Vol.30 How to celebrate birthdays in Japan

Birthdays are always so happy! How do you celebrate your someone special’s birthday? It might be different and might be very similar depends on countries and ages.

Today, I would like to share how to celebrate birthdays in Japan by introducing one case of my son who just turned 4 last week as an example:)

With family
I planned a family party for my son. I invited my husband’s parents and my side. And the family of my sister in low because my sister in low has a daughter(my niece) whose birthday is also close. So it was a combined party for my son and my niece. 

I took a role of decorating and main dinner, then my sister in low took a role of cake and side dish.

Decorating stuff can be available at ¥100 shop. My husband and I blew more than 20 balloons!

My sister in low ordered a cake at her favorite shop in Osaka. They make icing cookies for decorations on a request. My son is into Shinkansen and my niece is into her favorite singer.

Nowadays these kinds of decorations are very popular for cakes. Some people make icing cookies by their own. There are many icing cookies classes to learn.

I prepared Temaki zushi(rolling sushi) for dinner. I bought a lot of sashimi then sliced them for sushi. Sumeshi(rice for sushi), seaweed and soup were there. Temaki zushi is such a special homecooking food often eaten at special occasion like this. 

My sister in low prepared simmered egg plants, lotus roots salad and garden salad.

We say "kanpai!" for cheers!! Our birthday song is same as English version. Just pronunciation is Japanese English. ♪ハッピバースデー トゥユー, ハッピバースデー トゥユー, ハッピバースデー ディア〇〇ちゃん, ハッピバースデー トゥユー♪

With firends
For small kids, normally parents plan a party with friends. Could be a big home party or could be a small celebration. This year I made some pinata for my son's school friends and enjoyed together after school.

I saw pinata often in America but pinata is originally from Mexico. It's known well in Japan recent years especially in Halloween.

As kids grow, they want to celebrate their birthdays with their friends more than parents. I remember after graduation of high school, I always spent my birthdays with friends. Sometimes I stayed up all night and counted down to the date of birthday!

Birthday person is usually treated by others and he/she is king/queen on the birthday.

Present
For small kids, toys are popular. My son requested shinkansen toys! However, for teenagers, money is popular. My niece had money from her grandparents in the special envelope like below.

History
I am closing this column with a short story of birthday celebration's history. 

Nowadays, it is common to celebrate an individual's birthday, but originally Japan did not have a custom of celebrating a birthday.

In the old days, it was common to count the age by "counting years", and when the New Year came, everyone was getting older all at once. (We had Shichigosan instead for kids and Shichigosan is still remained as one of the Japanese cultures.)
It is said that personal birthdays are celebrated in Japan only after 1945 when a method of the full age began to spread.

Even overseas, birthdays have a strong religious meaning as a day to celebrate the birth of God. "Christmas", which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, is a typical example.

It's unclear when the custom of celebrating an individual's birthday abroad began, but in Germany in the 15th century, a children's birthday party called "Kinderfest" was held.

In Germany at that time, it was thought that evil spirits would come on the birthday of the child, so he prayed to God by lighting a candle on the birthday cake all day and protected the child. When the day was over, the candles were blown and the cake was shared and eaten.

It is believed that the custom of eating birthday cakes on birthdays was introduced to the United States in the 19th century and to Japan after the war.

How do you celebrate the birthdays in your culture??:)