Each of us has our own day. And we like to celebrate it in our own way. Among family or friends, whether preparing a grand feast or treating ourselves to small delights for the soul. Regardless of how old you are, don’t neglect your birthdays. Count them proudly, have fun, and allow yourself to be yourself. It’s your day!
And how did birthday celebrations actually begin
For that information, we have to delve a little deeper into history and visit the ancient Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians didn’t celebrate their personal birthdays but rather the day they became gods. The coronation of pharaohs was a far more significant event than their physical birth, symbolizing their transformation into gods, and it was marked with great attention and preparations for celebration.
The celebration of birthdays then got its contribution from the ancient Greeks, including the birthday cake into celebration! Among the numerous gods and goddesses they revered, was Artemis, the goddess of the moon. In honor of Artemis, the Greeks would prepare a cake in the shape of the moon and decorate it with candles. The cake would shine like the moon, reflecting the beauty of Artemis, and blowing out the candles would be similar to sending a prayer or message to the gods.
Of course, the Romans also had their hands in the birthday tradition. They were actually the first to celebrate the birth of an ordinary person, throwing lavish parties and showering the celebrant with various gifts. But, being Romans, they celebrated only the birthdays of men. Women’s birthdays were not celebrated until around the 12th century.
And the ones who are responsible for birthday parties most similar to today’s are the Germans. At the end of the 18th century, they began organizing Kinderfeste, celebrations of their children’s birthdays with a cake and candles for each year of life plus an additional one for good wishes. Blowing out the candles was the most significant moment of these joyful celebrations.
Who came up with the song Happy Birthday to You
According to the Guinness Book of Records (1998), the iconic song “Happy Birthday to You” is the most well-known song in the English language. It is said to have originated from the song “Good Morning to All,” which is attributed to the American sisters, Mildred and Patty Smith Hill (1893). However, there is still controversy today about who actually wrote this birthday song and who holds the copyright to it.
However, while the copyright dispute continues (we might even see a movie about it soon), if you run out of ways to wish a happy birthday or are afraid of infringing copyrights by singing it, we share with you how to say Happy Birthday in several foreign languages:
Italian – Buon compleanno!
German – Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!
French – Bon anniversaire!
Spanish –¡Feliz cumpleaños!
Portuguese – Feliz Aniversário!
Swedish – Grattis på födelsedagen!
Danish – Tillykke med fødselsdagen!
Japanese – Otanjōbiomedetōgozaimasu!
Chinese – Shēngrì kuàilè!
10 unknown facts about birthdays
- Did you know that most people celebrate their birthdays in August (up to 9%), compared to any other month, followed by July and September. Most people are born on a Tuesday, and the least on a Sunday. Do you count in this statistic?
- Each day of the year, an average of 15 million people celebrate their birthday. And by the time you read this blog, about 300 babies will be born.
- The most expensive birthday party was prepared by Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei for his two-week 50th birthday party in 1996, when he spent a modest $27 million, with the majority of that amount reportedly going towards a performance by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
- Speaking of big figures, it is believed that the most expensive birth certificate in the world is that of Paul McCartney, which was sold at auction in March 1997 for over 80 thousand US dollars.
- William Shakespeare died on his birthday at the age of 52. He was born on April 23, 1564, and died on April 23, 1616.
- Surely you haven’t thought about extracting teeth for your 21st birthday ! However, in the 19th and early 21st centuries, there was a tradition of removing all natural teeth precisely on the 21st birthday. People would replace their teeth with dentures in order to save on dental expenses that would await them as they aged.
- The world-famous diary of Anne Frank was a gift she received for her 13th birthday .
- There is something known as the Golden birthday. For example, if you were born on the 15th of the month, when you turn 15 years old, it’s your Golden birthday. We hope you haven’t missed yours already?
- In North Korea, you are not allowed to celebrate birthdays if you were born on July 8th or December 17th because those are the dates of the deaths of emperors Kim II Sung and Kim Jong II. In that case, you are allowed to change your birth date to the day before or after.
- And finally, a little about the famous. For her 8th birthday, Shirley Temple received 135,000 gifts. A real trifle, isn’t it?
The most extravagant birthday gifts in history
Speaking of gifts, when it comes to famous people, the statement “less is more” doesn’t apply. And once you start that tradition, you need to outdo it every year, which isn’t always easy. The absolute winners are probably Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Kanye gave Kim a life-sized hologram of her late father for her 40th birthday, and in the hologram, he praised her for choosing such a great husband like Kanye?!? Kim, on the other hand, organized a surprise trip to Japan for his 40th birthday, which he adores, and filled the entire plane with sweets, magazines, and famous Japanese delicacies and products. And just a few years earlier, she surprised him by renting an entire sports arena so Kanye could play basketball with friends and family in it.
Angelina Jolie gifted Brad Pitt with his own waterfall in California, along with a plot of land above it, where Brad could build his retreat inspired by his favorite American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright.
Ben Affleck was somewhat more modest when he gave J. Lo a toilet seat encrusted with jewels, including rubies, sapphires, and diamonds, worth over $100,000.
They say that true friendship is priceless, but Rachel and Monica from the TV show Friends have some frame of reference. For her birthday, Monica gave Rachel a special edition Coco Chanel bicycle worth $12,000.
Katy Perry surprised her then-fiancé Russell Brand for his 35th birthday with tickets for a trip to space worth $200,000. Unfortunately, the tickets remained unused as the couple separated before they had the chance to take their love even to space.
But it’s not just today’s stars who are extravagant when it comes to gifts. One of the most romantic and grandiose gifts is certainly the Taj Mahal, the most visited monument in India. It was built by Shah Jahan, the fifth ruler of the Mughal dynasty, for his third and favorite wife who died during the birth of their 14th child. Approximately 20,000 people worked on the impressive structure for a staggering 22 years, and it is estimated that the construction cost around one billion U.S. dollars.
Personalized birthday gifts
While we’ve certainly provided you with a few clever and practical ideas for birthday gifts 😉, we also have a few more tricks up our sleeves for those who prefer to give gifts from the heart, gifts that are imaginative, original, and creative.
If you’re seeking a gift that is sincere and thoughtful and is sure to leave a lasting impression, consider creating a personalized photo book. A personalized multimedia photo album is an ideal surprise gift for friends, family, your loved one—anyone dear to your heart. On the pages of this unique and personal gift, you can preserve your favorite memories in the form of photos, dedications, letters, drawings, favorite quotes, and even videos that the recipient can access via QR code whenever they want to revisit your happy moments together.
Gifts are not valued by their cost but by the creativity and care put into making them. We are sure that you want to give your loved ones the most beautiful part of your relationship. Preserve it in velvety covers with your very own guardian of memories, the photo book.
Find more details about the creation and ordering of our Birthday – Brzdej Book HERE.
