From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Candles spell out the traditional English birthday greeting




Legal conventions[edit]


Cultural conventions[edit]

Many cultures have one or more coming of age birthdays:

  • In some Asian countries that follow the Zodiac calendar, there is a tradition of celebrating the 60th birthday.[5]
  • In Sudan the children who live in the cities celebrate their birthday whereas in the country they don't.
  • In India child's first birthday, his or her head is shaved while being held by a special fire. Removal of the hair cleanses the child of any evil in past lives, symbolizing a renewal of the soul. [7]


A person's Golden or Grand Birthday, also referred to as their "Lucky Birthday", "Champagne Birthday", or "Star Birthday"[citation needed], occurs when they turn the age of their birth day (e.g., when someone born on the 21st of the month turns 21 or when someone born on the fourth turns four).[8]


The Chinese count age without zero; a newborn's age is one, a 12-month old is two, and so on.[10]

Birthday traditions[edit]

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 usually will make a silent wish and attempt to blow out the candles in one breath; if successful, a tradition holds that 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 her/his 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 piñata takes the place of a cake. An occasional activity is spanking the birthday individual, with one usually gentle "swat" for each year since birth.[citation needed]. In North America, the celebration of a birthday is fundamentally about celebrating the role of friends and families in an individual's life and recognizing their importance.

Name days[edit]


Official birthdays[edit]




Picture of a cake indicating a sixty-fourth birthday celebration

According to a public record births database, birthdays in the United States are quite evenly distributed for the most part. However, there tend to be more births in September and October. This may be because there is a holiday season nine months before, or from the fact that the longest nights of the year happen in the Northern Hemisphere nine months before as well.[11] Based on Harvard University research of birth records in the United States between 1973 and 1999, September 16 is the most common birthday in the United States and December 25 the least common birthday (other than February 29, because of leap years).[12]

More recently October 5 and 6 have taken over as the most frequently occurring birthdays.[13]

According to a study by the Yale School of Public Health, positive and negative associations with culturally significant dates may influence birthrates. The study shows a 5.3 percent decrease in spontaneous births and a 16.9 percent decrease in cesarean births on Halloween, compared to other births occurring within one week before and one week after the October holiday. Whereas, on Valentine’s Day there is a 3.6 percent increase in spontaneous births and a 12.1 percent increase in cesarean births.[14]

Time zones and birthdays[edit]

A person's birthday is usually recorded according to the time zone of the place of birth. Thus people born in American Samoa at 11:30 pm will record their birthdate as one day before Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and those born in the Samoa will record their birthdate one day after UTC. They will apparently be born two days apart, while some of the apparently older ones, may be younger in hours. Those who live in different time zones from their birth often exclusively celebrate their birthdays at the local time zone.

Leap day[edit]

See: Leapling and February 29

Birthdays in cultures and religions[edit]

Ancient Rome[edit]

The Romans enthusiastically celebrated birthdays with hedonistic parties and generous presents.[15]


In Judaism, the perspective on birthday celebrations is disputed by various rabbis.[16] In the Hebrew Bible, the one single mention of a celebration being held in commemoration of someone's day of birth is for the Egyptian Pharaoh which is recorded in Genesis 40:20.[17] Rabbi Moshe Feinstein always acknowledged birthdays.[18] The Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged people to celebrate their birthdays, by gathering friends, making positive resolutions, and through various religious observances.[19] According to Rabbi Yissocher Frand, the anniversary of a person's birth is a special day for that person's prayers to be accepted.[20]



Christianity: Early centuries[edit]


Orthodox Christianity still prefers the celebration of name days only.

Christianity: Medieval[edit]

Ordinary folk celebrated their saint's day (the saint they were named after), but nobility celebrated the anniversary of their birth. The "Squire's Tale," one of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, opens as King Cambuskan proclaims a feast to celebrate his birthday.[22]

Christianity: Modern[edit]

Jehovah's Witnesses and some Sacred Name groups refrain from celebrating birthdays. They believe that birthday celebrations are portrayed in a negative light in the Bible and have historical connections with magic, superstitions, and Paganism.[23][24][25]


Some clerics consider the celebration of a birthday to be a sin, as it is considered an "innovation" of the faith, or bi'dah while other clerics have issued statements saying that the celebration of a birthday is permissible.[26][27]

Some Muslims (and Arabian Christians) migrating to the United States adopt the custom of celebrating birthdays, especially for children, but others resist.[28]

There also is a great deal of controversy regarding celebrating Milad-ul-Nabi – the anniversary of the birth of Muhammad. While a section of Islam strongly favours it,[29] others decry such celebrations, terming them as out of the scope of Islam.[30]




Many monasteries celebrate the anniversary of Buddha's birth, usually in a highly formal, ritualized manner. They treat Buddha's statue as if it were alive, bathing and "feeding" it.[31]


Sikhs celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak.

North Korea[edit]


See also[edit]


  1. ^ Worldwide Ages of Consent. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  3. ^ Quinceañeras – Hispanic Culture. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  4. ^ Sacred Thread Ceremony. (2006)
  5. ^ See: Sexagenary cycle#Overview.
  6. ^ Queen and anniversary messages. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  7. ^ Birthday traditions
  10. ^ baby and birth in china. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  11. ^ Anybirthday. Anybirthday. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  13. ^ Christina Ng (2011-10-05) Oct. 5: America’s Most Common Birthday ABC News
  15. ^ Kathryn Argetsinger (1992). "Birthday Rituals: Friends and Patrons in Roman Poetry and Cult". Classical Antiquity 11 (2): pp. 175–193. doi:10.2307/25010971. JSTOR 25010971. 
  16. ^ Reb Chaim HaQoton: Happy Birthday! April 17, 2007
  18. ^ "Birthdays". Flatbush Jewish Journal. 2010-05-13. 
  19. ^ "The Jewish Birthday". 
  21. ^ John Bugge (1975) Virginitas: an essay in the history of a medieval ideal, Springer ISBN 9024716950, p. 69
  23. ^ Awake! July 8, 2004, p. 30 "Christians refrain from any celebrations or customs that continue to involve false religious beliefs or activities that violate Bible principles. For example, the Bible definitely puts birthday celebrations in a bad light."
  24. ^ The World Book Encyclopedia: Vol. 3, p. 416
  25. ^ Are Birthday Celebrations Christian?. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  28. ^ Mona H. Faragallah, Walter R. Schumm and Farrell J. Webb (1997). "Acculturation of Arab-American Immigrants: An Exploratory Study". Journal of Comparative Family Studies 28 (3): 182. 
  29. ^ Imam Jalaluddin al-Suyuti (radi Allahu anhu) Celebrating Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi. (PDF). Retrieved on 2013-01-01.

Further reading[edit]

  • Curtis Regan, Dian (March 1991). The Class With the Summer Birthdays. Henry Holth & Co. ISBN 978-0-8050-1657-4.