Birth Anniversaries

This year I received priceless birthday presents and will treasure them. In our home birthday celebrations were not so important somehow, but for me the whole country celebrates the Republic day so there is an atmosphere of celebration every year on my birthday whether I celebrate it or not!

I thought about when birthday celebrations started, and on googling found that children’s birthday celebrations started in Germany, called Kinderfeste. In Europe’s history thousands of years ago, a person feared their upcoming birthday. It was seen as a fearful experience because people believed bad spirits could harm you on this day. Birthday celebrations were devised as a way to keep those spirits away by surrounding yourself with friends and loved ones who often brought small tokens and food to share. People would use noisemakers to scare off any evil spirits that may be lurking around the house. It was in the middle ages that birthdays began to take on a more celebratory state and the tone turned more positive. But they were not yet commonplace amongst peasants. In fact, birthdays were only celebrated by royalty or the very wealthy.

However, birthday celebrations are as old as the first book of the Bible in Genesis 40:20. The Pharaoh in Joseph's time had a birthday celebration. The mention however is negative because the Pharaoh put into prison his baker and his cup bearer on his birthday and the feasting went on for several days. Even Job, the oldest book in the Bible, talks about the day of his birth but not in a positive way in chapter 3 and verse 3. The third mention of birthdays in the Bible is again not positive, in Matthew 14:6, Herod the tetrarch celebrated his birthday and had to behead John the Baptist to keep his oath.

Today, birthday celebrations are when friends and loved ones gather to bring good wishes and gifts at the birthday party of the person whose birth anniversary it is. Every country and culture has their own way of celebrating birthdays. It is a special day for the person and good will is the best way of celebrating it. Gifts and presents add to the celebration. I for one was very pleased with my very high-tech 21st century birthday gifts seen below!