Birthday traditions in different countries

Birthday are celebrated all over the world.Some traditions are fairly similar from country to country: candles,cakes and birthday wishes,birthdays games and pinches for good luck.Others customs are quite different.Here are a few.

Argentina - In Argentina,as in many Latin American countries,one of the most important birthday parties is a girl's fifteenth.When girls turn 15 they have a huge party and dance the waltz first with their father,and then the boys at the party.

China - First the birthday child pays respect to the parents and receives a gift of money.Friends and relatives are invited to lunch,and noodles are served to wish the birthday child a long life.

Denmark - A flag is flown outside a window to show that someone who lives in that house is having a birthday.Presents are placed around the child's bed while they are sleeping so they will see them immediately when they wake up.

The Netherlands - Special year birthday as 5,10,15,20,21 are called 'crown' years and the birthday child receives an especially large gift.The family also decorates the birthday child's chair with flowers or paper streamers, paper flowers and balloons.

India - Usually Indian children wear white to school.However,on their birthday children wear coloured clothes to school and give out chocolates to everyone in the class.Their best friends helps them to do this.

Israel - A small child sits in a chair while adults lift it up and down a number of times corresponding to the child's age,plus one for good luck.

Japan - The birthday child wears new clothes to mark the occasion.Certain birthdays are more important than others and these are celebrated with a visit to the local shrine.These are third and seventh birthdays for girls and the fifth for boys.