Do you and your family
have a special tradition for celebrating birthdays? Here are some celebrations
from around the globe.
A flour-covered Caribbean
In many regions of the Caribbean,
most commonly Jamaica,
an individual of any age can expect to have their birthday celebrated by having
huge amounts of flour thrown at them by friends and family. What’s worse is
that the really unlucky ones will be covered in water first, making it
extremely difficult to remove the flour!
Being pulled in Hungary
Just as the Brits celebrate a
birthday with the Birthday Bumps, the Hungarians will wish an individual good
luck and a happy birthday by pulling on their earlobes. This tradition will
normally take place just before the opening of any birthday presents, while a
song is sang that translates to “God bless you live so long so your ears reach
your ankles”.
Singletons in Germany
There is a longstanding tradition
in Germany
whereby single men turning 30 are required to go out and sweep the steps of the
local church or town hall. This is supposed to give them the chance to show off
how good they are at cleaning, and let’s face it, what woman could resist? For
young children in Germany,
they are officially exempt from doing their homework and chores for the day.
A greasy nose in Canada
A very famous tradition in Canada is the
practise of nose-greasing. This is where a young boy or girl is pinned to the
floor while their nose gets smeared with butter. The reason for this is to
ensure the individual is far too slippery for bad luck or negativity to get a
hold of them in the next year.
Caked in Venezuela
For those celebrating a birthday
in Venezuela
it’s probably best not to bother with make up as you’re most likely to have
your head pushed into the birthday cake!
Believe it or not, this gesture
is one of laughter, luck for the year ahead and love.
Needless to say there is a skill
involved in ensuring the candles have been blown out properly.
Clowns in Switzerland
Perhaps one of the strangest
traditions, parents in Switzerland
will hire an evil clown for their child’s birthday. The clown won’t only look
terrifying but will also follow and torment the birthday girl or boy before
putting a pie in their face for good luck!
Cakeman in Denmark
Rather than a standard birthday
cake, Danish children will enjoy a “cakeman” which really does resemble the
patient from the “Operation” game, only with icing. Once the songs are sung and
the candles have been blown out, the cakeman is decapitated and the head is
presented to the birthday boy or girl. The family and friends then dig into the
body.
Toast in New
Zealand
Those from New Zealand
will enjoy a unique treat on their birthday, involving ice cream and sprinkles
on toast. Yes, on toast.
Career choices in China
When a child is born in China they are
considered a year old, meaning their first birthday is actually their second
birthday. On this day the child will be placed on the floor surrounded by
objects, the first object the child picks up is thought to determine what they
will be when they grow up. Meanwhile, during other birthday celebrations a cake
is skipped entirely and instead the child will be given a bowl full of noodles
which they must put into their mouth until they can’t fit anymore in.
Flowers in Egypt
Egyptian birthday parties are full
of dancing and singing traditional songs. The room will also be full of flowers
and fruit to symbolise growth and life.
Prizes in Russia
Instead of a birthday cake,
Russian children will enjoy a birthday pie with a greeting carved into the
crust. They will then play a game that features the use of a clothes line and
hang prizes from it so each guest can take a present home.
Crowns in Israel
Young children in Israel will be
given a crown to wear that re made from leaves and flowers on their birthday.
They will then be asked to sit in a special chair that’s been decorated for
them while their family and friends dance around it.
Shaving head in India
On the child’s first birthday,
his or her head is shaved while the baby is held over a special fire, this is
to symbolise cleansing of evil and renewal of the soul.
Now that you know some of the weirdest birthday
traditions in the world, what will you be doing for your friends or relatives’?
