Story 9. Birthdays Around the World
My good friend Carlos invited me to his birthday party.
He moved to Canada from Mexico when he was a baby, but his parents tried to maintain some of the Mexican traditions.
At his party, I saw my first piñata.
It was made out of paper and shaped like an animal.
Carlos's parents had filled it with candies.
They hung it from the ceiling, and Carlos was blindfolded so he could not see.
He hit the piñata with a stick until it broke.
All the candies fell on the floor, and we had a great time gathering and eating the candies.
Everyone shared.
It was really fun.
Carlos's birthday party got me thinking about how kids in other places celebrate birthdays.
Did you know that in Vietnam, everyone's birthday is on the same day?
Kids do not celebrate on the actual day they were born.
Instead, on New Year's Day, all kids celebrate their birthdays.
Parents give the kids red envelopes with lucky money in them.
What a great way to celebrate birthdays!
In South Africa, kids do not celebrate each birthday, but on their 21st birthday, their parents make a key.
It can be made of paper, wood, or even gold or silver.
Parents give the child this key.
It is a sign from the parents that the child can now unlock lock the door to their future life.
Cool, don't you think?
In Scotland, children get two things on their birthdays.
They get one dollar for each year.
They also get one soft slap on the bottom for each year.
Oh yes, and they get one extra slap for good luck.
In Nepal, children get a special mark on their faces.
Rice and colourings are mixed and painted on the child's forehead for good luck.
In Japan, the child gets a brand new set of clothes on their birthdays.
While in Italy, adults pull children's ears, one pull for each year.
In Denmark, a flag flies outside the window of a house where a child is having a birthday.
When the child While the child is asleep, adults put presents all around the child's bed.
There are many ways to celebrate birthdays.
How do you celebrate birthdays in your country?
