BIRTHDAY TRADITIONS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
There’s no debating it – the world is a wild place. One of the few things we all agree on though is celebrating birthdays. The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways to celebrate as there are countries on planet Earth, so let’s take a look at just some of the ways people mark this very special occasion!
🪅The Piñata - Mexico🪅
Traditionally made from clay, but now more often from paper maché and cardboard covered with colorful tissue paper, the piñata is hung so that it can be pulled up or dropped down at will. One by one, children are blindfolded and take turns smashing away in the direction of the piñata (which usually evades destruction until everyone has had a turn) until someone finally breaks it open and reveals the goodies within (candy and fruit)!
🍞Fairy Bread - Australia and New Zealand🍞
This bizarrely simple treat has been making the rounds at birthday parties in Australia since the 1920s. So what is fairy bread, you ask? It is a slice of inexpensive soft white bread spread with either butter or margarine (there is much debate over which is better!) and then topped with what the Aussies call "hundreds and thousands" (we would call them “sprinkles”)! The bread must then be cut diagonally into two triangles and served.
🍜Longevity Noodles - China🍜
In China, wishes for a long life are offered in the most delicious form possible – “longevity noodles”! This tradition goes all the way back to the Emperor Wu and since then they have served as a blessing for special occasions. Often consisting of a single long noodle strand in a bowl of chicken broth, the lucky recipient must be careful not to bite or cut the strand with their chopsticks (it’s bad luck!).
🟠The Circle Party - The Netherlands🟠
To the foreign eye, birthday parties in the Netherlands can be mildly confusing if you don’t know what to expect. During these “circle parties” it is not only the birthday boy or girl who is congratulated, but everyone in attendance. As an attendee yourself, you are expected to shake hands and congratulate each and every person individually - congratulating everyone at once is considered quite rude, so no cheating!
😁The Birthday Bumps - Canada😁
The intensity of this Canadian tradition depends a great deal on how excitable (or unrelenting) your friends are. The custom is to lift the birthday boy or girl by their arms and legs and gently lower the person until they bump the ground once for each year of life. Plus, an extra bump for good luck. Due to the sheer physical nature of this tradition, it is usually only carried out on children (it’s not hard to imagine that anything over 20 bumps would be gruelling for everyone involved).
🎁Pass the Parcel - United Kingdom🎁
Pass the parcel is a classic children’s party game that mildly resembles musical chairs. Here, a gift that has been wrapped multiple times is passed around in a circle. When the music stops, the person holding the gift removes a layer. This continues until someone removes the final layer of wrapping paper – this person gets to keep the gift.
🎂STILL LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT BIRTHDAY GIFT?🥳
Should you still be struggling to find the right gift for someone special, Hooray Heroes offers a number of beautiful personalized books for kids and adults alike! For kids, we'd absolutely recommend our line of custom birthday books.
Choose from our standard birthday edition for kids of all ages or our special editions for baby’s 1st, 2nd or 3rd birthday! Personalize the birthday boy or girl and choose the stories you want them to star in putting them alongside their favorite animals to create an unforgettable birthday gift!
If you're looking to finish off your birthday gift with style, you might want to check out our free personalized birthday printables! They're the best way to turn an ordinary party into something extraordinary!
💌 Free Printable Birthday Cards
🖍️ Free Personalized Birthday Coloring Book
Happy Birthday, Camrynn
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Happy Birthday – this pair of words packed with good wishes – will today alone paint smiles on 18 million people's faces all over the world. Whoa, now that's a number! Do you know someone who is turning another page in the book called life? Whether they are two, nine, 45 or 60, make their birthday memorable and one-of-a-kind with a book embracing 10 (or 15!) personalized wishes of your choice all in one place. A unique keepsake or a Happy Birthday Extravaganza, as we like to call it, with adorable illustrations and fun, positive messages that will be read over and over and over again! This year and in the years to come! Let's celebrate!