Birthday Traditions From Around the World

1. Fairy bread - Australia

(Image/ Source: reddit.com)

As if kids don’t get spoilt enough these days… while many Aussie parents will get their kids a birthday cake, they’ll also go one step further and serve fairy bread at birthday parties. This is essentially just plain white bread spread with butter or margarine, topped with tons of multicolored sprinkles. They’re traditionally cut into triangles.

2. Nose greasing - Canada

(Image/ Source: julieladner.wordpress.com)

As birthday traditions go, this is a pretty unique one… In Canada, the birthday boy or girl can be ambushed and have their nose greased with butter in an effort to ward off bad luck. Not every Canadian will do this, but some families get really into it!

3.

Quinceañera - Latin America

(Image/ Source: howstuffworks.com)

In many Latin-American countries, a girl’s 15th

birthday is a pretty big milestone. The 15th

birthday is considered the beginning of womanhood, which calls for a huge fun and festive event. Celebrations usually begin with a mass and continue with a lavish party, complete with drinks and dancing.

4. Ear pulling - Spain

(Image/ Source: roreyandcodey.wordpress.com)

Another unusual birthday tradition hails from Spain – and this one can get painful! Friends and family will often pull the birthday boy or girl’s ears on their birthday – and they receive one ear pull for every year they’ve been on the planet. And when they think it’s over, they might be given an extra hard pull at the end (for good luck, obviously).

5. Strict gift opening rules - Italy

(Image/ Source: reddit.com)

Receiving presents on your birthday is a tricky business in Italy, as there are some strict rules. Social etiquette dictates that you must immediately open a gift when it’s given to you – if you don’t, you’ll come across as rude. This means a lot of Italians have a great ‘gift-opening face’ to appease their friends and family members!

6. Longevity noodles - China

(Image/ Source: cnn.com)

Longevity noodles are a classic Chinese tradition. When it’s someone’s birthday, they eat extra-long noodles that symbolize longevity and a long and happy life. You’re also encouraged to slurp the noodles as much as possible before you bite into them, which sounds like a pretty fun tradition to us!

7. Birthday clothesline - Russia

(Image/ Source: berries.com)

This is a really cute tradition in Russia. When kids have birthday parties, parents actually buy gifts for all the kids attending. Adults hang up all the gifts on a clothesline, and children will be able to pick a gift and take it home with them when the party is over.

8. Non-birthdays - Vietnam

(Image/ Source: insureandgo.com)

In Vietnam, individual birthdays aren’t traditionally celebrated. Instead, everyone typically celebrates turning a year older together on the Vietnamese New Year, which turns into a massive party. However, Western influence is now starting to change this, and more and more Vietnamese people are opting to celebrate the day of their birth.

9. 30th birthday traditions - Germany

(Image/ Source: youtube.com)

An old tradition in parts of Germany used to consist of single men dressing up in drag on their 30th

birthday, sweeping the steps of the local city hall, and trying to find a virgin woman to kiss. Thankfully, this tradition has modernized. Nowadays, single men and some single women get real drunk and sweep the steps, or show off their ability to do chores.

10. Flour throwing - Jamaica

(Image/ Source: dailymail.co.uk)

In Jamaica, you’ll have flour thrown at you on your birthday. This is also known as getting ‘antiqued’, which is going to cause chaos at any birthday party! Apparently the birthday boy or girl will first have water thrown on them to ensure the flour really sticks.

11. Flour and egg throwing - Brazil

(Image/ Source: youtube.com)

Think getting pelted with flour is bad enough? Well, this is taken to a whole new level in Brazil! Not content with throwing flour at the birthday boy or girl, family and friends also throw eggs after the flour. We don’t know about you, but we don’t really fancy celebrating our birthday in Brazil…

12. Taarties - The Netherlands

(Image/ Source: spoonuniversity.com)

In the Netherlands, birthday celebrations call for one thing – taartes! These are traditional tarts filled with fruit and topped with whipped cream, and they’re typically served on birthdays. Some people have started experimenting with this tradition by making pancakes instead of tarts.

13. Piñatas - Latin America

(Image/ Source: reddit.com)

Piñatas are a big deal in Latin America – and they’re becoming more popular in the US and the UK too! This tradition involves beating a cardboard object with a stick until all the candy falls out. They’re seen at tons of celebrations in Latin America, including birthdays and the Day of the Dead.

14. Seaweed soup - South Korea

(Image/ Source: futuredish.com)

Seaweed soup, which translates to miyeok-guk, is a seaweed soup that is typically served for the birthday boy or girl’s breakfast. It’s said to replenish nutrients, so it’s a very healthy start to any birthday! Apparently South Korean mothers eat this dish after going through childbirth.

15. Personalized pie - Russia

(Image/ Source: pinterest.com)

Have you ever fancied your own personal birthday pie with your name on it? Well, that’s exactly what you’ll get in traditional Russian households. These pies can be sweet or savory depending on what the birthday boy or girl wants, and are presented with candles at family birthday parties.

16. No pre-birthday wishes - Germany and Greece

(Image/ Source: goodmorningamerica.com)

In Greece and Germany, there’s strict etiquette about when you can actually wish someone a happy birthday. You basically can’t give them any birthday wishes before the exact day, as it’s generally considered to be bad luck. So no early birthday celebrations!

17. Drinks on the birthday girl or boy - Italy and Germany

(Image/ Source: mensjournal.com)

While the birthday boy or girl will have drinks paid for them in the US, things are a little different over in Italy and Germany. When it comes to birthday nights out, it’s the birthday boy or girl’s responsibility to get the drinks in – which means they have to pay for all their friends.

18. Birthday punches - America

(Image/ Source: reddit.com)

People in the US will often dole out birthday pinches or punches – and sometimes it gets a little too much! While it still seems to be popular with younger people and kids, it’s probably not a good idea to start giving birthday punches to your grandma.

19. Cake buying - Germany

(Image/ Source: reddit.com)

There are a fair few birthday traditions in Germany – and this one is the polar opposite of the likes of the US and the UK. If it’s your birthday, you’re the one that bakes or buys the cake for friends, family and colleagues, not the other way around. It’s seen as polite to do so.

20. Doljanchi ceremony - South Korea

(Image/ Source: gatheredgifts.co)

The doljanchi ceremony, also known as the Dol ceremony in South Korea, takes place when a child reaches their first birthday. They’re dressed up in traditional clothes, and have various items placed in front of them (like money, a pencil, a ruler etc). The child chooses one or two of the items, and the items they pick are meant to predict their future.

21. Oto - Ghana

(Image/ Source: tenmorebites.com)

Oto, also called Etor, Eto, and Otor, is a classic Ghanaian dish that is traditionally served on birthdays and special occasions like coming-of-age ceremonies. The dish is made from mashed Ghanian yams, boiled eggs, and red onion, and combined together with palm oil, but there are tons of different variations.

22. Cinnamon throwing - Denmark

(Image/ Source: huffpost.com)

If you happen to be single or unwed when you turn twenty-five in Denmark, you can expect to be doused in cinnamon by your friends and family. In fact, many workplaces will ensure they cover your desk with cinnamon too! While most people don’t actually get married until their 30s in Denmark these days, it’s still seen as a fun prank.

23. Aarti - India

(Image/ Source: wikipedia.org)

Prayers or ‘puja’ are blessings for a birthday person, and are often led by the eldest female family member. The celebration is called Aarti, and involves burning a wick, which is placed in ghee and then lifted on a silver plate. Everyone then gathers around the birthday person to give their blessings.

24. Colored rice yogurt - Nepal

(Image/ Source: quora.com)

In Nepal, colored rice yogurt is traditionally eaten to celebrate a person’s birthday. But the yogurt isn’t just for eating – it’s also rubbed onto the birthday person’s forehead. This is considered a blessing for long life, health, fortune and good luck.

25. Torta de mil hojas - Chile

(Image/ Source: reddit.com)

Known as ‘the cake of a thousand leaves’, this traditional cake is presented to the lucky birthday boy or girl in Chile. Despite the name, there aren’t any actual ‘leaves’ in the cake, but lots of thin layers of flaky pastry with different fillings in between them. The most popular filling is dulce de leche and walnuts.

26. The jumping dance - Maasai tribe, Kenya

(Image/ Source: youtube.com)

Boys in the Maasai tribe in Kenya, must complete three rites of passage, beginning when they turn 14. This is seen as the age when boys enter manhood. One of the most famous parts of a boy's graduation is the Jumping Dance, a traditional ritual that has taken place for centuries.

27. Cake men and ladies - Denmark

(Image/ Source: nordicfoodandliving.com)

While the cinnamon throwing can get out of hand in Denmark, they balance things out with this cute little tradition for children. Kids get given cakes that resemble men and women, and are sort of like gingerbread men in style. The cake man or cake woman generally gets decorated with icing, along with tons of different candies and chocolates.

28. No birthday cards - Egypt

(Image/ Source: reddit.com)

In Egypt, people don’t send birthday cards. Instead, they bring flowers and fruit to parties called haflas, which are seen as symbols of life and growth. These parties generally feature a lot of singing and dancing, and will focus on presenting the birthday boy or girl with a celebration cake.

29. Pineapple cake - Chile

(Image/ Source: food.com)

While torta de mil hojas is the most popular birthday cake in Chile, some people sometimes present pineapple cakes to their loved ones too. While pineapple upside cakes can be seen across the West, this one is a little different. The recipes use a vanilla sponge cake with a filling of pineapple cubes and whipped cream, which are also used to decorate the cake.

30. 7-5-3 celebrations - Japan

(Image/ Source: holidayscalendar.com)

Instead of having a classic, Western-style party, children participate in the 7-5-3 celebration, which is held on November 15th

. It’s also called the Shichi-go-san. As children often died young in Japan in ancient times, when a boy reaches the age of five, or a girl reaches the ages of three and seven, the child will get dressed up in their finest traditional clothes and visit a shrine.