subject: This Is The Meaning Of A Birthday [print this page] birthday is a day when a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders (e.g., Buddha's Birthday), Christmas which is celebrated widely by Christians and non-Christians alike is the most prominent example. In contrast, certain religious groups, as is the case with Jehovah's Witnesses, choose not to celebrate birthdays.
Legal conventions
In most legal systems, one becomes a legal adult on a particular birthday (often between 14 and 21[2]), and reaching age-specific milestones confers particular rights and responsibilities. At certain ages, one may become subject to military conscription or become eligible to enlist in the military, to marry without parental tillykke kort consent, to vote, to run for elected office, to legally purchase (or consume) alcohol and tobacco products, to purchase lottery tickets, or to obtain a driver's license.
Cultural conventions
Many cultures have one or more coming of age birthdays:
Celebration of a traditional Chilean birthday.
Little girl in traditional US birthday hat
Jewish boys become bar mitzvah on their 13th birthday. Jewish girls become bat mitzvah on their 12th birthday, or sometimes on their 13th birthday in Reform and Conservative Judaism. This marks the transition where they become obligated in commandments of which they were previously exempted and are counted as part of the community.
In North America, families often mark a girl's 16th birthday with a "sweet sixteen" celebration.
In some Hispanic-American countries, as well as in Portuguese-speaking Brazil, the quinceaera (Spanish) or festa de tillykke kort quinze anos (Portuguese) celebration traditionally marks a girl's 15th birthday.
In India, Hindu male children of some castes like Brahmins have the 12th or 13th birthday replaced with a grand "thread ceremony." The child takes a blessed thread and wears it, symbolizing his coming of age. This is called the Upanayana. This ceremony is practiced amongst boys in the Hindu Brahmin culture.[5]
In the Philippines, girls on their 18th birthday or boys on their 21st birthday celebrate a debut.
In some Asian countries that follow the Zodiac calendar, there is a tradition of celebrating the 60th birthday.
In Korea, many celebrate a traditional ceremony of Baek-il (Feast for the 100th day) and Doljanchi (child's first birthday).
In Japan there is a Coming of Age Day, for all of those who have turned 20.
In the United Kingdom cards from the Royal Family are sent to those celebrating their 100th and 105th birthday and every tillykke kort year thereafter, and to those celebrating their diamond wedding (60th), 65th, 70th wedding anniversaries and every year thereafter.[7]
The birthdays of historically significant people, like national heroes or founders, are often commemorated by an official holiday. Catholic saints are remembered by a liturgical feast (sometimes on a presumed birthday). By analogy, the Latin term Dies natalis is applied to the anniversary of an institution (such as a university).
A person's Golden or Grand Birthday, also referred to as their "Lucky Birthday", "Champagne Birthday" or "Star Birthday", occurs when they turn the age of their birth day (e.g., when someone born on the 21st of the month turns 21).
In many cultures and jurisdictions, if a person's real birthday is not known (for example, if he or she is an orphan), then their birthday may be considered to be January 1.
Birthday traditions
Child with Snow White Cake, circa 1930-1940
In many portions of the world an individual's birthday is celebrated by a party where a specially made cake, usually decorated with lettering and the person's age, is presented. The cake is traditionally studded with the same number of lit candles as the age of the individual, or a number candle representing their age. The celebrated individual will usually make a silent wish and attempts to blow out the candles in one breath; if successful, it means the wish will be granted. In many cultures, the wish must be kept secret or it won't "come true". Presents are bestowed on the individual by the guests appropriate to his/her age. Other birthday activities may include entertainment (usually by a hired professional, i.e. a clown, magician or musician), and a special toast or speech by the birthday celebrant. The last stanza of Patty Hill's and Mildred Hill's famous song, "Good Morning to You" (unofficially titled "Happy Birthday to You") is typically sung by the guests at some point in the proceedings. In some countries a piata takes the place of a cake. An occasional activity is spanking the birthday individual, with one usually gentle tillykke kort "swat" for each year since birth.
Name days
Main article: Name day
In some historically Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox countries such as Italy, Spain, France, Poland, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia and throughout South America, it is common to have a 'name day'/'Saint's day'. It is celebrated in much the same way as a birthday, but is held on the official day of a saint with the same Christian name as the birthday person; the difference being that one may look up a person's name day in a calendar, or easily remember common name days (for example, John or Mary); however in pious traditions, the two were often made to concur by giving a newborn the name of a saint celebrated on its birthday, or even the name of a feast, for example, Noel or Pascal (French for Christmas and "of Easter"); as another example, Togliatti got Palmiro as his first name because he was born on Palm Sunday.
