What Is A Birthday?

Birthdays are celebrated all over the world but just what
is a birthday? Birthdays are the day most people in many
cultures celebrate the anniversary of their birth.

Most people mark this special day with a party and gifts
are given. These gifts are sometimes known as a rite of
passage during special milestone birthdays.

During birthday parties one of the most popular traditions
is the birthday cake. Typically ornately decorated and lit
with candles that the birthday person gets to make a silent
wish on then blow out.

The number of candles on the cake coincides with the age of
the person blowing the candles out. Sometimes when the
number of candles is too great, people use special number
candles readily available.

Also it is a common tradition for the birthday person to
cut and receive the first piece of cake.

On someones birthday, they are supposed to receive special
treatment from family and friends. This includes, gift
giving, special meals or dining out.

Childrens birthdays usually include games and sometimes
special entertainment like a clown or magician. Parties can
include balloons, streamers and party favors for guests.

Special gifts for birthdays sometimes include the giving of
a birthstone. This is a precious stone that goes with the
month of birth.

Birthstones seem to originate from biblical times. There is
also a list of birth flowers. Like the stones, this lists
flowers that match the month of birth. It is considered to
be very good luck to receive your birth flower on your
birthday with the number of blooms matching your age.