Birthday

From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.

A birthday is the day when a person was born. In many places, on a person's birthday, he or she celebrates with friends and family at a party, where they eat cake or other foods, and get gifts.

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[edit] Western birthdays

Not everyone celebrates birthdays, including Jehovah's Witnesses.

In many English-speaking countries, people sing the song "Happy Birthday to You" to the person celebrating his birthday. There are similar songs in other languages.

A birthday cake is usually decorated and covered with candles. Most of the time, the number of candles is the same as the age of the birthday person.

[edit] Coming of age

A birthday can give a person new responsibilities and rights.

  • In the United States of America, a person can buy tobacco and pornography, vote, and become a legal adult at age 18.
  • In Judaism, boys have a bar mitzvah around the time they become 13. Girls sometimes have a bat mitzvah around their 12th or 13th birthday.
  • In Latin America, a quinceañera party marks a girl's 15th birthday.

[edit] Astrology

The astrological sign is based on one's birthday.

[edit] Symbolism

[edit] Birthstones

A birthstone symbolizes the month of birth. In 1912, the Jewelers of America agreed on a list of birthstones:

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