a wedding cake. *Birthday cakes have been a tradition dating back as far as the Middle Ages when the English would conceal symbolic items such as gold coins, rings and thimbles inside their cakes. Each item was associated with a prediction. For example, a person finding a gold coin in a birthday cake would supposedly become wealthy where a person discovering a thimble would never marry. Typical birthday party decorations include balloons, streamers, and confetti. For special birthdays and for when the number of candles might be considered impractical or a fire hazard, special candles might be substituted for the many individual candles. These candles are in the shape of a numeral; for example, on the fifth birthday there may be one candle on the cake in the shape of the numeral 5, and on the fiftieth birthday there may be two candles on the cake, one in the shape of the numeral 5 followed by the other in the shape of the numeral 0. * A birthday is considered a special day for the person, and so the person will often get special treatment from friends and family. This is especially true for children who cannot wait for their own special day. In addition to parties, people often get gifts on their birthday. * Birthday parties for children often include fun games which are relevant to the local culture. * There are also traditions of surprise parties. * Not all traditions are equally generous. In certain circles the birthday boy or girl is expected to treat their party guests, this varies depending on the local culture and may involve party gifts or a nice gesture. In some cultures the birthday that means reaching the legal age limit for drinking alcohol it may be celebrated with a party with free or abundant alcoholic drinks. * Another tradition enjoyed by girls that was popularized in the 1950s and 60s: receiving a special corsage (or several) that was decorated with candy or another inexpensive item that corresponded to age. The items were priced within reach of the peer group, and all were light enough so they could fasten easily to curly ribbons and be worn throughout the school day without problem. 10th birthday - lollipops 11th birthday - gum drops 12th birthday - tootsie rolls 13th birthday - bubble gum 14th birthday - dog biscuits 15th birthday - life savers 16th birthday - sugar cubes 17th birthday - lemon drops 18th birthday - fake key of a car |
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