From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Birthday is the name given to the date of the anniversary of the day of a person's birth. People in many cultures celebrate this anniversary. In some languages, the word for birthday literally translates as "anniversary". Birthdays are traditionally marked by celebrations including a birthday party or, in some particular cases, a rite of transition.Opposition
The celebration of birthdays is not universal. Orthodox Christianity prefers the celebration of name days. Some Christian communities may celebrate both naming days and birthdays.
The Jewish perspective on birthday celebrations is disputed by various rabbis.[1] In the Hebrew Bible, the one single mention of a celebration being held in commemoration of someone's day of birth is for the Pharaoh.[2] The bar mitzvah of 13-year-old Jewish boys, or bat mitzvah for 12-year-old girls, is perhaps the only Jewish celebration undertaken in conjunction with a birthday; however, the essence of the celebration is entirely religious in origin (the attainment of religious maturity according to Jewish law) not secular, despite modern celebrations where the secular "birthday" elements predominate. With or without the "birthday" celebration, the child still automatically attains his or her bar or bat mitzvah, and its celebration may be any date following his or her 13th anniversary of birth.
Some Sunni and Shia Muslim scholars oppose birthdays[citation needed], but some allow celebration of the birthday of the prophet Muhammad, although it is important to note there is no basis for this practice (i.e., no evidence in the Quran or Authentic Hadith).
Celebration
Main article: Birthday cake
The birthday cake is traditionally highly decorated, and typically covered with lit candles when presented, the number of candles signifying the age of the celebrant. The person whose birthday it is may make a silent wish and then blow out the candles. After that, the person can open their presents. It is also common for the person celebrating their birthday to cut the initial piece of the cake as a newlywed couple might with a wedding cake.
Sometimes special candles are substituted for the many individual candles in the shape of a numeral. For example, on the fifth birthday, there may be one candle on the cake in the shape of the numeral five, and on the fiftieth birthday there may be two candles on the cake, one in the shape of the numeral five followed by the other in the shape of the number zero.Traditions
In addition to parties, it is common for people to receive gifts on their birthdays or surprise parties. However, sometimes it is expected of the person celebrating their birthday to treat their party guests instead; this varies depending on the local culture and may involve party gifts or other gestures
No comments:
Post a Comment