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The
History of Birthdays
Before
humans had a way of keeping time, no one
paid much attention to the anniversary
of important events, such as birthdays.
Only when ancient peoples began taking
notice of the moon's cycles, did they
pay attention to the changing seasons
and the pattern that repeated itself
over and over. Eventually, the first
calendars were formulated in order to
mark time changes and other special
days. From this tracking system came the
ability to celebrate birthdays and other
significant anniversaries the same day
each year.
Evidence
of birthday observances dates back
before the rise of Christianity. In
pagan cultures, people feared evil
spirits - especially on their birthdays.
It was a common belief that evil spirits
were more dangerous to a person when he
or she experienced a change in their
daily life, such as turning a year
older. As a result, birthdays were merry
occasions celebrated with family and
friends, who surrounded the person of
honor with laughter and joy in order to
protect them from evil. Instead of
gifts, most guests brought positive
thoughts and happy wishes for the
upcoming year. However, if well-wishers
did bring gifts, it was considered an
especially good influence for the
birthday person.
Although
historians are certain that people have
observed their birthdays for quite some
time, there are few records of such
celebrations that still exist. Of these
few descriptions, only those birthdays
of kings, high-ranking nobility, and
other important figures have been
documented. Common people and especially
children never celebrated their birth
when the idea came about. This trend has
been explained by a theory that nobility
were the only people wealthy enough to
throw such celebrations, and quite
possibly were the only ones deemed
important enough to have been written
about or remembered. Some historians
believe these early birthday bashes
resulted in the custom of wearing
birthday "crowns" as time went
on.
Eventually,
birthday celebrations became a tradition
around the world with young and old,
rich or poor. Although birthday customs
are quite similar in some countries
today, not everyone celebrates in the
same way. Different people have
incorporated their own rituals into the
birthday celebration, based on spiritual
beliefs and ancient cultural traditions.
While you may find some of them odd, or
even humorous, each one is unique.
Birthday
Traditions and Spiritual Beliefs
Religious
beliefs have a strong effect on the way
some people celebrate their birthday.
Since people thousands of miles apart
can share the same spiritual beliefs,
the following customs have been divided
by religion instead of geographic
location.
In
Muslim cultures, people thank God
following the birth of a child by giving
gifts to the poor. After the child is a
week old, its head is shaved. The family
then donates an amount of silver equal
to, and often more than, the weight of
the child's hair. Following this ritual,
family and friends come together for a
feast and a naming ceremony. It is
expected that some of the food will be
given to those in need as well.
According
to religious customs, Hindu children
only celebrate their birthdays until
they are 16. Until then, however, they
do not go to school on their birthdays.
Instead, a birthday is observed with a
religious ceremony where a priest
blesses the child. On a Hindu child's
first birthday, his or her head is
shaved while being held by a special
fire. Removal of the hair cleanses the
child of any evil in past lives,
symbolizing a renewal of the soul.
In
many Jewish communities, a male child's
hair is not cut until he is 3 years old.
On his third birthday, the boy's first
haircut is accompanied by a special
ceremony called an upsherin, which also
symbolizes the beginning of the child's
Jewish education.
Source: http://www.birthdayexpress.com
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