What makes birthdays so popular? Well, everybody has one...duh. Another obvious fact is that birthdays are one of the only occasions celebrated in nearly every society and culture of our world. And although we may celebrate this universal conception in many different ways throughout the seven continents, the basic idea is the same. To celebrate the life and growth of our friends and families.

Here in America, we celebrate birthdays most typically with a decorated birthday cake and by showering the birthday boy or girl with birthday gifts. We sing “Happy Birthday” as they blow out birthday candles and make a special birthday wish. Which when you really think about it, is quite superstitious. And that got me wondering how our brothers and sisters around the world celebrate birthdays. Here are a few traditions that I found interesting. Some of them were very similar to American traditions, some of them were similar to each other, and some were just very different.

In China, friends and family members are invited to celebrate with the birthday boy or girl, but instead of cake, they are offered noodles for the celebration. The birthday boy or girl are also expected to pay respect to their parents and are offered gifts of money. Very similar to the American version with the main differences being the food served and the types of gifts expected.

Another country similar to ours is Bolivia. At the age of 16, girls are expected to wear a white dress and waltz with their fathers and other boys. This celebration is very similar to our “Sweet 16” birthday celebrations in the states. In England, symbolic objects are mixed into the cake, such as coins, foretelling that the birthday boy or girl will be wealthy someday. It may be a little more dangerous, but cake is cake right?

Some countries that celebrate much differently from our own, are surprisingly similar. Many Latin nations throughout the world celebrate what is known as a “Quinceañera”, in which a young girls fifteenth birthday is commemorated in a unique and special way from all of her other birthdays. This same tradition is called by different names in different Latin countries and the customs vary with different Latin nations, such as the specific colors to be worn by the girls, such as in Ecuador, where the birthday girl must wear pink. Some customs are very specific about how many people are invited, like in Puerto Rico, where the birthday girl must have fourteen members of boys and girls with her, also age fifteen. And some customs even specify where the celebrations are to be held, as in Cuba, where the party must be held in the girl’s home or in a relative’s home. These festivities are very similar to our sweet 16, but more formal, like a wedding. These birthday celebrations are so special and have become so popular that some can cost as much as a wedding or even a new car.

There are also countries that have very unique birthday traditions, far different from any other in the world. Take Germany for example. If a man reaches the age of 30 and does not have a girlfriend, the birthday tradition is to have him sweep the stairs of City Hall. Friends are invited to throw rubble on the stairs and when he’s finished, they’ll throw more rubble and so on. This is to show every girl that this man reached the age of 30 and still doesn’t have a girlfriend, and that he can clean a house very well. A Good Catch perhaps?

In Canada, the birthday child is ambushed and their nose is greased with butter or margarine for, (get this), good luck. The idea being that having a greased nose makes the child too slippery for bad luck to catch them. Sounds like fun! Where’s the toast?

But the one that really caught my attention was Vietnam, where every citizen’s birthday is celebrated on New Year’s Day. Because the Vietnamese do not know or acknowledge the exact day they were born, every baby turns one on Tet, (Vietnamese New Year’s), regardless of when he or she was born that year. And on the first morning of Tet, adults congratulate children on becoming a year older by presenting them with red envelopes that contain “Lucky Money,” or li xi. These envelopes are given to the children by parents, siblings, relatives and close friends. I suppose that this is easier than baking one cake for 85 million people.

So there you have it. Birthdays are celebrated almost everywhere and very differently from country to country, but the important thing is that they are celebrated together, with familiar faces of friends and family members.

In case I don’t talk to you soon, Happy Birthday!