Birthday in many Culture...

Now I live in the UK and I do experience a few Birthday Parties. I can not say I know the UK's culture a lot about Birthday celebrating, but I do find a difference from Chinese tradition. It's very important to send a birthday card to person who have birthday. You can have no gift, but you must have a birthday card to them. To me it's a waste of money. The cheapest birthday card here is about £2, some beautiful one even £5. I prefer to giving gift than a birthday card, but my husband said if no birthday card, it's very rude. So do as Romans do when you are in Roman. I never forget to send a birthday card to my friends in the UK.

Hi vingyan, during my childhood we didn’t celebrate our birthday like blowing birthday cake candles, receiving birthday gifts, having birthday party and etc. Parents nowadays are very fond of celebrating their kids’ birthday by giving them birthday presents as well as a well designed birthday cake. I think this is what we call stylish trend We have 4 siblings in our family. My mom usually would ready 5 boiled eggs for any of us on the birthday. I had to peel all the boiled eggs. My two brothers and younger sister would get one respectively. I was happy that I had two. I was told that this was to make us to remember the birth date in the Chinese lunar calendar. Besides the one month born baby celebrating day, we do prepare lots of boiled eggs dyed in attractive red color to celebrate the toddler’s one year old birthday. Yeah, just like what you have mentioned above it’s also its Chinese lunar calendar two years old grand birthday celebration. Certain stuffs like pen, book, abacus or calculator, bank note, scissors or whatever stuffs the parents wish to put in front of the young one. The first stuff it has picked symbolizing that the future career of the young kid when he has grown up. Quite interesting eh! Have a nice day and happy posting1

Maybe I should not say this, but here I don't think many people even know what day they were conceived. So when you calculate a Chinese horoscope, then, do you also go by the day of conceptions rather than the day one is born? Ooooh, maybe I am a different "animal" than I thought I was!

Hello vingyan06, This topic is so interesting and I enjoy reading others birthday cultures. I'm Chinese too and I don't really know in details about why the age need to be greater than the actual age, now I know why! Thanks for sharing this and I learn something new today. For myself, I believe my mum did follow the Chinese culture too on celebrating birthday. I remembered when I was young, my mum will prepared an egg (or red egg) and a drumstick for me on the actual birth date (English calendar). I don't really know what is the meaning of eating drumstick. But, I'm simply feel happy even without any cake, candle and presents. Comes to today, during my son birthday I will do the same to him too.

I'm a Chinese and I am not even aware of all those birthday cultures you have just mentioned. Maybe because I was brought up 'western' style. It's nice to learn something new today. Thank you. I don't have any culture to share though. But I enjoy reading what others have to say..

I am an Indian. I belong to a Muslim family. In my class many of my friends celebrates their birthday,but according to our believes this is not good but I like to celebrate my birthday.Yesterday was my brothers birthday and I gave him a gift.Because of this my parents are angry with me.I am now waiting for my next birthday.What will happen?I am praying to god................

Hello vingyan06, I am an Indian, and here in India I haven't yet seen a lot of differences in birthday cultures. But ya I have seen a lot of Hindu kids who on there birthday are told by there parents, to do a god worship first thing in the morning after they take bath and then go on with celebrating the rest of the day. I have also seen that while the kids are smaller, there are various birthday ceremonies performed like HAWAN etc. Well I being a Christian haven't noticed any thing as special on my birthday. But since I was a kid, my birth date has been a very special day to me. It is the day when am showered with lots of undivided attention from my family and friends. The dy to get presents and eat out and celebrate. Since a few years i myself go out alone for a visit to any church around on m birthday, so that i can thank God for showing me this day and helping me out for the past years. Any ways as I said nothing too special. Take care

For some who follow Western culture, they organize a party. They buy a cake and other sweets and chocolates. The children like this form of celebration and most parents do it for them. If I were to go by tradition, people don't usually have big celebrations. The person would go to the temple and pray and perhaps offer a pooja. In some areas people give food or money to the poor.

Yeah, I already hear it that many Chinese beliefs that their actual birthday is not counted as the day they were born but begin during conception which actually opposite from the cultures where i was raised. I do not know with my grandparents as If they practice the old traditions since grandma is from Fujian. maybe from their provinces but when she get here in my country they already adopted the new practices. I from the fourth generations celebrates my birthday from the medical records from the hospital the day i was born is the estimate exact day of my birthday. The usual preparations is having cakes, candles and other food are prepares.

Hi vingyan, here in Greece we don't celebrate birthdays at all apart from within the family for a child, and this is very low key. The day each person celebrates instead is their 'name day' so everyone with the same name celebrates on the same day which is the saints day they take their name from. So when it is the saints day of St Nikolas then every Nikos will have his name day. The custom is to telephone each Nikos you know to wish them greetings for their name day. Greetings cards are never exchanged here, just a warm greeting in person or a phone call. Celbrations occur with meals and the children get their presents then and take chocolates to school.

I am American. My birthday is the day that I was born on, March 26th. I think all American's celebrate their birthdays differently. Some popular ways are parties with balloons, cakes, and ice cream. Others like to go out for dinner to celebrate their birthday. Gifts are often received from close friends and family members.

Well actually for us in my culture, birthdays are accounted from the date of birth. In my case I like to celebrate my birthday everyday, just to be different and plus I am special and I feel I need to appreciate me, so I do something good for me everyday lol

In my case, my mom usually prepares cakes;baloons;ice cream; cotton candies and so much more.She usually give me a card.A simple card will do. But the most important thing my mother will do on birthday is to let me go the church and thank God for al lteh blessings I got in the previous year that past. By the way im from P.I. Philippine Islands.