Birthday - the history of the holiday and other interesting facts. The history of the holiday The history of birthday celebrations and traditions

About a birthday.
About three months ago, in a small but proud insurance company, the director's anniversary happened. 50 years is a beautiful figure and, no matter how you look at it, wonderful. It seems to be solid, and there is more than enough strength to enjoy life.

Since the hero of the day was a sociable person and with understanding, the employees decided to play him. Half an hour before the boss arrived at work, the insurers asked the guards for the keys to the director's office and brought in a huge cake. But not just a cake, but a cake with a secret - it was covered with a large glass lid, stood on a large wooden box, and there was a red button on the box itself. If you press that button, the lid opens, and the insurance agent, who is hiding in the box, slams the cake in the director's face with a flourish. This is such a simple game. A new shirt for the director was already prepared, the second cake was in the refrigerator - so there should not have been any victims in this story.

However, there was a small problem. Secretary Olya, closing the director's office, was so nervous that she accidentally dropped a bunch of keys on her shoe. The foot in the shoe involuntarily twitched - and the keys flew straight into the gap between the door and the floor. In a moment, the keys were in the director's office, and beyond the reach of a hand or a mop.
Imagine the situation, right? A crooked insurance agent languishes in the box, who cannot get out without pressing a button, and it is impossible to enter the office, because the only keys are on the floor in the same office.
How to be?

Frightened insurers ran to the guard - is there a spare key?
The guards spread their hands - there is no key, they are not trained to handle the master keys, but we will help to break the door. A council immediately gathered - to break down the door or wait for the director's permission? Decided to break it out. If the agent sits in the box for half an hour or more, he will definitely suffocate or pass out, so there is no need to wait for someone else's orders, it is necessary to save a life.

Two hefty guards and the strongest insurance agent began to hoot with their whole body at the door. But here's the bad luck - the house was Stalinist, and the door was powerful, solid, made of the best oak, so that after a five-minute struggle, three healthy men only bruised their sides. The tension grew. - What to do something?! Can we cut the lock? - suggested one of the insurers. - Do not have time. - Yeah, we can't. Need it fast. - Eureka! Have you watched The Shining? Ax here, ax!

The ax, oddly enough, was found by the guards. And here is the picture - a mighty guard, savagely rolling his eyes, began to destroy the oak door with the sign "Director" with an ax handle. All this happened under the bloodthirsty cries of employees: - Come on! - Break harder! - Crash! Bay with all the dope!

At that moment, the late director finally entered the office. For about two minutes, shocked, he watched a terrible scene worthy of some kind of witches' coven. And only then they noticed him, and by another accident, the first to do this was a guard with an ax handle - ferocious, with a sweaty and red face: - Good morning, Mikhail Nikolaevich. Happy birthday. And we - you see - just waiting for you ...
The director slowly began to crawl to the floor ...

Birthday celebrations began in ancient Egypt, and later this custom spread to Assyria. But it concerned only outstanding people - pharaohs and kings, as well as their male heirs. The first written evidence of the celebration of the birthdays of the Egyptian pharaohs dates back to about 3000 BC. A feast was arranged in the palace, in which, in addition to the nobility, both servants and slaves took part. Often, on the occasion of the pharaoh's birthday, prisoners were released from prisons. For a long time, women's birthdays were not only not celebrated, but were not even recorded. As far as is known, the first woman to be honored with the annual feast was Cleopatra II, queen of Egypt (185-116 BC).

The ancient Greeks celebrated the birthdays of their gods 12 times a year (for example, the birthday of Artemis, the goddess of the moon and hunting, was celebrated on the sixth day of each month). As for mere mortals, only the head of the family, the husband and father, enjoyed such a privilege, and then only once a year. No special attention was paid to women and children. But neither then, nor later, in the Middle Ages, people's birthdays were almost not celebrated. For the most part, mankind did not use calendars. And the life of each person individually did not mean anything.

With the spread of Christianity, the tradition of celebrating someone's birthday disappeared. The early Christians viewed the world as a place of sorrow and believed that a joyful event is not a birth, but the departure of a person, his deliverance from a sinful world. In addition, the traditions inherited from the pagans - the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, were not encouraged by the church. And only in the years of the Reformation, the opportunity to arrange a holiday, regardless of the days dedicated to any saints, suddenly seemed very attractive. In the beginning, solemn birthdays were the privilege of kings. Then children were admitted to the ceremony - the first country to start celebrating children's birthdays was Germany.

Gradually, the position of the church softened, and by the 12th century, parish priests started registering birth and baptism books. Then families began to celebrate the birthdays of not only adult men, but also women and children. In the 13th century, the German peasants developed a ritual of children's birthdays. The child was awakened at dawn with songs and a cake with candles was brought to him. But the cake was not eaten, and the candles gradually burning on it were replaced with new ones until the 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 this ceremony, the pie was shared among those gathered. There were as many candles on it as the years of the hero of the occasion, plus one candle, symbolizing the very moment of birth. Just as Santa Claus or Santa Claus brings gifts to everyone on Christmas or New Year's, so on a birthday a special “dwarf's birthday” brought gifts. This figure was preserved in German folklore until the beginning of the 20th century.

In Russia, name days began to be celebrated only in the 17th century. The day before, they brewed beer, baked pies and a loaf and sang a song about it. Royal birthdays were especially pompous, and loaves were distributed to the people. It is known that so much money was spent on the name day of Elizabeth Petrovna that three luxurious palaces with furnishings could be built on them. Name days of members of the imperial family and church hierarchs were called name days. But birthdays in Russia became holidays only in the 19th century - and then among nobles and wealthy merchants. It was not customary to celebrate a birthday in either the Orthodox or Catholic tradition. Catholics celebrated only the birthdays of saints, Orthodox - only three births: the Nativity of Christ, the Virgin and John the Baptist. But the Protestants thought differently - and celebrated the birthdays of mere mortals. In Russia, after the revolution, name days were not celebrated. And even Korney Chukovsky’s “Fly-Sokotukha” was banned in the 20s, including for promoting the fact that “Today, the Fly-Sokotukha is a birthday girl ...”.

Traditionally, on a birthday, there is... ...pulling the ears or other physical influences on the hero of the occasion - an ancient custom to fool evil spirits. They tear for the ears in our country and in Italy, for the earlobe - in Brazil. In English-speaking countries, the birthday boy is taken by the arms and legs and thrown up by the number of years plus one time for good luck. In Israel, they lift on a chair. Sometimes a newborn is beaten on the hand, in Spain they click on the forehead, and in Ukraine in the old days the child was taken out into the field and flogged at the boundary, so that at the same time he knew exactly where the boundary was drawn. In Canada, the tip of the nose of the birthday boy is smeared with oil so that failures cannot catch him by the slippery nose, and in Nepal they draw a mark on the forehead; cake with candles, which is brought into a dark room. This tradition also comes from antiquity, and the burning of a cake or pie refers to the burning of an altar in honor of the pagan gods. Sometimes coins and rings were baked into these pies for good luck, in some places they continue to do so until now.

In many countries, a special meal is prepared for a birthday. For example, in Asia it is noodles - long so that life is long. The cake is brought in, and all the guests sing songs in honor of the birthday boy. Two hundred years ago in Rus' they sang about the loaf, in Poland they still wish "a hundred lyat" (similar to the church "Many years"), and in many countries they sing Happy Birthday. This song was written by the Hill Sisters of Kentucky in 1893 to greet children in the classroom. At first it sounded like "Good morning to you." But who put the words about the birthday on the melody, history is silent. According to the Guinness Book of Records, this is the most played song in the world; and then the candles on the cake are blown out, making a wish.

Interesting Facts:
Anniversaries - 10, 30, 50 years are considered special in many countries. Often in a special way celebrate 1 year, 18 years and 21 years.

Golden, or champagne, birthday is the day that coincides with the number of years of the birthday person: for example, the 15th anniversary, celebrated on the 15th.

In some countries certain birthdays are part of the ritual. So Jewish boys at the age of 13 celebrate a bar mitzvah, and girls at 12 celebrate a bat mitzvah. In Latin America, quinzenera is a celebration of 15-year-old girls on their birthday. On this day, the daughter always dances a waltz with her father. Sometimes she wears high heeled shoes for the first time on a quinzener. In the US, some girls celebrate sweet sixteen.

The birthday of the Russian Father Frost is November 18. So they decided in Veliky Ustyug, where they settled Grandfather, last year. It was planned that this would become a new tradition, opening New Year's events.

Different African peoples have similar traditions: having reached a certain age, children undergo initiation - tests, after which they become full members of their tribe.

Since the seasons on the continent do not differ too much from each other and, in general, there is still "there is no calendar on the damned island", Africans rarely celebrate birthdays. For example, in the Galla tribe - once every 8 years. And in the Kukuyu tribe, it’s 13 times at all. The birthday boy plants a fig tree on this day.

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

In Latin American countries, during the celebration of a birthday (and on other holidays too), they hang a figure specially made of papier-mâché or straw in the shape of an animal or some object - pinata - from the ceiling, filling it with sweets. A blindfolded child should pierce the pinata with a stick to wake up sweet rain.

It is believed that the birthday of all racehorses in the Southern Hemisphere is August 1, in the Northern Hemisphere - January 1.

Earth's Birthday - World Earth Day - is celebrated on April 22. This date has been included in the calendar since 1971 at the initiative of the UN.

In some countries, members of the royal family have an official birthday, which is a holiday for the country and does not coincide with the actual day the royals were born. For example, Dutch and English monarchs have such birthdays. Elizabeth II of England, born April 21, celebrates her birthday on the second Saturday of June. In England, this tradition has gone since the time of Edward VII, who was born in late autumn, but wanted to arrange celebrations on such a significant occasion in good weather and with a large gathering of people.

Until now, the tradition of celebrating birthdays in the West intersects with another: the celebration of name days in honor of the patron saint who gave the child his name. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses do not recognize birthdays, considering them pagan holidays along with Christmas and Easter.

In American schools, half birthdays are sometimes celebrated - some and a half years - if, for example, the real one falls during the holidays, especially at Christmas.

In probability theory, there is a so-called birthday paradox. It sounds like this: in any group of more than 22 people, there is a probability greater than 50% that two or more people have the same birthday. In a group with 55 people, the probability of this is 99%, and if there are 68 people, then already 99.9%.

In some Indian tribes, in addition to the birthday, the date of the first sitting and the first step is celebrated.

Arabs do not celebrate birthdays, just as the prophet did not celebrate them, although it is not forbidden to do so. Perhaps the dates of birth are not noted because there are usually too many children in the family.

Birthdays in Holland at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 21 are called crown. On these dates, the birthday boy receives especially significant gifts, and his place in the house is decorated with flowers, balls and paper ribbons.

It is known that in the countries of East Asia (such as China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam) the countdown of human life is different - from the moment of conception. The baby gets older by a year with the onset of each new year - all birthdays are celebrated on the same day. True, along with this countdown, there is also a Western one, and many Japanese and Koreans consider age in the same way as we do.

In England, everyone who lived to be 80, 90 and 100 years old receives a personal congratulation from the Queen.

But, in spite of everything, nevertheless, the most unfortunate birthday people live in Japan, since it is generally not customary to celebrate a birthday there. They congratulate the parents of the child for the fact that they accomplished a kind of feat - they gave birth to a child. Which of the children can still boast that they still arrange a holiday in their honor, so these are -three, -five and seven-year-old kids, for whom they arrange "City-Go-San". True, this holiday is the same for all children and may well not coincide with the personal birthday of the child. In Japan, strangely enough, it is customary to give gifts only when a person turns 60, 70, 79, 88, 99 years old.

Each of us knows well how old and months he is. But how many days did you live in the world? Somewhere in the world there is a very interesting tradition: to celebrate your decimal birthday - the round dates of the days lived, the "thousand days".

The first such birthday is celebrated in 1000 days. And the biggest occasions are 10,000-, 20,000- and 30,000-days (if you're lucky).

We go to school at about 2500 days.
Adolescence falls on the 5000-7000th days.
At the age of about 28 years, 10,000 days can be celebrated from the beginning of life.
The 40th anniversary roughly coincides with the 14600th day.

Human life in Russia lasts an average of 23,750 days (65 years - of which every fourth leap year - 3 months and 16 days).

PS. Watch out for the birthday!
As physiologists prove, birthday is a big stress for every person. It has been established that on the eve of the holiday, immunity deteriorates in children, the level of anxiety increases, and health problems are observed. And in adults, the number of complications after surgery performed on the eve of or immediately after the birthday rises to 32% compared with 12% of cases on ordinary days. And even starting repairs, making serious decisions or getting married within a month before and after the birthday is not recommended.

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.

It is simply impossible to name the exact date of the appearance of such a wonderful tradition as a birthday celebration. This is explained very simply: you need to know the exact date. Therefore, it can be assumed that the history of the birthday holiday begins after the invention of the calendar by man.

Today the birthday is celebrated by people all over the world, with the exception of some sectarian organizations. Different countries have their own characteristics of this holiday, but the essence is the same: relatives and friends come to visit the hero of the occasion, bring gifts, have fun and treat themselves to various goodies.

Two versions of birthday appearance to choose from

The first version will be of interest to lovers of various phenomena that are inexplicable from a scientific point of view. According to the beliefs of the followers of black magic, at the time of birth, the human soul is defenseless and vulnerable. Therefore, both the wishes and the curses of the baby are spells. To protect against evil forces, this day should be spent in the circle of family and friends.

The second version will appeal to lovers of the history of Ancient Rome. It says that the Roman soldiers adopted this custom from the East. One example is the celebration of the birthday of the sun god Mithra.

There are also descriptions of birthday celebrations in the Bible. However, there is no talk of any fun here, on the contrary, both events are presented in a negative light:

Genesis 40:20-22 (ca. 1513 BC).

Mark 6:21-29 (1st century CE).

The history of the birthday holiday: pharaohs, kings and gods

It is reliably known from the surviving written evidence that the celebration of a birthday dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. In ancient Egypt, this custom was followed exclusively by pharaohs and kings. Celebrations were also held in honor of their male heirs. It was a feast in which not only noble persons took part, but also simple servants, and even slaves. Often on this day, prisoners were released from prisons. The first woman for whom they began to arrange annual holidays was Cleopatra II (185-116 BC).

The birthday holiday in ancient Greece was quite original. Each of their gods, well known to us from Greek mythology, they honored 12 times a year, i.e. every month. Of ordinary people, only the husband and father deserved to celebrate once a year, and even then very rarely. Women and children were even less fortunate, since no privileges were provided for them.

Centuries-old ban and birthday revival

During the spread of Christianity, the worldview of people changed. They considered the earthly world as a place of sorrow, therefore, they perceived birth as a doom to torment and suffering. But the death of a person, on the contrary, was considered a joyful event, deliverance from sins. In addition, the church had a negative attitude towards traditions that had passed from the pagans - the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, so they stopped celebrating birthdays.

The custom was revived during the years of the Reformation (XVI-XVII centuries). Maybe people were just tired of observing strict church laws, when it was possible to celebrate only on days dedicated to Christian saints. Remember that you can arrange a celebration for yourself. Naturally, one of the first to take advantage of this opportunity were the kings. Later, children were introduced to this ceremony, and it all began in Germany. What features of children's birthdays did the Germans have?

The Germans can boast that since the XIII century they have strengthened the tradition of celebrating children's birthdays. On this day, at sunrise, the child was woken up with songs and presented with a cake with candles. According to the ritual, the household members made sure that the candles on the cake burned until the very evening, i.e. burnt ones were constantly replaced. The number of candles was one more than the years of the hero of the occasion. This "extra" candle symbolized the moment of birth. And only when the whole family was going to have dinner, the birthday boy blew out the candles and secretly made a wish. Then you could start eating. Birthday gifts in Germany are brought by a special gnome.

Name days and birthdays in Rus'

In Rus' in the 17th century, not birthdays were celebrated, but name days. It is wrong to consider these two holidays to be the same, they are completely different days. The thing is that in the old days the name of the child was given by the priest in the church. For this, he took a special book called the Saints. It contains all the holidays and the names of the canonized saints according to the days of their commemoration. In honor of such a saint, the name of the baby was given. Thus, before the birthday and name day coincided.

Now people rarely adhere to this Orthodox tradition, but more often they name children according to their own taste and desire. However, at baptism, if the name of the child does not match the name of the saint, the priest chooses the closest day of the saint's memory (after the date of birth) and gives it to the baby. Knowing and remembering it is very important, because. a person must confess or take communion with a church name. It is also important to know that the saint in whose honor a person is named becomes his guardian angel.

How was it customary to celebrate the birthday of our ancestors?

Among wealthy people, it was customary to arrange feasts: they baked pies and loaves, brewed beer. Since that time, a song has been preserved: “How we baked a loaf on our name day: such a height, such a width ...”. And a well-known folk proverb says: “Without a pancake, it’s not Shrovetide, without a pie, it’s not a birthday.”

Royal birthdays and name days were celebrated on an unusual scale. An example is the well-known historical fact about the name day of Elizabeth Petrovna. Then they spent such a sum of money that it was possible to build and furnish three palaces. Name days of members of the royal family, patriarchs and high-ranking officials are called name days.

Directly birthdays in Russia began to be celebrated in the 19th century only by nobles and wealthy merchants. And only since the 20th century, the tradition has spread among the people.

Birthday is the favorite holiday of most people. And this is not accidental, because it is on the day of his birth that a person celebrates the very miracle of life, the joy of his earthly existence.

The birthday boy is the center of general attention, receives gifts and accepts congratulations. Birthday is a special day in the life of every person, regardless of his nationality. But each nation has its own views on this celebration and traditions of its celebration.

In our country, birthday is a very revered holiday, and it is customary to celebrate it with relatives and friends at a large festive table. But how is this holiday celebrated in other countries?

Birthday celebration is a tradition that originated in the distant past, back in the days of pagan beliefs. In ancient times, people believed that on the day of his birth, a person becomes especially defenseless against evil spirits that are trying to harm him and can even steal his soul. In order to protect the birthday boy, all his relatives and friends gathered next to him, creating positive energy around him and protecting him from negative forces with good wishes and gifts.

History says that the ancient Egyptians were the first to celebrate the birthday. Later, this tradition began to spread to neighboring states. However, only pharaohs, kings and their heirs, and only males, had the right to celebrate a birthday. The day the girl was born was not even recorded. But after some time, women also received the right to celebrate their birthdays. The first woman to use this privilege was Queen Cleopatra II (II century BC).

In the ancient world, as in the early Middle Ages, birthday celebrations were not given much importance. Most people did not use calendars and did not celebrate their birthday. And the very life of an individual was not valued so highly as to arrange a holiday in his honor.

And with the spread of Christianity, this tradition completely sunk into oblivion. Christianity treated the earthly life of a person as a phenomenon of a sinful order, so the birth of a person was not considered necessary to celebrate. The neglect of this holiday was intensified by the negative attitude towards pagan traditions.

Only by the XII century. churches began to record the birthdays and baptisms of parishioners. People got the right to celebrate birthdays. At first, this privilege was enjoyed only by the nobility,

Gradually, the tradition began to spread to ordinary people, including women and children. Germany was the first country to show a democratic approach in this regard, and later other countries of Europe followed its example.

In the modern world, each country has its own customs associated with celebrating a birthday. It is noteworthy that the attitude to this holiday among different peoples can differ significantly.

In Russia, birthday is considered a solemn day and is a favorite holiday for most people. Most of the inhabitants of European countries treat their birthday with a greater degree of indifference and, as a rule, do not like to celebrate this holiday.

In Russia, the birthday was not celebrated until the 19th century. Greater attention was paid to the celebration of the Name Day. But Name Days began to be celebrated only in the 17th century. Name-days were celebrated on a truly grand scale.

Guests were treated to pies, rolls and loaves. Songs were sung in honor of the birthday boy. In the 19th century nobles and merchants began to celebrate their birthday. But only in the 20th century. This holiday has become a traditional family celebration and has gained great importance.

In Germany, the tradition of celebrating a birthday dates back to the 13th century.

Already in the morning, a festive cake was prepared for the birthday man and decorated with lit candles. The number of candles was equal to the person's age plus one candle. Candles burned all day, burnt candles were replaced with new ones. And only after the gala dinner, the birthday man could blow out the candles, after making a wish.

The UK also has its own birthday traditions. Invite guests to this holiday to accept in advance - two months in advance. If the guest receives an invitation later, then he has the right to refuse to attend the celebration, preferring the activities previously scheduled for that day. On a birthday, it is customary to predict fate.

And in the festive cake you can find a coin - a symbol of future wealth.

In Denmark, a child's birthday is treated with great trepidation. On this day, parents hang a flag on the window of the house, informing all passers-by about a joyful event in the family.

In Holland, a child celebrating his birthday receives a bright paper hat as a gift from a school teacher.

The birthday boy treats his classmates with sweets, and his chair is decorated with colorful ribbons, flowers and balloons. On a special scale, the Dutch celebrate the so-called crown years: the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 21st years of life.

In Latin America, the fifteenth birthday of a girl is celebrated especially solemnly. On this day, the girl dances her first waltz, first with her father, then with young suitors.

In some countries, on the day of her fifteenth birthday, a girl gets the right to wear high-heeled shoes for the first time.

A similar tradition exists in the United States, only here girls celebrate not their fifteenth birthday on a special scale, but sweet sixteen - “sweet sixteen”.

Birthday is also a revered holiday in Guiana. Here the birthday boy dresses up in an extravagant costume, in which he meets his guests. The main dish on the festive table is chicken with rice.

Cubans especially love to celebrate their birthdays. On a solemn day, everything should be in abundance: a lot of guests, and not necessarily close people, a rich table, loud music and festive outfits.

In India, parents, sending a birthday child to school, always supply him with various sweets so that he treats his classmates, sharing his joy with them.

Residents of Muslim countries rarely celebrate their birthday. The Arabs do not have a custom of a festive celebration in honor of the day of birth. However, the Koran does not forbid the celebration of this holiday. And some men gather guests on their birthday in the courtyard of their house, treating them to traditional oriental dishes.

In Canada, the hero of the occasion is smeared with oil on the tip of his nose so that all bad luck slips off his nose, after which he is lightly punched in the chest.

In England, it is customary to throw a birthday boy into the air as many times as he turns years old plus one time at random. The same custom exists in Ireland and Israel.

According to opinion polls, about half of Europeans do not like to celebrate their birthday and do not feel joy from its approach, suffering from the need to arrange a celebration with relatives, friends or colleagues.

Here are 10 historical ways to celebrate your birthday.

10th place: According to pagan beliefs, the birthday annually symbolizes the transition from the world of ancestors to the world of the living. At this time, a person may be in danger, get sick, and his soul can be stolen. Therefore, it is necessary to have close people nearby who, with their ritual offerings and good wishes, drive away evil spirits. So a birthday cake with candles and making wishes is actually an altar in honor of the pagan gods who were addressed on their birthday.

9th place: In Russia, name days began to be celebrated in the 17th century - this is the latest beginning in history. On the eve of the holiday, the family of the birthday boy brewed beer, baked birthday cakes, pies and loaves. And, in fact, the song about the loaf was originally sung by adults.

8th place: The royal birthdays were celebrated especially magnificently. Sometimes the tsar personally handed out birthday cakes, and large festivities with refreshments were organized for the people. So much money was spent on one name day of Elizabeth Petrovna that three royal palaces could be built on them and fully provided with furniture and curtains.

7th place: African birthdays. In the Galla tribe, a birth is celebrated every 8 years. The concept of "year" is absent there, since no one has a calendar, and the seasons practically do not change.

6th place: In the Kukuyu tribe, the gap between birthdays is even larger - 13 years. Once every 13 years, the birthday boy plants a fig tree. By the way, in Russia, after the revolution, an ideological struggle began with name days. In the 1920s, censorship banned "Fly-Tsokotukha" by Korney Chukovsky for promoting name days.

5th place: In England, all those who have lived to 80,90, and 100 years old are sent personally by the Queen.

4th place: In some Indian tribes, as well as in rural areas of China, in addition to birthdays, the stages of human development are also celebrated: “sidins” - when he began to sit, “hodins” - he began to walk, etc.

3rd place: In North Africa, it is customary to celebrate your birthday only twice in your life: 1 time when you are born, and the second time at 52 years old (because this is the age of the prophet Mohammed).

2nd place: In Ukraine, there was once a custom to take children out into the field on their birthdays and flog them at the boundary there, so that the child would know exactly where the boundary was drawn. By the way, for the same reason, for our birthday, they pull on the ears, in England they throw it up and drop it on the floor, and in Spain they click on the forehead.

1 place: The most unfortunate birthday people live in Japan. There is no birthday celebration at all. Only parents are congratulated on the anniversary of their feat - the birth of a child. For children, there are only holidays of three, five and seven years - "City-Go-San", it is the same for all children and is celebrated on certain days that may not coincide with your personal birthday. In Japan, it is customary to give gifts only for the 60th, 70th, 79th, 88th, 99th anniversary.

Birthday is an unusual day, because it marks a new stage in a person's life.

Whether to celebrate this holiday and how exactly to do it, whether to observe the ancient customs and rituals adopted in one's own country is everyone's business. After all, a birthday is, first of all, a personal holiday.

The main thing is that this day goes positively!

After all, a birthday is a statement of your birth and the joy of earthly life, given to every person the opportunity to communicate, love and realize oneself in this world. And this alone is worthy of highlighting this holiday from a series of other days!