There are many and varied

customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...

associated with the celebration of

birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many religion ...

s around the world.

Birthday cakes

The

birthday cake A birthday cake is a cake eaten as part of birthday celebrations. While there is no standard for birthday cakes, they are typically highly decorated layer cakes covered in frosting, often featuring birthday wishes ("Happy birthday") followed b ...

is traditionally highly decorated, and typically covered with lit

candle A candle is an ignitable candle wick, wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a Aroma compound, fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. ...

s when presented, the number of candles signifying the age of the celebrant. The person whose birthday it is may make a silent

wish A wish is a hope or desire for something. In fiction, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used. Sociology Several cu ...

and then blow out the candles. It is also common for the person celebrating their birthday to cut the initial piece of the cake as a newlywed couple might with a

wedding cake A wedding cake is the traditional cake served at wedding receptions following dinner. In some parts of England, the wedding cake is served at a wedding breakfast; the 'wedding breakfast' does not mean the meal will be held in the morning, but at ...

. The birthday boy/girl traditionally gets to eat the first piece of the cake. Birthday party

Birthday parties

Western culture Western culture, also known as Western civilization, European civilization, Occidental culture, Western society, or simply the West, refers to the Cultural heritage, internally diverse culture of the Western world. The term "Western" encompas ...

s, particularly in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia,

birthday parties A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...

are often accompanied by colorful decorations, such as

balloon A balloon is a flexible membrane bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. For special purposes, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), ...

s and streamers. A

is often served with candles that are to be blown out after a "birthday wish" has been made. While the birthday cake is being brought to the table, the song "

Happy Birthday to You "Happy Birthday to You", or simply "Happy Birthday", is a song traditionally sung to celebrate a person's birthday. According to the 1998 ''Guinness World Records'', it is the most recognized song in the English language, followed by "For He' ...

" is sung by the guests. A practice most common among wealthy people and

celebrities Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...

, but engaged in by many others as well, is to hire an

event management Event management is the application of project management to the creation and development of small and/or large-scale personal or corporate events such as festivals, conferences, ceremonies, weddings, formal parties, concerts, or conventions. ...

agency to organize a birthday party. A child's birthday party may be held at the family's home or in a public place.

Soft drink A soft drink (see #Terminology, § Terminology for other names) is a class of non-alcoholic drink, usually (but not necessarily) Carbonated water, carbonated, and typically including added Sweetness, sweetener. Flavors used to be Natural flav ...

s are often had alongside water and both sweet and savory foods are typically served to the guests. In many cultures, a birthday cake is served. Birthday parties for children often feature entertainment, costumes,

party game Party games are games that are played at social gatherings to facilitate interaction and provide entertainment and recreation. Categories include (explicit) icebreaker, parlour (indoor), picnic (outdoor), and large group games.Frankel, Lillia ...

s, and a theme. Adults' birthday parties in Western countries are often held in restaurants, bars,

nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...

s, or at home. A birthday party usually includes gifts for the person whose birthday it is. In Israel, part of the birthday celebration for a child in kindergarten is to lift the decorated chair that the child sits on into the air several times, once for each year of the child's age, plus "one for the next year".

Birthday presents

In addition to parties, it is common for people to receive

gift A gift or present is an item given to someone (who is not already the owner) without the expectation of payment or anything in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is intended to be free. In many cou ...

s on their birthday. Popular gifts include toys, books, jewellery, clothes, flowers, technical devices, gift cards, checks, paper money, etc. Items such as underwear and socks are generally not as well appreciated by younger children, even if they are emblazoned with popular characters. Sometimes it is expected of the person celebrating their birthday to treat their party guests instead; this varies depending on the local culture and may involve party gifts or other gestures, for example inviting the guests to the restaurant or bar (some of them offer special birthday programs), arranging parties at home, or at work. In South Africa, however, birthdays are highly celebrated. In a given town or township, everyone is invited, including the older family members; it does not matter how young or old the person is. These celebrations are noted by big white tents being erected in the yards, which symbolize a huge celebration of some sort. Birthday presents range from gifts such as toys to animal sacrifices.

Birthday greetings

In most English-speaking countries it is traditional to sing the song "

" to the honored person celebrating a birthday. Happy Birthday songs are common worldwide; similar songs exist in other languages. This song is a common greeting used on birthdays, along with

birthday card A birthday card is a greeting card given or sent to a person to celebrate their birthday. Similar to a ''birthday cake'', birthday card traditions vary by culture but the origin of birthday cards is unclear. The advent of computing and introductio ...

s and verbal greetings with messages such as "I wish you a Happy Birthday" or "Happy Birthday".

Punches, bumps, spankings, and other birthday taunts

"The bumps", or "the dumps" in Scotland, a birthday torment common in countries such as the UK, Ireland, and Canada, involves the friends and family of the person whose birthday it is taking him or her by the arms and legs, and "bumping" him/her up into the air and down onto the floor. The number of "bumps" given equals the age of the person in years plus one "for luck". Usually "the Bumps" are administered only to children, in part because as people grow up they become too heavy for the process. Sometimes bumps are also referred to as kicks where the person celebrating their birthday is held by their arms and legs and their friends kick them. This practice is often disapproved in regard to health and safety concerns. In French-speaking Canada, the U.S. and Australia, "birthday punches" are given in a similar fashion, with the person whose birthday it is being punched a number of times equal to his/her age, often with one additional punch "for luck". In some places, instead of a punch "for luck", the recipient is pinched "to grow an inch". In Brazil, Hungary, Argentina, Italy, and other countries, the person has his/her earlobes pulled. The Hungarian tradition also involves at the same time as pulling the earlobes wishing the person a happy birthday or reciting a rhyme whose English translation is "God bless you, live so long so your ears reach your ankles.". In Mexico and Venezuela, a widespread custom is to attempt the pushing of the person's face into the birthday cake when they blow out the candles. This frequently destroys the cake. Birthday punches are administered throughout the day, but if the "birthday boy" hides from the punches, one final punch is allowed to be given.

Birthday cakes

Birthday parties

Birthday presents

Birthday greetings

Punches, bumps, spankings, and other birthday taunts

References

Further reading