Birthday is the history of the holiday. Birthday story for kids. Sweet cakes became popular after the industrial revolution

The tradition of celebrating a birthday originated in Europe in ancient times. It was believed that evil forces were especially "activated" on a person's birthday, so all family members and friends gathered under one roof to protect the birthday man with good thoughts, wishes and gifts. At first, birthdays were celebrated only by heads of state, later this honor was bestowed on children.

The first country to celebrate children's birthdays is Germany.

On a birthday, candles are lit in the house all day. One of the family members of the birthday boy gets up at dawn and lights the candles on the birthday cake. There are as many candles on the cake as the age of the birthday person, and one more - bringing good luck. Late in the evening, after a gala dinner, the birthday boy blows out the candles. If he does it on the first try, then all his wishes will certainly come true. And only after that the gifts are revealed.

customs of different countries

According to the Chuvash custom After the birth of a child, the husband gave gifts to his wife. In Ukrainian Polissya, there was a custom to plant a tree for the birth of a child. In Japan, there was a custom after the baby's birthday to keep the umbilical cord as a symbol of connection with the mother.

In the Netherlands another custom has been preserved. Here the first newborn is given the name of the paternal grandfather or grandmother, and the second is named after the maternal grandfather or grandmother. It often happens that both grandfathers have the same name - for example, Peter. Then if two grandchildren are born, then they are also called Peters. Imagine - two siblings with the same names! And girls are called by the name of grandmothers, and in one family there are two Marys, Catherine or Elsa. Almost the same custom with the British. Only the first son they call not their grandfather's, but their father's name.

very interesting and Indian custom. Their babies don't have names. They are simply called "ooti". And only after the child has shown himself in something, he is given a name. Moreover, certain rituals are associated with this.

A very old custom associated with the birth of a child was in Georgia. There, for many generations, the family took care of the baby cradle - aquani, and passed it on by inheritance. Georgians believed that their family would not die from this, and the friendship between fathers and grandfathers would be sincere, strong and lasting.

in Burma another children's party. It is called the "Hair Cutting Festival". For each son, the father solemnly cuts off a strand of hair on the top of the head, and the mother weaves it into her hairstyle. The more children in the family, the more magnificent mother's hairstyle. And people respect her more.

In Africa- initiation ceremony. The procedure is extremely important and often painful, in some areas of Africa it replaces children's birthdays (it's good that it happens more than once a year, but in life). Tests are carried out for endurance, stamina, endurance, etc. There is also an "examination" part of the ceremony, which tests the child's knowledge of the laws, beliefs, customs, songs and dances of the tribe.

In Argentina an indispensable attribute of a party on the occasion of the girl's fifteenth birthday is a waltz. The hero of the occasion invites her father and younger fans to the waltz.

A in Ecuador on her fifteenth birthday, the hero of the occasion puts on a pink outfit and puts on her first high-heeled shoes to dance a waltz with her father, while fourteen boys and fourteen girls will also whirl in the smooth rhythm of the dance.

In Brazil the most vulnerable spot in little Brazilian birthdays is the earlobe. How many years a little man has lived in the world - so many times this long-suffering part of the body will be pulled to him. And after such congratulations, the child should offer the first piece of the birthday cake to the best friend or most beloved family member (as a rule, the mother or father of the birthday person is the first to sample the cake).

In Canada a uniform ambush is arranged on the child, after which they smear the tip of his nose with butter or margarine: now failures and troubles will definitely not stick to the little Canadian - they will simply slip off his nose! At this, compassionate relatives and friends do not calm down and lightly hit the birthday boy in the chest with their fists (for each year lived), and then strike another blow - for good luck!

In China noodles are always placed on the festive table - a symbol of long life, and happy parents give money to their child. In some areas there was a custom three days after the birth of a child to sacrifice a rooster to the spirits of ancestors.

In Cuba a characteristic feature of the birthday of a little Cuban is an abundance of everything: food, music, decorations and guests, many of which have a very indirect relation to the child (for example, neighbors and colleagues of the parents).

In Denmark a flag is displayed in the window. This means that someone is celebrating a birthday in this house. Little Danes begin to unpack gifts as soon as they open their eyes in the morning - beautiful boxes are placed right by the child's bed.

In Great Britain the whole holiday is imbued with symbolism: for example, on this day it is customary to predict fate, and a small surprise can be found even in a birthday cake. A coin found in a piece of pie indicates that a person will be rich.

in Guiana The main dish of the holiday is chicken with rice. And the birthday boy must wear something unusual, or rather, strange.

In Holland the dates celebrated - 5, 10, 15, 20 and 21 are called crown years. On these birthdays, especially expensive and impressive gifts are given. In Holland, it is also customary to decorate a birthday chair or armchair with flowers, paper ribbons and balloons. A schoolboy celebrating his birthday will certainly treat his classmates with something tasty, and the teacher will present a colorful paper hat to the birthday boy.

In India The birthday child is dressed up and, sent to school, supplied with chocolate, which is more than enough for the whole class.

In Ireland the little birthday boy is raised high, high, and then sharply lowered to the floor. The number of "flights" is equal to the number of years lived, and one more "flight" to make life happy.

In Israel adults seat the baby in a large chair and raise it as many times as the child is years old, plus one more time - for good luck. For the sake of the birth of a child and the health of a woman in labor, Jewish law allows breaking the Sabbath and all other holidays.

Birthday

Cars, toys, a box of cookies,

A ball and paints, a book to read,

Festive cake and buns with jam...

What happened? It's your birthday!

Favorite holiday

That night, the moon opened the doors of the children's room with a silver key. Together with the monthly rays, a fairy tale came into the room. She kissed Sasha and Alyonka on the tops of their heads and breathed the most pleasant dreams into their ears. And then she began to arrange gifts. She put her faith in her strength, confidence and ability to dream into her open palms. There are also happy smiles, joyful travels and events. In school portfolios she put organization, discipline and the desire for knowledge. She scattered friendship with golden dust over her head ... And as soon as she hid on the balcony, Sasha and Alyonka woke up and said to each other: “Happy birthday!”

What is your favorite holiday? Probably a birthday? After all, it is on this day that all the best wishes are addressed to you, and relatives and friends are in a hurry to please you with gifts.

Do you know that for a very long time it never occurred to anyone to celebrate a birthday? It is said that it began to be celebrated in ancient Egypt. But then only pharaohs and kings were congratulated. In the past, most people didn't use calendars. Therefore, they did not even know when they were born. But over time, special books of births and christenings were brought into the church. Then they began to celebrate the birthdays of everyone, even children.

700 years ago in Germany there was a tradition of children's birthdays. At dawn, the child was woken up with songs and given a cake with candles. As now, there should have been as many candles as the birthday person turns. But they did not eat the cake, but gradually replaced the burned-out candles with new ones until the very evening, when the family gathered for dinner. The birthday boy blew out the candles and made a wish. To make the wish come true, it was necessary to keep it secret, and blow out all the candles with one exhalation. After that, the guests helped the birthday boy to eat the cake. The Germans also invented a special gnome who brought birthday presents.

In Rus', at first only tsars and their families celebrated birthdays. About 300 years ago, on the eve of a birthday, they always baked a loaf and sang a song about it. Perhaps you have heard this song too?

And what other traditions of celebrating a birthday, apart from the song about the loaf and blowing out the candles on the cake, do you know? Probably, at least once they pulled your ears, congratulating you on your birthday. The ears are pulled not only in our country, but also in Italy, for the earlobe - in Brazil. In English-speaking countries, the birthday boy is taken by the arms and legs and thrown up. Yes, and exactly one time more than it turned years. Can you imagine how long grandfathers are thrown there! And in Israel, the birthday boy is raised on a chair, as if on a throne. It is possible, as in a fairy tale, to say: “I am sitting high, I can see far!” The Spaniards, according to custom, click the birthday man on the forehead, and in Nepal they put a special mark on the forehead. In Canada, the tip of the nose of the hero of the holiday is smeared with oil so that bad luck cannot catch him by his slippery nose.

In Denmark and some other Scandinavian countries, a flag is hung in the window of the birthday boy.

In many countries, special food is prepared for the birthday. For example, in Asia it is noodles - long so that life is long. In Latin America, during the celebration of a birthday, a figure in the shape of an animal, a pinata, specially made of papier-mâché or straw, is hung from the ceiling. It is filled with sweets. Blindfolded, the child must pierce the pinata with a stick so that sweet “rain” falls.

But Africans rarely celebrate birthdays. For example, in the Galla tribe - once every 8 years. And in the Kukuyu tribe - once every 13 years. The birthday boy on this day plants a fig tree.

But most of all, birthday people in Japan were unlucky. Birthdays are not celebrated there. Only parents are congratulated that they have such a wonderful child. True, there is one holiday! It is called "7-5-3" - "City-Go-San". They arrange it for all children who are 3, 5 or 7 years old on November 15th. But you can wait for gifts only when you turn 60, 70, 79, 88 or 99 years old.

Rules for little ladies and gentlemen

Do you want to be invited to the holidays with pleasure, and to visit you with pleasure on your birthday? Then stick to simple but important rules. They are called rules of etiquette.

If you were invited

If you were invited to a birthday party, you must immediately answer whether you can come. If at the last moment you announce that you will not go to a birthday party, but, for example, to a zoo, your friend will be very upset.

It's impolite to be late. Imagine how frustrating it is to wait. If you don't make it on time, tell a friend. Be sure to ask for forgiveness.

Arriving two hours early is also ugly. You can interfere with the hosts preparing to receive guests.

Dry your feet before entering the house. If you were invited to visit in the fall or winter, do not forget to shake off your clothes at the entrance. Why do owners need extra trouble?

Do not press the bell until the doors open. Imagine how this will frighten the residents of the apartment!

Upon entering, immediately say hello not only to your friend, but also to his parents and guests present.

If you are expecting guests

The hospitable host should meet the guest at the door. It is necessary to help the guest take off his outer clothing, lead him into the room.

Greet all your friends with equal joy. If someone is upset at the beginning that you did not hug him, the holiday will not be so fun. So that guests do not get bored while waiting for the rest of the invitees, you can offer to draw a little. Prepare in advance paints, pencils, felt-tip pens and paper for drawing.

Do all your friends know each other? If not, then you should definitely introduce them! During the performance, they do not thank, but only greet each other. You can say: "Very nice" or "Nice to meet you."

Present

Gifts are always nice. Are you happy when someone gives you something? Do you often try to give someone a gift? Isn't it nice to make friends happy?

Choosing a gift is a big responsibility. Do you think you know how to give gifts? What about accepting others? Do you know how to choose a gift? What gifts do you think are always appropriate?

Gifts that are always appropriate and that can be given to every child are toys, sweets, fruits, books, stationery, ceramics.

The book is called the best gift. But you should make sure your friend doesn't already have one. You also need to know what your friend likes. Surely, it is not worth giving an encyclopedia about spiders to those who are afraid of them.

Many people sign a book as a gift. But it is better to put a signed postcard in it. In it, you can even draw something yourself.

You should not tell the birthday man in detail how long it took you and your parents to choose a gift. He will be embarrassed, and others will think that you are just a braggart.

Gifts must be accepted with tact. If the gift is handed over personally, then it is immediately unpacked in the presence of the person who gave it. Don't forget to thank and express your joy. It is impolite to put a gift aside without looking at it. You should not be offended by an unsuccessfully chosen gift. Each gift has the greatest value - attention.

Of course, a gift does not have to be bought in a store. A handmade thing is much more original and valuable. But such a gift must be done very carefully and demandingly.

For your best friend, you can make an interesting collage of your shared photos. If you're good at drawing, make a calendar for the whole year illustrated with your drawings or comics.

To the table, friends!

Before you and your friends are called to the table, wash your hands. Do the same after going to the toilet.

Do not sit at the table, lounging on a chair and throwing your legs over your legs. So you can either fall, or dirty the neighbors. And I don't know which is worse!

Do not put your elbows on the table and do not fiddle with cutlery: you can push your neighbor's plate to the floor or pour compote on his knees.

Take your time, chew slowly, do not swallow food in huge chunks and do not talk with a full mouth - you can choke or cough. And yes, it looks ugly.

Don't reach for the biggest piece of cake first - only greedy people do that! If a dish is far away from you, politely ask to pass it, and do not reach across the entire table.

Don't lean too low over the plate. You'll get your hair dirty, your face dirty, and you'll earn the nickname "pig". Champing, squishing and knocking on a plate with a spoon or fork is allowed only for ill-mannered children. But it's not about you, is it?!

Got your hands dirty? Just don't lick them or wipe them on the tablecloth. That's what napkins are for.

Don't sit there scowling forcing your friends to entertain you. But you should not chat incessantly, without giving other guests a word to say.

Holidays

There are many different holidays in the world,

They are loved by mothers, fathers and children.

There are tasty holidays, there are colorful ones,

There are autumn, winter, summer.

If you meet a magician somewhere,

To celebrate the holidays all summer long!

And the whole winter, and the whole autumn!

In a week, let there be not seven of them, but eight!

Don't think I'm not joking...

I just love the holidays!

Yu. V. Kasparova

Birthday

On the chamomile lawn

Bunny's birthday.

Here under the songs of the nightingale

Friends are gathering.

The hare is glad to all guests -

From deer to hedgehogs

Everyone is ready for a treat -

Strawberries and jam.

Yu. V. Kasparova

Just like death and taxes, a birthday is something that happens to everyone. Humans have been around for millions of years, so birthdays have already happened many times. Nevertheless, mankind began to track this date not so long ago. Once it was not a holiday, but now some even celebrate the anniversary of the dog. Check out a variety of facts about birthdays in history, they may surprise you!

Egyptian pharaohs did not celebrate on the day they were born

There is information that the Egyptian pharaohs were the first to celebrate the birthday, while the holiday did not take place on the birthday. The day of the coronation was celebrated, because it was believed that after that the ruler was reborn and became a god.

The Greeks were the first to use cake candles.

It is believed that the tradition of making a cake with candles dates back to ancient Greece. People tried to make sacrifices for Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and therefore prepared crescent-shaped cakes with candles. The moon is the symbol of this goddess.

The city of Alexandria was built according to the position of the sun on the birthday of Alexander the Great.

It is believed that the Egyptian city of Alexandria was built in a certain place, which coincided with the direction of sunrise on the birthday of Alexander the Great, after whom the city is named.

The first invitations to the feast were on Roman tablets

The first birthday invitations were sent out by the wife of a Roman commander in 100 AD. Paper had not yet been used, so signs were sent out.

The most expensive party cost twenty-seven million dollars

We all know that a birthday can be celebrated in style, but nothing compares to the spending of the Sultan of Brunei. He spent almost thirty million to celebrate his fiftieth birthday, and most of it went to pay for Michael Jackson's performance.

In ancient Rome, only men celebrated their birthdays.

In the patriarchal Roman society, only men were allowed to celebrate birthdays. It is not until after the twelfth century that the first records of such a feast for women appear.

Christians at first believed that such a holiday was a pagan tradition.

In the Middle Ages, Christians believed that it was a sin to celebrate your birthday. We only celebrated Christmas. Over time, the church became more relaxed about the tradition and celebrations became more common.

The song "Happy Birthday" was at first with completely different words

This song is popular in many countries, but few people know that it was originally a good morning melody, and not a holiday greeting at all. The song was written by the schoolteacher Mildred Hill, it happened at the end of the nineteenth century. The students were supposed to start the school day with a song.

Modern cakes appeared after the seventeenth century

German confectioners came up with what later became the modern cake. Then they began to arrange holidays especially for children.

Sweet cakes became popular after the industrial revolution

Prior to this, people could not afford the ingredients needed to make a sweet or beautiful cake. Therefore, the tradition was not widespread.

Longevity pasta was popular during the Tang Dynasty

Today's Chinese also prefer cake, but traditionally long noodles had to be eaten, symbolizing a long and healthy life.

The birth of a child in a family is perceived as an important event. The arrival of a new member is lavishly celebrated. Rich fathers celebrate in prestigious restaurants, middle-class families at picnics, at home. The feast is not complete without good food, royal parting words to the newborn.

Have you always celebrated your birthday?

The answer to the question posed is negative. For a long time, girls' birthdays were not recognized at all. The first of the girls, whose birthday was organized in an organized manner, was the Queen of Egypt Cleopatra II. Before that, only boys' birthdays were celebrated. This is how gender inequality existed in prehistoric times. The years of the reign of the queen are known. This is 185 - 116 years before the era of Christ. On an astronomical scale, reach the era with your hand. Some two thousand one hundred and thirty two years.

First mention

The current civilization should be grateful to ancient Egypt, which motivated the algorithm for the subsequent planetary development. Let it happen through troubles, wars, but it was an educational experience, embodied through the millennia, into a modern Internet creativity.

Artifacts from the ancient world prove that the first birthdays were celebrated 5000 years ago. The culprits of the celebrations were the newborn pharaohs of Egypt. On such occasions, unimaginably luxurious feasts were held in magnificent palaces. Nobles and ... slaves took part. There were years when a potential pharaoh was born, an amnesty was declared. Prisoners were released from prisons.

What did the Greeks say?

Those were pragmatic. Celebrated the birthdays of the gods. For example, Artemis. They propitiated the lady of the moon by celebrating her birthday every month.

How did the Christians act?

100% neutral. Birthdays are not recognized. A new religious formula has emerged. The fact is that the early admirers of Christ considered the material world as a location of evil, deceit, and permanent sadness. Celebrations were arranged on the occasion of the death of a person, leaving the sinful abode, and not birth. The Church of Christ, as its positions strengthened, could not accept the traditions of the Greeks and Egyptians. She considered these peoples to be pagans. It was not the intention of the world Christian congregation to encourage dubious traditions.

But still...

They say that time heals from doubts, hopes, illusions. Everything changed when the church became the registration center for the number of people. In order to subsequently remove a tenth of the profit from each believer for belonging to the teachings of Christ. In the 7th century of the Christian era, registration books were introduced. In the following century, German peasants began to celebrate children's birthdays. They were awakened at dawn, presented with a cake with lit candles. What is happening now, with minor changes.

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Birthday is a date to which almost no one is indifferent. Children are waiting for it with undisguised impatience all year long, adults are happy to sum up the past period, and mature people regret how quickly time flies, especially when it starts counting down. The tradition of a special attitude to the date when a person was born seems natural and familiar to us, so few people think about the history of this holiday, its origin and the transformations that it went through before firmly entering our lives.

Now it is customary for the hero of the occasion to give gifts, and all guests need to have fun and rejoice at the birth of their relative, friend, colleague or acquaintance. The parents of the birthday man do not stand aside either, they can also accept congratulations, even if they are far from their son or daughter.

Versions of occurrence

It is not known for certain how and when such a tradition first appeared. This is a holiday that is currently the most common in the whole world, it is celebrated by people of different countries, ages, religions and income levels. The only exceptions are a few sects that deny any festivities other than those associated with their faith.

Historians suggest that the tradition simultaneously originated in many parts of the world, so history has not preserved the only author and the time of the appearance of this custom. But experts distinguish three main versions of the origin. Scientists believe that each of them influenced the formation and emergence of this holiday to varying degrees.

Pagan trail

The pagans attached great importance to black magic, closely intertwining with it the events of everyday life. It was given special importance at such significant moments as the arrival of a new person in this world or departure to other worlds. According to one belief, each person on his birthday becomes completely defenseless in the face of dark forces that can attack him and completely enslave a bright soul. Otherworldly forces can come to the birthday man in the form of unfamiliar people or random strangers, so the most reliable protection is to surround yourself with loved ones.

This gave birth to the tradition of spending dangerous time in the company of relatives, kind and good people, which will save you from meeting with ill-wishers and dark spirits. The louder people will have fun on this day, the more likely they will stay away from the fun of otherworldly forces.

Christian look

Such a science as history clearly describes the attitude to this issue in early Christianity. In ancient times, when Christianity was just born, it became a competitor of paganism, therefore it denied all pagan customs. This happened with the birthday, the celebration of which was categorically not welcomed by the priests.

Moreover, the Christian church did not consider the arrival of a child into this world a phenomenon that should be admired. The point was a peculiar perception of the world, in accordance with which every Christian comes to this world, full of trials, troubles, sorrows and temptations to go through a difficult earthly path. Here, death was painted in more optimistic tones, since after it there came a transition to the best of the worlds, where everyone who has thrown off the burden of sins will fall.

Eastern gods

Another version sends those who are looking for the roots of the holiday to the east. The story describes a traditional rite that exists in Persia, during which the birthday of one of the most revered gods, Mithra, was celebrated. He was the god of the Sun, that is, the change of seasons, productivity and other important events in the life of the Persians depended on him. Therefore, this holiday was in scale something like the New Year for the present time.

Roman soldiers who came to Persia around 400 AD learned a lot from Eastern culture and brought stories about it to Ancient Rome. In this way, the story of the sun god and an interesting kind of honoring came to the west. The emperors, who equated themselves with the gods who rule life on Earth, were not slow to “try on” the rite of honor. Apparently, they liked it and got further distribution.

Nativity

History offers another version associated with the emergence of this festival. Many scholars believe that the tradition took hold after the story of the Nativity of Christ spread among Christians. The Holy Scripture describes in detail how, after the rising of the Bethlehem star, the wise men came to the newborn in the barn, bringing gifts to the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

Everyone who read the Bible took this as a direct guide, so congratulations and gifts on the occasion of the birth of a new family member became a normal occurrence and reconciled Christians with the traditions of the pagans, which affected not only the lives of individuals, but also the whole future history.

Ancient world

The custom of celebrating a birthday every year could only be born after the invention of a detailed calendar for the reckoning of the year, because the date of birth until then remained rather approximate. Age was counted only by the season when the birth occurred.

Studying the history of this tradition, you can find out that even among the most ancient people, the birthday was a special celebration. In order for the newborn to grow strong and strong, it was customary to sacrifice one of the animals. It was believed that the number of living beings should not change after the birth of a new member of the tribe, and if an animal is not brought to the gods as a gift, they will become angry and will soon take the baby back, that is, he will die. Of course, in those days this celebration was not celebrated annually, but took place only once - immediately after the birth of a child.

Even among the most developed peoples until the 16th century BC. the age of gods, people, rulers was simply not mentioned. At best, they were described as youths, children, old people, etc. This gave rise to a lot of legends about two hundred and three hundred year old Atlanteans, Titans, etc.

Near East

It is believed that the first mention of the celebration of this holiday as an annual celebration was found in ancient Egypt. This happened about 3 thousand years BC. At that time, such honors were the exclusive privileges of the pharaohs, who were equated with the gods in the flesh. A little later, the custom spread to their male heirs. Women, no matter how noble they were, were not honored with such an honor.

The situation changed only in the time of Cleopatra. It was a period of great change and innovation. Innovations have not bypassed this area either. Festivities in honor of the birth of the rulers were held with magnificent feasts, in which not only the nobility and persons close to the pharaohs, but even the poor and slaves took part. It is not surprising that the birthday of the rulers has become a favorite among all holidays. Often, large-scale amnesties were timed to coincide with this, so prisoners were released from prisons awaiting the death penalty or a less terrible punishment.

Greece and Rome

Here, even in the era of Hellenism, birthdays were celebrated by all the people. But these were holidays not of individuals, but of the gods or the first persons of the state. Only they did it not once a year, as is customary now, but once a month. In fact, these dates served as a modern weekend, when people could not work and take a break from daily work.

Scientists involved in the history of this holiday believe that the custom of blowing out candles on a birthday cake originated in ancient Greece. The birthday of Artemis - the goddess of the moon - was celebrated with the lighting of candles on a cake. These candles figuratively symbolized the light of the moon in the dark sky. The custom was really beautiful, so it is not surprising that it survived and came down to us after several millennia.

In ancient Rome, a birthday boy from a wealthy family put on festive attire, accepted congratulations, and treated guests to various dishes. The most popular gifts at that time were songs or poems of one's own composition.

Ordinary people, not belonging to the upper class, began to celebrate this date only in the 2nd century BC. But this concerned only the head of the family: women and children were not entitled to such a privilege.

Middle Ages

By this time, the position of the church had already changed, so the date was not just written down in the parish book, but was considered sufficient reason to celebrate it. Already in the XII century in Europe, children on their birthdays received gifts every year, blew out candles on a birthday cake. History reports that even then a wonderful custom appeared to make a cherished wish while blowing out candles, which you can’t tell anyone about so that it comes true. In Germany, there were as many candles in a birthday cake as the birthday of the hero of the occasion.

China

In China, for a long time, the starting point for determining age was not the date a person was born, but the New Year after that. Therefore, the birthday was celebrated all over the country at the same time. By the 8th century, the situation had changed, and the dates for everyone corresponded to the day when each person first saw the world. It was possible to celebrate exactly as long as the parents were alive. After their death, any celebrations on this occasion were considered inappropriate, but the gifts still remained relevant. Gifts always had to be modest, it was regulated even at the level of authorities. So, a person who presented an overly expensive gift to an official was punished with exile.

Russia

Until the revolution in Russia, the relevance of the birthday was not high, the only exception was the date of the birth of the sovereign, which was a public holiday. Ordinary people celebrated name days instead.

After the revolution, all the customs that used to be related to name days smoothly flowed over to the birthday. So the hero of the occasion began to be called the birthday man, and the holiday itself - the name day. Although these concepts are fundamentally different, in Russia they have become identical.

Modern traditions

Over the past century, the cultures of many countries have mixed and adopted many features from each other. History shows that people need such a celebration, it reminds of the meaning of life, the inexorable flow of time and the importance of having time to do everything planned before the time comes to leave this world.

Now the customs and rituals related to this holiday are in many ways similar in all parts of the Earth. But still they have their own individual features and characteristics.

USSR

In all the republics of the USSR, the celebration gradually spread to all segments of the population. Children were looking forward to this date, and adults were preparing for it especially carefully. Close relatives tried to give valuable gifts, and acquaintances limited themselves to the usual congratulations and wishes of happiness and health.

Anniversaries - 50th, 55th and 60th anniversaries were considered special dates. The solemnity of the moment was supplemented by the fact that on the last indicated dates the age of retirement came. This was considered a huge milestone in life, so it required special gifts and celebrations.

China

The East is a delicate matter, and this is especially felt when it comes to Chinese festivities. Birthday in this country is not celebrated for everyone, but only for young children and the elderly. Regarding the determination of the date, there is a dual approach here: it can be set both according to the Chinese lunar calendar and according to the standard Gregorian calendar, common in Europe and America. It is interesting that the age of a person includes not only the period of life, but also the time of pregnancy.

Japan

Here, the birthday became a widespread holiday only in the 20th century. But not everyone sends congratulations to the birthday boy: parents congratulate children, and children congratulate parents. Every year, this date is not celebrated for kids, but at the age of 3, 5 and 7 years, the hero of the occasion is especially pampered and delighted.

There is a celebration in Japan of those who are 20 years old, but it is celebrated on a common date for the whole country. Young people know how to spend it fun, on a grand scale and with a lot of entertainment.

Ireland

There is an unusual tradition here: the friends of the birthday boy turn him upside down and hit the top of his head on the floor as many times as he is years old. It is believed that this will bring him good luck next year.

Jamaica

Guests are obliged to smear the hero of the occasion with dust, the role of which is played by flour. To do this, the guests suddenly jump out of the ambush and make an impromptu "salute" of flour. Photos in this form are a mandatory attribute of the holiday.

Mexico

The main requisite for the holiday is the piñata. It is a hollow animal figurine, into which they put confetti, sweets, small surprises, etc. It must be broken with a stick with closed eyes, after which the guests collect all the sweets and sweets and share them among themselves.