Hi there! I’m John Green, and welcome to my show, Mental Floss on YouTube. Guess what? It’s our birthday! We even have a cake to celebrate. I made a wish, but I can’t tell you what it is. Let’s just say I hope for some exciting guest hosts next year.
Today, we’re celebrating our first year by exploring how people around the world celebrate birthdays. Different cultures and religions have unique ways of marking this special day. So, let’s take a global tour of birthday traditions!
Birthdays might have started with the ancient Egyptians. The Bible mentions a Pharaoh’s birthday, which could also mean the day he became a god after his death. The ancient Romans definitely celebrated birthdays and were probably the first to celebrate the birthdays of family and friends, not just rulers and gods.
In Denmark, a Danish flag outside the home means it’s someone’s birthday. Kids wake up to presents placed around their bed, and sometimes they have a “cake person” with the head cut off first.
In Australia and New Zealand, kids enjoy Fairy Bread at parties. It’s white bread with butter and colorful sprinkles, known as “hundreds-and-thousands.”
In Brazil, guests might pull the birthday person’s earlobes. They also enjoy Brigadeiro, a chocolate treat. Hungary has a similar earlobe-pulling tradition with a fun song wishing the person a long life.
In the UK and Ireland, “the bumps” involve lifting the birthday person and gently bumping them on the ground for each year of their age. In the U.S. and Canada, playful punches are more common. Babies in the U.S. get “smash cakes” to make a mess with!
In Canada, spreading butter on the birthday person’s nose is for good luck. In Nepal, colored rice yogurt on the forehead brings good fortune. In Mexico, they sing “Las Mañanitas” before eating cake, and piñatas are a big hit at parties.
In Ghana, a special birthday dish called oto, made of mashed yams with eggs and onions, is served. In China, people eat Yi mein, or “longevity noodles,” for birthdays. But remember, giving a watch or clock as a gift in China is considered bad luck.
In Vietnam, individual birthdays aren’t common. Instead, everyone celebrates during the Tet holiday, the New Year. Kids get red envelopes with money. In Korea, first birthdays are big, but after that, birthdays are celebrated on New Year.
In Germany, wishing someone “happy birthday” before their actual birthday is bad luck. On a 16th birthday, flour might be thrown on the person’s head. In Jamaica, flour is also used, and on 18th birthdays in Germany, eggs are added. If a man turns 25 and isn’t married, his friends might hang a “sock wreath” outside his house as a joke.
Some cultures have special traditions for certain ages. In Judaism, girls have a bat mitzvah at 12, and boys have a bar mitzvah at 13, marking their transition into adulthood. In South Africa, turning 21 means receiving a key from parents, symbolizing responsibility.
In Holland, “crown years” are celebrated at ages 5, 10, 15, 20, and 21 with bigger gifts. In Nigeria, the 1st, 5th, 10th, and 15th birthdays are celebrated with large feasts.
For boys in Orthodox and Hasidic Judaism, the third birthday is when they get their first haircut. On the Indian island of Minicoy, newborns have their heads shaved after twenty days, and the hair is given to charity.
In China, a first birthday tradition involves placing a baby in front of various objects like books and coins. The items the baby chooses are believed to predict future interests.
Thanks for joining us on this birthday adventure! Each week, we answer one of your mind-blowing questions. This week’s question is, “Why do we call a sixtieth of a minute a second?” It comes from the Latin word “secunda,” meaning “second diminished part,” as the hour is divided twice by sixty.
If you have a question you’d like us to answer, leave it in the comments. Thanks for watching, and remember, don’t forget to be awesome!
Research and create a world map highlighting different birthday traditions from the article. Use colors, symbols, or drawings to represent each tradition. Present your map to the class and explain the traditions you found most interesting.
Choose a country from the article and organize a mini birthday celebration in class. Include traditional foods, decorations, and activities from that culture. Share what you learned about the significance of these traditions with your classmates.
Imagine you are a child in one of the countries mentioned in the article. Write a short story about your birthday celebration, incorporating the traditions from that culture. Share your story with the class and discuss how it compares to your own birthday experiences.
Create a poster that showcases a unique birthday tradition from the article. Include images, fun facts, and a brief description of the tradition. Display your poster in the classroom and take a gallery walk to learn about other traditions.
Form groups and choose a birthday tradition from the article. Prepare arguments for why your chosen tradition is the most interesting or meaningful. Engage in a friendly debate with other groups and vote on the most compelling tradition.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to my salon. This is Mental Floss on YouTube, and it is our birthday! Happy birthday to us! We even got ourselves a cake. Hold on, I’m going to make a wish. I can’t tell you what I wished for, but I can say that I hope we have some exciting guest hosts next year.
The Mental Floss List Show is officially one year old! Today, I’m going to talk about some ways that people celebrate birthdays around the world in different cultures and religions. Plus, I’m going to demonstrate some of these celebrations so we can properly celebrate our birthday! For those of you who’ve been saying we’ve been a bit USA-centric lately, we’re going to go global today!
Let’s start with the origins of birthdays. They may have started with the ancient Egyptians, as the Bible notes a Pharaoh’s birthday, although it could also refer to the date of the Pharaoh’s death, marking the day he became a god. The ancient Romans definitely celebrated birthdays and were likely the first to celebrate the birthdays of family and friends, not just those of rulers and gods.
In Denmark, a Danish flag placed outside the home signifies someone’s birthday. For children’s birthdays, presents are usually placed on or around the child’s bed so they can wake up surrounded by gifts. Sometimes a “cake person” is served, depending on whether the party is for a boy or a girl. The head of the cake figure is typically cut off first.
At birthday parties for children in Australia and New Zealand, you might find Fairy Bread, which is white bread with butter and sprinkles. The colorful sprinkles are called “hundreds-and-thousands” there. I’m going to make some Fairy Bread because it seems like the perfect treat!
At a Brazilian birthday party, guests might pull the earlobes of the guest of honor. You can also expect to see Brigadeiro, a type of chocolate truffle. Earlobe pulling is also a tradition in Hungary, where there’s a rhyming song that accompanies it! The translation is, “God bless you, live so long your ears reach your ankles.”
In the UK and Ireland, a tradition called “the bumps” involves lifting the birthday person and bumping them on the ground once for each year they have lived. In the U.S. and Canada, a similar tradition involves playful punches instead. Another fun tradition in the U.S. is “smash cakes,” which are small cakes given to babies to enjoy and make a mess with.
In Canada, it’s common to spread butter on the nose of the birthday person for good luck. In Nepal, it’s considered good luck to put colored rice yogurt on your forehead for birthdays. Mexicans have a special birthday song, “Las Mañanitas,” which is usually sung before the group eats cake. Piñatas are also a popular way to celebrate birthdays in Mexico.
In Ghana, a traditional birthday dish is oto, which is mashed yams with eggs and onions. In China, Yi mein, or “longevity noodles,” is commonly eaten on birthdays. It’s also important to avoid giving a watch or clock as a gift in China, as these are considered bad luck.
Celebrating individual birthdays is rare in Vietnam; instead, all birthdays are celebrated during the Tet holiday, which is a New Year celebration. Children receive gifts in red envelopes with money inside. In Korea, first birthdays are celebrated, but subsequent birthdays are celebrated on New Year.
In Germany, wishing someone “happy birthday” before their actual birthday is considered bad luck. On someone’s 16th birthday, they may have flour thrown on their head. In Jamaica, throwing flour on the head is a common birthday tradition. On 18th birthdays in Germany, flour is replaced with eggs, and if a man turns 25 before marrying, his friends will hang a “sock wreath” outside his house as a humorous symbol of his single status.
Some cultures have specific traditions for certain ages. For example, girls who practice Judaism have a bat mitzvah at 12, and boys have a bar mitzvah at 13, marking their transition into adulthood. In South Africa, when a person turns 21, their parents present them with a key symbolizing responsibility and the future.
In Holland, they celebrate “crown years” at ages 5, 10, 15, 20, and 21, with bigger presents on those birthdays. In Nigeria, the 1st, 5th, 10th, and 15th birthdays are particularly important, often involving large celebrations with feasts.
For boys in Orthodox and Hasidic Judaism, the third birthday is significant as it’s when they receive their first haircut. In the Indian island of Minicoy, newborns have their heads shaved after twenty days, and the hair is weighed to be given to charity in silver or gold.
Now, back to the Chinese tradition for first birthdays: the baby is placed in front of various objects like books, flowers, and coins. The items the baby reaches for are believed to indicate future interests.
Thanks for watching Mental Floss on YouTube, made possible by all these wonderful people. Each week, we answer one of your mind-blowing questions. This week’s question comes from TheNightTroll13, who asks, “Why do we call a sixtieth of a minute a second?” This term comes from the Latin word “secunda,” meaning “second diminished part,” as the hour is divided twice by sixty.
If you have a mind-blowing question you’d like answered, please leave it below, and we’ll do our best to answer as many as we can. Thanks for watching, and as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Birthday – The anniversary of the day on which a person was born, often celebrated with parties and gifts. – Many cultures have unique ways of celebrating a person’s birthday, such as singing songs or giving gifts.
Traditions – Customs or beliefs passed down from generation to generation within a culture or community. – In some traditions, people gather with family and friends to share a meal during important holidays.
Cultures – The social behavior, norms, and practices found in human societies, including language, religion, and art. – Different cultures around the world have various ways of expressing their values and beliefs through music and dance.
Celebrations – Festive gatherings or activities held to honor a special event or occasion. – National celebrations often include parades and fireworks to commemorate important historical events.
Good – Something that is beneficial, positive, or desirable. – Many people believe that helping others is a way to spread good in their community.
Luck – The success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions. – Some cultures have symbols or rituals believed to bring good luck, such as carrying a rabbit’s foot.
Special – Something that is unique or held in high regard. – Special occasions, like weddings, often involve elaborate ceremonies and gatherings.
Foods – Substances consumed to provide nutritional support for the body, often associated with cultural practices. – Traditional foods are an important part of cultural heritage and are often prepared during festivals.
Age – The length of time that a person has lived or a thing has existed. – In many societies, reaching a certain age is marked by a rite of passage or a special celebration.
Fortune – Chance or luck as an arbitrary force affecting human affairs, often associated with wealth or success. – Fortune tellers are popular in some cultures, where they predict people’s futures based on various signs.
