How the world celebrates birthdays

The anniversary of the day on which a person was born, typically treated as an occasion for celebration and giving gifts is known as ‘birthday’. Commonly, a person’s birthday is celebrated with a party where a cake is presented. The cake is usually decorated with lettering and the person’s age. The cake is traditionally studded […]

The anniversary of the day on which a person was born, typically treated as an occasion for celebration and giving gifts is known as ‘birthday’. Commonly, a person’s birthday is celebrated with a party where a cake is presented. The cake is usually decorated with lettering and the person’s age. The cake is traditionally studded with the same number of lit candles as the age of the person.
Across the world, birthdays are celebrated to mark certain ages and accomplishments in the life of an individual. Take a witty tour with me round the world and explore birthdays’ celebrations.
In India, a child’s first birthday is celebrated by shaving the child’s head while being held by a special fire. It is believed that shaving off the hair cleanses the child of any evil in the past.       
In Canada and United States, families often mark a girl’s 16th birthday with a “sweet sixteen” celebration.       
In some Hispanic countries such as Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, as well as in Portuguese-speaking parts of Brazil, the “quinceanera” or “festa de quinze anos” celebration traditionally marks a girl’s 15th birthday.       
In Philippines, girls on their 18th birthday and boys on their 21st birthday celebrate a debut. Debut is a traditional coming-of-age celebration for young men and women who have reached the age of maturity.       
In Korea, many people celebrate a traditional ceremony of “Baek-il”, which is the feast for the 100th day after a child is born, and “Doljanchi”, which marks a child’s first birthday.               
Jewish boys have a “bar mitzvah” (son of commandment) on their 13th birthday, while the girls have a “bat mitzvah” (daughter of commandment) on their 12th birthdays, signifying the coming of age.       
The Nigerian ‘Birthdays’
Birthdays in Nigeria are celebrated in different ways across the country; however, the 1st, 5th, 10th and 15th birthdays are considered special events depending on the individual and region.
At Nigerian birthday parties, the famous dish – jollof rice is mostly served to the guests with soft drinks. Children play games like pick-and-obey, chair-dance, pass-the-parcel and many others at birthday parties.       
For adults, the birthdays that are significant include 40, 45, 50, 60, 65 and 70. The age 60 is significant because it is the general retirement age. To attain age 70 is also considered special in a society whose estimate of life expectancy is 52.05 years according to a 2012 study.
It is also typical for family and friends to wish them happy birthday in newspapers, especially when the celebrant is a business tycoon or a politician.
Hajara is a 300 level student at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri.