Birthdays are special days celebrated all around the world, but different cultures have unique and exciting ways to mark them! Let’s explore some interesting birthday traditions from various countries.In Mexico, birthdays are full of fun and music. One famous tradition is the piñata — a colourful container filled with candies and toys. The birthday child wears a blindfold and tries to break the piñata with a stick while everyone cheers. When it breaks, sweets scatter everywhere for all the kids to collect. It’s a joyful and noisy celebration!In Japan, children celebrate their birthdays with a special event called Shichi-Go-San, which means “Seven-Five-Three.” It’s held when kids turn three, five, or seven years old. They dress in beautiful traditional clothes and visit shrines to pray for a healthy future. Although it’s not a birthday party like in many places, it’s a meaningful celebration of growing up.In Russia, instead of a big party, some people celebrate by giving lucky coins or small gifts to the birthday person for good fortune. They also enjoy delicious cakes and sweets with family and friends.In Australia and New Zealand, kids often have birthday parties outdoors, with games, barbecues, and lots of laughter. They may also sing the famous “Happy Birthday” song with a special twist — adding funny lyrics or voices to make it more playful!Finally, in many African cultures, birthdays are celebrated with drumming, dancing, and singing, showing gratitude for life and community. These celebrations can last for hours, bringing everyone together in happiness.No matter where you are, birthdays are a chance to celebrate, have fun, and feel loved. It’s amazing to see the different ways people enjoy this special day across the world! The oldest recorded birthday celebration dates back over 4,000 yearsAncient Egyptians are believed to have held some of the first birthday parties.The tradition of birthday cakes started in ancient GreeceThey baked round cakes to honour the moon goddess Artemis.The “Happy Birthday” song is one of the most recognised songs worldwideIt was written in the early 1900s and is sung in almost every language.Some people celebrate half-birthdaysThis happens six months before or after their actual birthday to have more parties!In medieval Europe, birthday celebrations were rareOnly kings and nobles usually had big parties.
