June 2026 R⚖M
Some people like birthdays and others dislike celebrating their own birthdays. To me it just seems weird but hoped to get a little knowledge of this.
In general, though.
Celebrations may make some feel deeply appreciated and connected, while others may experience anxiety, birthday depression phenomenon, like having the feeling of being forced to be on spotlight, the pressure to be happy or fears of aging.
For the norm, It is a great intentional day to feel appreciated loved and recognized by your friends and family, and a time to feel great enjoyment and thrill of being pampered. Yet, at times that’s not the case.
For some it has a different effect, one being negative bringing forth depression and stress , while others use it as a healthy opportunity to look back on personal achievements and set new goals for the upcoming year.
One who dislikes celebrating a birthday could be because of past trauma, forgotten childhood birthdays, or absence of loved ones, might trigger a bad past memory, or when blowing out the candles could be a reminder of time passing, mortality disappearing, in due time, and whether or not personal milestones goals are being met or not met.
The tradition of celebrating birthdays dates back to roughly 5,000 years to ancient Egypt, even though it looked different back in those days from how we throw birthday parties of today. Like, in history, birthdays were reserved only for god’s, pharaohs, and rulers, while the average person’s birth past entirely unnoticed.
A. In Ancient Egypt 3000 BCE was the earliest recorded birthday celebration recorded. The difference was they celebrated the anniversary of the Pharaoh’s coronation, not the Pharaoh’s literal date of birth.
B. In Ancient Greece times, They were the ones who invented the cakes and candles. The Greeks adopted the Egyptian concept by focusing to honor their gods. To pay tribute to Artemis, the goddess of the moon. Worshipers would make round, Moon shaped cakes. Then place lit candles on top to simulate the glowing Radiance of the Moon. They even believed, like our expression of “MAKE A WISH”, that the smoke after blowing out the candles would carry their prayers up to the heavens to be answered
C. In Ancient Rome times, was when birthdays for the common man came to be. The Romans were the first civilization to bring the tradition out, but only strictly towards male citizens. Wealthy families would hold private banquets, give gifts, and bake special honey- cheesecakes. Women’s birthdays however, we’re really recognized publicly until around the 12th century
F. In The Middle Anges times, was when the the Christian Ban came to be
For centuries early Christians completely banned birthday celebrations. Church theologians would view personal birthdays as an evil Pagan ritual. They had to come up with a different strategy to make it seem holy enoughnto them, so Christians decided to do it by marking a person’s Saints Day or mark the anniversary of their deaths, due to the symbolization for the rebirth into heaven.
The mindset began to shift around the 4th century when the church officially embraced the celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth (Christmas), Paving the wave for personal birthdays to slowly become acceptable again
G. In the18th century, was when Germany came up with the birthday party concept, created by German families through a tradition called Kinderfeste.
The word “Kinderfeste” literally translates to “children’s festivals” or “children’s celebrations”. Before this time, birthdays were usually only celebrated for kings, gods, or wealthy adults. In 1746, German families standardized this new tradition, focusing the entire celebration on regular children.
Kinderfeste Shaped Today’s Parties celebrating birthdays the way we do now, like for instance:
The Cake and Candles: German bakers invented the sweet birthday cake. Parents put one candle on the cake for each year the child had been alive.
The “Grow On” Candle: They also added one extra candle. This extra candle was called the “light of life”. It represented good luck, protection, and hope for living at least one more year.
The Birthday Wish: Children were told to make a silent wish and try to blow out all the candles in a single breath. If they did, their secret wish would come true.
An All-Day Events: Unlike our quick parties today, a child’s Kinderfeste cake was lit first thing in the morning. Parents kept the candles burning all day long by replacing them as they melted. The family finally cut and ate the cake after dinner.
Over time, German immigrants moved to other countries like the United States and brought these traditions with them, molding the classic modern party.
Of course there was a dark side of birthdays history, like The Dark Biblical Tales: The Bible mentions two birthday parties. Both are notably dark. One was the Pharaoh’s birthday, where a chief baker was hanged. The other was King Herod’s birthday, where John the Baptist was beheaded at the request of Salome.
The “Happy Birthday to You” song is the most recognized song in the English language. Originally penned as “Good Morning to All” by sisters Patty and Mildred J. Hill in 1893, it was remixed into its current form. It generated tens of millions of dollars in royalties before finally falling into the public domain.
There are Unique & Fun Facts
The “Diamond” or “Platinum” Birthday: This milestone occurs when the age you are turning perfectly matches the last two digits of your birth year (e.g., turning 26 in 2026).
August is the Busiest Month: More people celebrate their birthdays in August than in any other month, followed by July and September.
The Costliest Birthday: The Sultan of Brunei once spent over $27 million on his 50th birthday, flying in Michael Jackson to perform.
Leap Year Odds: Those born on a leap year (29th of February) only have a 1 in 1,461 chance of being born on that exact date.
Famous Coincidences: The legendary playwright William Shakespeare died exactly on his 52nd birthday: April 23, 1616.
Depending what country you’re from and culture traditions done, birthdays celebrated around the the world may have interesting ways like:
Mexico:
Celebrants wake up to a traditional morning song called Las Mañanitas. Parties feature colorful, candy-filled piñatas that guests take turns striking while blindfolded.
China:
A bowl of longevity noodles is the ultimate birthday meal. Because long noodles symbolize a long, healthy life, care is taken not to break or cut them while eating.
Denmark:
A flag is raised outside the home to announce the birthday. Family members tiptoe into the sleeping child’s room to pile gifts around the bed, and cakes are uniquely shaped like a gingerbread man or woman.
Australia:
Children’s parties are famous for serving fairy bread, a simple treat made of white bread, butter, and rainbow sprinkles.
Brazil:
It is a sweet tradition to share the very first slice of birthday cake with the person you love the most. However, some groups partake in a messier custom where guests playfully dump eggs and flour on the birthday celebrant.
South Korea:
The first birthday is a massive milestone known as Doljanchi. Babies wear traditional clothing and take part in the doljabi, where they choose objects from a table—such as a pencil or money—to predict their future career or path.
Argentina, & Spain:
Guests pull the birthday person’s earlobes once for every year of their age, plus one extra pull for good luck
Canada & UK: Celebrants are often treated to “birthday bumps,” where they are lifted by their arms and legs and bumped into the air once for every year of their life.
Now that’s something to think about 🧑💻