We thoroughly enjoy hosting birthday parties for our guests, from 3rd birthday parties to a milestone 70th, we think every year is the perfect chance to celebrate.
Traditionally birthdays in British culture are synonymous with cake, candles and cards. But this isn’t the case worldwide, we’ve uncovered some incredible birthday traditions facts from across the globe.
We can thank the Egyptians for beginning the culture of birthday celebrations, they founded the idea as a way to worship the day Pharaohs were born, and their idea was then developed by the Romans who began to celebrate the birthdays of everyone.
In Germany, it is considered unlucky to celebrate on any day that isn’t your true birthday, so there’s no delaying the celebrations until the next Friday night. And just in case you weren’t celebrating enough, in Denmark they traditionally put a Danish flag outside your property to make sure everyone knows it’s your special day.
If you happen to find yourself in Brazil or Hungary on your birthday, don’t be surprised when the locals beginning the birthday traditions of pulling your ear lobes and singing “Live so long that your ears reach your ankles.” Where as in Vietnam, individuals birthdays are largely ignored in favour of everyone having a New Year birthday during the holiday of Tet.
It’s not always birthday cake topped with jelly and ice cream either, in Ghana you can expect a birthday breakfast of Oto which is mashed yams, eggs and onions. Whilst you wouldn’t be given a watch or clock in China for fear of bad luck, you would be served Yi Mein commonly known as Longevity Noodles.
You can read about some of our previous birthdays here: