A Birthday’s Birth Day

by: Viktoria Lukas
2009-07-01

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Before you blame Hallmark for supposedly devising the celebration of birthdays to increase greeting card sales, birthday celebrations have in fact existed even before the discovery of paper and the establishment of greeting card companies. It all began during the pagan times when the ancient people began charting the moon's cycles. Eventually, they also began paying attention to the altering seasons. Ancient people then began developing time-telling devices to keep track of the changes. This is where birthday history began.

For the ancient people, the celebration was a form of protection. They believed that evil spirits tend to harm a person when a certain change occurs to them, such as growing up and turning a year older. To protect the person, friends and family members gather around him and shower him with well-wishes to ward of the evil spirits. Today, the person doesn’t just get well-wishes but a bonus of beautifully wrapped presents.

Birthday candles also have a history behind them. In early times, people believed that the gods dwelled in the heavens and by lighting candles and torches, the people could successfully catch their attention to make their wishes come true. Germans were believed to have began the practice of celebrating children’s birthdays which they call ‘kinderfeste’ meaning ‘children’ for ‘kinder’ and ‘feast’ for ‘feste’.

But before children enjoyed their parties and grown-ups dreaded the idea of blowing one more candle on an already candle-crowded cake, during the period of royalties, birthdays were celebrated only by the nobility. Historians believe this was so because they were the only ones wealthy enough to throw a birthday banquet and that their birthday was the only one worth documenting.

Did you know that the world-famous birthday theme song ‘Happy Birthday To You’, composed by sisters Patty and Mildred Hill in the year 1893, was originally a Good Morning song? Later, the sisters decided to change the lyrics from ‘Good Morning to you’ to ‘Happy Birthday to you’ and the rest was history.

In many cultures, people celebrate coming-of-age birthdays rather than a yearly birthday. Among the Jewish people, boys celebrate a bar mitzvah at the age of 13. Girls celebrate a bat mitzvah when they turn 12.

In the Philippines, Filipino girls celebrate their 18th birthday with a cotillion or a formal ball. The birthday celebrant, called the debutante, is dressed in a special ball gown in a color of her choice. This color usually ends up as the entire birthday ball’s theme. The highlight of the program is when the debutante dances with 18 gentlemen which include her father and a steady boyfriend (if there is one). Then, 18 of her best girl friends each light a candle for her which they present to her with a wish.

Hispanic countries, on the other hand, have the quinceañera celebration which marks a girl's 15th coming of age birthday. The United States have the Sweet Sixteen celebration for both boys and girls and in the United Kingdom, young people are welcomed as part of the society at the age of 21.

Birthdays—most people’s most awaited time of the year. Apart from the confetti and the birthday cake and the gift-wrapped wish-lists, a birthday is more than just a party. It is mostly a celebration of one’s life and the lessons and successes that come with every new year.

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