Birthday Ideas
Birthdays in Denmark
In the 2010 Gallup World Poll, Denmark was voted the happiest country in the world. The egalitarian society and moderately high standard of living combine with strong family relationships to make Denmark an exceptionally pleasant place to live. Danes love their country and... Read More
Birthdays in Israel
Birthdays are cherished and celebrated with joy in this country. Children’s parties may include a clown and many guests who sing lively Jewish songs, clap their hands and sometimes play the tambourine. Sometimes the birthday child wears a crown fashioned from flowers. If... Read More
Birthdays in Africa
Except for white South Africans, most inhabitants of the continent do not celebrate birthdays. Tribal customs formed centuries ago did not include the annual celebration of the day of an individual’s entrance into the world. This may be due to the high mortality... Read More
Birthdays in China: Birthday Eggs and Tigers
Saying “Happy birthday” to a Chinese child could be a little complicated. In Mandarin, you would say shēngri kuàile, but in Shanghainese, the correct words are sangniq khualoq. Other Chinese dialects include Cantonese, Hakka, Hokkien and Taiwanese. A Chinese... Read More
Birthdays in Panama: Really Big Celebrations
Panama blends Latin and western traditions. Birthdays generally call for lavish parties. All of the relatives get an invitation: grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws. Friends round out the guest list, which can include as many as a hundred... Read More
Birthdays in Lithuania: Branches of Birthday Cake
“Su gimtadieniu” is “Happy birthday” in Lithuanian. According to tradition, Lithuanians celibrate both birthdays and name days. Name days are more public. Calendar days are coordinated with traditional first names, which are often the names of saints. When the... Read More
Birthdays in Japan:Two-Kilo Birthday
The Japanese have two ways to say happy birthday: familiar and formal. “Tanjoubi omedetou” is reserved for children, family members and close friends. When addressing a superior or an acquaintance, use the polite and formal “O-tanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu.” Prior to World War... Read More
Birthdays in the Youngest Country on Earth
New Zealanders call themselves Kiwis and say theirs is the youngest country on earth. This refers to the relatively late settling of New Zealand by people from Polynesia about 800 years ago, long after most of world was populated.... Read More
