German Birthday Customs and Traditions

Caleb
10/26/13
German II
Holiday Project
Germans celebrate their birthday Geburtsta!" li#e almost e$eryone else in
the %orld& thou!h they ha$e a 'e% uni(ue traditions that I %ould li#e to tell you
about today)
*ne o' the thin!s that are a bi! no+no is %ishin! a German ha,,y birthday
be'ore his/her birthday& this means no %ell+%ishes& cards& or ,resents !i$en be'ore
his/her birthday) *ne the other hand i' you li#e in ,arts o' -ustria& is it customary
to celebrate your birthday on the e$e o') -nother thin! is that i' a German in$ites
you out to !et/drin# on his/her birthday is it insisted that the tab be one them) I'
you.re sin!le and !oin! on thirty& you.re are e/,ected to do a 'e% chores) I' you are
a %omen& your 'riends %ill %ant you to clean all the door#nobs %ith a toothbrush
and i' you are a man you %ill be e/,ected to s%ee, the stairs at city+hall or another
,ublic ,lace) 0hat is it that can 'ree you 'rom these tas#s& you may as#1 *nly a
#iss 'rom the o,,osite !ender %ill do) *n a side note it is also tradition to
comically dress the birthday boy or !irl %hilst they are ,re'ormin! their tas#s)
There are also a 'e% years %here s,ecial thin!s %ill ha,,ened 'or your
birthday such as2
16
th
Birthday 3 This year you should run 'or the hills as your 'riends
%ill undoubtedly co$er your head %ith 'lo%er)
14
th
Birthday 3 This year is it custom to ha$e ra% e!!s bro#en o$er
your hear)
25
th
Birthday+ I' you are an unmarried man& the %hole to%n %ill
#no%& as many soc#s are hun! around your house/ ,ro,erty and you
must 'ollo% them& %hilst do%nin! an alcoholic be$era!e e$ery 'e%
meters)
6or children.s birthdays they are usually e/cused 'rom all household %or#
'or the day& or i' their birthday 'alls on a school day they are e/cused 'rom the
day.s home%or#) -lso 'or a child.s birthday 'rom %hen he/she is born until he/she
turns 12) - small %ooden %reath is set in the center o' the table %ith 12 holes
arran!ed around the rin! and a lar!e hole in the middle) These holes are 'illed %ith
12 candles and 1 lar!e 78i'e Candle)9 :$ery year they li!ht the correct number o'
these candles instead o' ,uttin! candles on the ca#e)
It is also thou!ht that birthday ca#es ori!inated 'rom Germany& durin!
medie$al times& they had s%eet bread& sha,ed li#e ;esus in a blan#et& %hich they
%ould !i$e out to celebrate Christmas) Ho%e$er they then decided to !i$e the
children on their birthday) The tradition o' addin! a candle to the ca#e is also a
German tradition& a candle is to be ,ut in the ca#e in the mornin! and is to burn all
day 'or !od luc#"& until the 'amily sin!s the Ha,,y Birthday son! and the birthday
boy/!irl blo%s out the candle)
These are just some o' the German birthday traditions and customs& they
ha$e a $ery interestin! %ay o' celebratin! their holidays and I encoura!e anyone
interested to !o and see %hat they ha$e to o''er)