History of the birthday holiday

It would seem that every person has a birthday. In our country it is celebrated with special trepidation, because another important year our life. But the history of its celebration probably began somewhere.

Every year we wish our family and friends a happy birthday. As a rule, the celebration is accompanied by feasting, fun and a lot of good and good wishes to the birthday boy.

Have any of you ever wondered who was the first to decide to start celebrating this holiday? Surely this should be indicated in history.

A birthday is an annual holiday that is celebrated on the date on which a person was born. It’s our tradition to add one year at a time and make an event out of it. We bake or buy a huge cake, decorate it with burning candles, and the main hero of the occasion must put them out by making a wish. cherished wish. The number of candles should be equal to the number of years lived. If everyone goes out, everything you wished for will definitely come true.

First mentions in history

Some cultures celebrate the birthdays of historical figures big amount of people. For example, we celebrate the Nativity of Christ, which was inspired by our religion.

IN Ancient Greece Birthdays of emperors were celebrated even after their death. During the birthdays of family members, the Greeks decorated the house with green wreaths and smoked it with incense. With this they thanked the patron of birthdays. The birthday boy dressed in embroidered free clothes, prepared especially for this day. Birthdays of deceased relatives were also considered happy holidays. Gradually this custom became a thing of the past.

Representatives of different religions celebrate the holiday in the same way. And only some sects, for their own reasons, do not celebrate this date.

The Bible records several facts about the celebration of this holiday.

Official versions of the occurrence

The story of one of the versions is based on the fact that on a birthday, all wishes and predictions tend to come true. According to black magicians, they were equated with the most powerful spells. Therefore, on this day we meet good people and try not to cross paths with enemies.

The second version came to us from Ancient Egypt, whose inhabitants celebrated the birthday of the sun god - Mithras. At first it was celebrated in Persia, and later holidays were recorded throughout Europe.

Celebration in Russia

The first mentions are found in the 17th century. During the birth of a new family member, he was named after the saint celebrated on that day. church calendar. Therefore, name days in most cases coincided with birthdays. The women baked a large loaf, around which there were round dances. The invitees sang the song we know, “Loaf, loaf, choose whoever you want.” In the evening we went out to play games in the fresh air.

Today is a birthday - one of our favorite holidays. Dasha himself small child At one year old, his first cake with a candle awaits him. IN kindergarten We are congratulated with the song of Gena the crocodile. And later we arrange the most fun day of the year ourselves.

The history of birthday celebrations began from ancient times. But it is worth saying that no matter how long this day is usually celebrated in some special way, it is no less long time They paid absolutely no attention to the person’s birthday. And the ancient Egyptians were the first to organize a birthday party. And this happened before our era.

Birthday celebrations. Image: InstantSmile

The very first celebrations were held in honor of the pharaoh, as well as on the day when his heir-boy was born. Pharaoh's birthday was a universal holiday. Everyone carefully prepared for it. National festivities and feasts were organized for the poor people. And sometimes an amnesty was even declared for prisoners. And they were released. On this day, everything was done to ensure that a joyful atmosphere reigned around, so that everyone was happy and satisfied.

Everything was incredibly wonderful. But... Only for boys' birthdays. But no one remembered about the girls for a very, very long time. And no one was interested in when the girl was born. Even this date was not recorded. And the first woman who decided that the day of her birth was worthy lush celebrations, was Queen Cleopatra. But this is the same Cleopatra (VII), who has been known to the whole world since ancient times, and her predecessor was Cleopatra II. Her reign took place in the 2nd century BC. And this was a hundred years before Cleopatra VII.

It's all about people of high birth. As for ordinary people, no one organized birthday celebrations for them in ancient times. And such a thought never occurred to anyone. Even to themselves. And only towards the end of the Middle Ages, approximately from the 12th century, in Germany church ministers began to record the dates of the birth of babies, as well as the dates of their baptism. And then Germany became the first country in Europe where Birthday became a reason for celebration. This tradition came to Rus' even later, already in the 17th century, when rich people began to celebrate birthdays.

Birthday Celebrations Today

The tradition of celebrating birthdays truly spread in the last century. True, in some countries there is a rule according to which this day is celebrated only when a person reaches of a certain age. But still two things remain the same in all modern cultures– these are parties, and of course, gifts! It seems that no one will want to cancel the tradition of giving gifts to the hero of the occasion).

And who loves gifts more than anyone in the world? Of course, children! And to organize a grand party or matinee dedicated to your baby’s birthday, without difficulty or hassle, you just need to contact http://fiesta-prazdnik.com/children/. And then a team of real professional entertainers will organize fun on such a scale that you and your baby will remember for a long time. And it is possible that you will want to repeat the pleasure! And the guys from “Fiesta” won’t keep you waiting long. After all, they are real holiday fans!

Bears also have birthday parties! Photo: Brigitte E

It is clear that professionals know their business. What is traditionally done on a birthday? Probably everyone remembers the song “Loaf” from childhood, which was sung both at home and in kindergartens. True, now the English-language “Happy Birthday to you” is increasingly heard at children’s parties, but for the atmosphere of celebration and fun this does not matter much. After all, the house is full of guests, everyone is in high spirits, participating in funny games and competitions, and the table is full of gifts.

There is another table, which is traditionally laden with food. How else?! After all, guests come not only to sing and dance, but also to eat delicious food in honor of the birthday celebration dear friend and dear relative! And there is always cake! Large and with candles, the number of which is equal to the number of years lived by the birthday person. He blows them out, making a wish. And if you manage to blow out everything at once, then your wish will certainly come true!

In addition to the tradition of blowing out candles on a cake and making wishes, there is another one. Undoubtedly, it can evoke mixed emotions among birthday people, but this does not make it any less funny. It is a tradition to pull the ears of the hero of the occasion. And this execution is carried out exactly as many times as the lucky person who receives gifts on this day is “turned” in age.

Birthday traditions around the world

Other countries have other traditions. In China, for example, a person whose birthday is celebrated must eat a bowl of long noodles. And the longer the noodle that he manages to pull into his mouth without biting off, the longer his life will be.

The Mexican tradition of celebrating birthdays would probably be very popular with children all over the world, without exception. Its main attribute is the so-called pinata. This is a hollow figurine of an animal, usually made of paper. Inside she has candies and other tasty things. The baby is blindfolded and given a stick. Then it is spun around its axis, and after that the child must accurately hit the figure with the stick and break it. Sweets, of course, spill out at the same time, and there is a joyful squeal, hubbub and a small number of children wanting to eat around.

Brazilians and Italians have a tradition similar to ours. It consists in the fact that guests diligently pull the birthday boy’s ears. And the number of such “pulls” is equal to the number of years, just like the number of candles on the cake.

So it turns out, dear reader, that no matter where a modern person lives, his birthday is considered something special and extraordinary. How else? After all, man came into this world. Appeared new life, and what could be more important and solemn than this moment? And this is the most beloved holiday, the most desired. Especially for children. They always expect gifts and surprises. But many adults also expect a miracle on this day and count the days until the upcoming celebration. Although, perhaps, in secret from everyone.

Isn’t today your birthday, dear reader? Then please accept our congratulations and our best and warmest wishes! And have a wonderful, unforgettable holiday!

We are so accustomed to this holiday that sometimes we think that the tradition of celebrating our birthday has always existed. But where did the tradition of celebrating a birthday come from and when did it begin? Having thought about it well, it would seem a simple question most will answer that this tradition began in the time of Jesus Christ. Yes, this answer is most common in our century, in particular due to the analogy between the birthday holiday and Christmas. However, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the holiday of the Nativity of Christ and the tradition of celebrating one’s birthday, familiar to every modern person, have nothing in common with each other. Moreover, neither in the Holy Bible, nor in other publications of that time, as well as in publications more early period, there is no mention of the tradition of celebrating birthdays. In fact, up to Christendom, and even in early Christianity, such a holiday simply did not exist.

Unfortunately, today modern historians do not have any definite information about the origin of the Birthday holiday. However, on this score there are two interchangeable theories, which in principle can even complement each other.

Version one: the Birthday holiday originated as a secret ritual of Black magic, which has pagan roots.

In many publications devoted to Black Magic there are footnotes that original idea The birthday holiday has its roots in the ancient pagan rituals. It is quite natural for Black Magic to use spells to seek the favor of both the good and the evil forces Moreover, according to magical beliefs, the human spirit is most vulnerable on the day and hour of its birth and at the same time most susceptible to spells. Even congratulations and birthday wishes are perceived by Black magic as spells that can affect a person’s fate, both for good and for bad. Because the good wishes birthdays bring good luck, a person should avoid meeting his enemy on his birthday and should be surrounded exclusively by friends, that is, well-wishers.

This is quite true, since Christianity and Paganism and Black Magic were at one time equal religions, moreover, they waged fierce competition for the souls of followers. This also explains why the first Christians did not celebrate birthdays; they considered this holiday a manifestation of demonic rituals. In particular, the fact that the Jews (the first Christians were only Jews) did not celebrate their birthday is evidenced by the notes of the historian Josephus dating back to the first century AD: “The law forbids the children of Israel to celebrate a holiday on their birthday, so as not to anger our Lord with excessive libations " Actually, even this fact is interesting in itself, since the Bible does not directly indicate the prohibition of the birthday holiday.

Version two: the Birthday holiday originated thanks to the cult of worship of the Sun God.

The Birthday holiday arose thanks to the cult of the ancient Iranian sun god Mithra, widespread in Persia. From the Middle East, the holiday spread throughout Europe through the mediation of soldiers of the Roman Empire. The Birthday holiday has become so popular that it has even replaced the once traditional Roman holiday.

Whether the first or second version is correct, or whether both versions of the Birthday holiday have common roots in the first pagan beliefs, one thing can be said for sure: until the fourth century AD, the Birthday holiday was not widely practiced in the Christian world. What happened during this period in the minds of the followers of Christ? Everything is quite simple, firstly, in the fourth century the ceremony of infant baptism became widespread. Secondly, the feast of the Nativity became a holiday in many parts of the ancient world, and thirdly, the Roman Emperor himself celebrated his birthday, at the same time recognizing the Christian faith.

Another key to the emergence of the holiday and a fact confirming the validity of the second theory of the origin of the Birthday holiday is the coincidence of two significant holidays of that time. Christmas and the birthday celebration of the son of the sun god Mithras were celebrated on the same day, namely December 25.

In conclusion, we can conclude that the most plausible theory of the origin of the birthday holiday is whole line events throughout the thousand-year history of mankind. It can be assumed that even if the roots of this holiday lie in ancient pagan or magical rites, then a real continuation, a second life, the Birthday holiday received thanks to the cult of worship of the sun god Mithras, which in turn was adapted by Christians in the fourth century to suit their needs.
Read completely.

We are so accustomed to this holiday that sometimes we think that the tradition of celebrating our Birthday has always existed. But where did the tradition of celebrating a birthday come from and when did it begin? Having thought carefully about this seemingly simple question, most will answer that the beginning of this tradition was laid in the time of Jesus Christ. Yes, this answer is most common in our century, in particular due to the analogy between the birthday holiday and Christmas. However, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the holiday of the Nativity of Christ and the tradition of celebrating one’s birthday, familiar to every modern person, have nothing in common with each other. Moreover, neither in the Holy Bible, nor in other publications of that time, as well as in publications of an earlier period, is there any mention of the tradition of celebrating birthdays. In fact, in the pre-Christian world, and even in early Christianity, such a holiday simply did not exist.

Unfortunately, today modern historians do not have any definite information about the origin of the Birthday holiday. However, on this score there are two interchangeable theories, which in principle can even complement each other.

Version one: holiday Birthday originated as a secret ritual of Black Magic with pagan roots.

In many publications dedicated to Black Magic there are footnotes that the original idea of ​​​​the Birthday holiday has its roots in ancient pagan rituals. For Black Magic it is quite natural to use spells, asking for the favor of both good and evil forces, moreover, in accordance with magical beliefs, the human spirit is most vulnerable on the day and hour of its birth and at the same time most susceptible to spells. Even congratulations and birthday wishes are perceived by Black magic as spells that can affect a person’s fate, both for good and for bad. Since good birthday wishes bring good luck, a person should avoid meeting his enemy on his birthday and should be surrounded exclusively by friends, that is, well-wishers.

This is quite true, since Christianity and Paganism and Black Magic were at one time equal religions, moreover, they waged fierce competition for the souls of followers. This also explains why the first Christians did not celebrate birthdays; they considered this holiday a manifestation of demonic rituals. In particular, the fact that the Jews (the first Christians were only Jews) did not celebrate their birthday is evidenced by the notes of the historian Josephus dating back to the first century AD: “The law forbids the children of Israel to celebrate a holiday on their birthday, so as not to anger our Lord with excessive libations " Actually, even this fact is interesting in itself, since the Bible does not directly indicate the prohibition of the birthday holiday.

Version two: the Birthday holiday originated thanks to the cult of worship of the Sun God.

The Birthday holiday arose thanks to the cult of the ancient Iranian sun god Mithra, widespread in Persia. From the Middle East, the holiday spread throughout Europe through the mediation of soldiers of the Roman Empire. The Birthday holiday has become so popular that it has even replaced the once traditional Roman holiday.

Whether the first or second version is correct, or whether both versions of the Birthday holiday have common roots in the first pagan beliefs, one thing can be said for sure: until the fourth century AD, the Birthday holiday was not widely practiced in the Christian world. What happened during this period in the minds of the followers of Christ? Everything is quite simple, firstly, in the fourth century the ceremony of infant baptism became widespread. Secondly, the feast of the Nativity became a holiday in many parts of the ancient world, and thirdly, the Roman Emperor himself celebrated his birthday, at the same time recognizing the Christian faith.

Another key to the emergence of the holiday and a fact confirming the validity of the second theory of the origin of the Birthday holiday is the coincidence of two significant holidays of that time. Christmas Christ and the birthday holiday of the son of the sun god Mithras were celebrated on the same day, namely December 25.

In conclusion, we can conclude that the most plausible theory of the origin of the birthday holiday is a series of events over the thousand-year history of mankind. It can be assumed that even if the roots of this holiday lie in ancient pagan or magical rituals, then the real continuation, the second life, the Birthday holiday received thanks to the cult of worship of the sun god Mithras, which in turn was adapted by Christians in the fourth century to suit their needs.

Birthday is a date that almost no one is indifferent to. Children wait for it with undisguised impatience all year, adults sum up the results of the past period with satisfaction, and mature people They regret how quickly time flies, especially when it begins to count down. The tradition of a special attitude towards the date when a person was born seems natural and familiar to us, so few people think about the history of this holiday, its origin and the transformations that it went through before firmly entering our lives.

Nowadays it is customary to give gifts to the hero of the occasion, and all guests need to have fun and rejoice at the birth of their relative, friend, colleague or acquaintance. The parents of the birthday boy do not stand aside either; they can also accept congratulations, even if they are far from their son or daughter.

Versions of occurrence

It is not known for certain how and when such a tradition first appeared. This is a holiday that this moment is the most common throughout the earth, people celebrate it different countries, ages, religions and income levels. The only exceptions are a few sects that deny any celebrations other than those related to their faith.

Historians suggest that the tradition simultaneously arose in many parts of the planet, so history has not preserved the only author and time of the appearance of this custom for us. But experts identify three main versions of the origin. Scientists believe that each of them influenced the formation and emergence of this holiday to varying degrees.

Trace of the Pagans

The pagans attached great importance black magic, closely intertwining events with it Everyday life. Particular importance was attached to it at such significant moments as the arrival of a new person into this world or departure to other worlds. According to one belief, every person on his birthday becomes completely defenseless in the face of dark forces, which can attack him and completely enslave the bright soul. Otherworldly forces can come to the birthday person in the form of unfamiliar people or random people they meet, so the most reliable protection is to surround yourself with loved ones.

This gave birth to the tradition of holding dangerous time in the company of relatives, kind and good people, which will save you from meeting ill-wishers and dark spirits. The louder people have fun on this day, the more likely otherworldly forces will stay away from the fun.

Christian view

A science such as history clearly describes the attitude towards this issue in early Christianity. In ancient times, when Christianity was just born, it became a competitor to paganism, therefore it denied everything pagan customs. This happened with the birthday, the celebration of which was categorically not welcomed by the priests.

Moreover, the Christian church did not consider the coming of a child into this world a phenomenon about which one should feel delighted. The point was a peculiar perception of the world, according to which every Christian comes into this world, full of trials, troubles, sorrow and temptations to go through a difficult earthly path. Death was painted in more optimistic tones, since after it came a transition to the best of worlds, where everyone who has thrown off the burden of sins will end up.

Eastern gods

Another version sends those who are looking for the roots of the holiday to the east. History describes traditional ritual, existing in Persia, during which the birthday of one of the most revered gods, Mithras, was celebrated. He was the god of the Sun, that is, the change of seasons, crop yields and other important events in the life of the Persians depended on him. That's why this holiday was in scale something like the New Year for the current time.

Roman warriors who arrived in Persia around 400 AD learned much from Eastern culture and brought stories about it to Ancient Rome. In this way the story of the sun god and in an interesting way celebrations came to the West. The emperors, who equated themselves with the gods who govern life on Earth, were not slow to “try on” the rite of honor. Apparently, they liked it and received further distribution.

Nativity

History offers another version related to the origin of this festival. Many scientists believe that the tradition took hold after the story of the Nativity of Christ spread among Christians. The Holy Scripture describes in detail how after sunrise Star of Bethlehem The wise men came to the stable to the newborn, bringing gifts to the Virgin Mary and Jesus.

Everyone who read the Bible took this as direct guidance, so congratulations and gifts on the occasion of the birth of a new family member became normal occurrence and reconciled Christians with the traditions of the pagans, which affected not only the lives of individual people, but also the entire subsequent history.

Ancient world

The custom of celebrating a birthday every year could only have originated after it was invented detailed calendar for chronology, because the date of birth until then remained rather approximate. Age was calculated only according to the season in which birth occurred.

Studying the history of this tradition, you can find out that even among the most ancient people, birthdays were a special celebration. In order for the newborn to grow strong and strong, it was customary to sacrifice one of the animals. It was believed that the number of living creatures should not change after the birth of a new member of the tribe, and if you do not bring an animal as a gift to the gods, they will become angry and soon take the baby back, that is, he will die. Of course, in those days this celebration was not celebrated annually, but took place the only time– immediately after the birth of the child.

Even among the most developed peoples until the 16th century BC. the age of gods, people, rulers was simply not mentioned. IN best case scenario they were described as youths, children, old people, etc. This gave rise to a lot of legends about two-hundred and three-hundred-year-old Atlanteans, titans, etc.

Near East

It is believed that the first mention of the celebration of this holiday as an annual celebration was found in Ancient Egypt. This happened around 3 thousand years BC. At that time, such honors were the privileges exclusively of pharaohs, equated to gods in the flesh. A little later, the custom spread to their male heirs. Women, no matter how noble they were, were not awarded such an honor.

The situation changed only during the time of Cleopatra. It was a period of great change and innovation. Innovations have not spared this area either. Celebrations in honor of the birth of rulers were held with magnificent feasts, in which not only nobles and people close to the pharaohs, but even the poor and slaves took part. It is not surprising that the birthday of rulers has become a favorite among all holidays. Large-scale amnesties were often timed to coincide with this, so prisoners awaiting the death penalty or a less terrible punishment were released from prisons.

Greece and Rome

Here, back in the Hellenistic era, all the people celebrated birthdays. But these were holidays not of individual people, but of gods or top officials of the state. Only they did this not once a year, as is customary now, but once a month. In fact, these dates served as modern days off, when people could not work and take a break from daily work.

Scientists studying the history of this holiday believe that the custom of blowing out candles on a birthday cake originated in Ancient Greece. The birthday of Artemis, the goddess of the Moon, was celebrated by lighting candles on a cake. These candles figuratively symbolized the light of the Moon in the dark sky. The custom was truly beautiful, so it is not surprising that it survived and came to us several thousand years later.

IN Ancient Rome The birthday boy from a wealthy family put on festive attire, accepted congratulations, and treated the guests to various dishes. The most popular gifts At that time, songs or poems of one's own composition were considered.

Ordinary people not belonging to the upper class began to celebrate this date only in the 2nd century BC. But this concerned only the head of the family: women and children had no right to such a privilege.

Middle Ages

By this time, the position of the church had already changed, so the date was not just recorded in the parish register, but was considered a sufficient reason to celebrate it. Already in the 12th century in Europe, children annually received gifts on their birthdays and blew out candles on the birthday cake. History tells us that even then a wonderful custom arose of making a cherished wish while blowing out candles, which should not be told to anyone in order for it to come true. In Germany, a birthday cake contained as many candles as the age of the hero of the occasion.

China

In China, for a long time, the starting point for determining age was not the date when a person was born, but the next after that New Year. Therefore, birthdays were celebrated throughout the country at the same time. Already by the 8th century the situation had changed, and the dates for everyone corresponded to the day when each person first saw the world. It was possible to celebrate exactly as long as the parents were alive. After their death, any celebrations on this occasion were considered inappropriate, but gifts still remained relevant. Gifts always had to be modest; this was regulated even at the government level. Thus, a person who presented an overly expensive gift to an official was punishable by exile.

Russia

Before the revolution in Russia, the relevance of Birthdays was low, the only exception was the date of birth of the sovereign, which was public holiday. Simple people Instead, they celebrated name days.

After the revolution, all the customs that previously belonged to name days smoothly flowed to Birthdays. So the hero of the occasion began to be called the birthday boy, and the holiday itself - the name day. Although these concepts are fundamentally different, in Russia they have become identical.

Modern traditions

Over the past century, the cultures of many countries have mixed and adopted many traits from each other. History shows that such a celebration is necessary for people, it reminds us of the meaning of life, the inexorable passage of time and the fact that it is important to have time to do everything we have planned before the time comes to leave this world.

Now the customs and rituals relating to this holiday are largely similar in all parts of the Earth. But they still have their own individual features and characteristics.

USSR

In all republics of the USSR, the celebration gradually spread to all segments of the population. Children were looking forward to this date, and adults prepared for it especially carefully. Close relatives tried to give valuable gifts, while acquaintances limited themselves to the usual congratulations and wishes of happiness and health.

Special dates were considered anniversaries - the 50th anniversary, the 55th anniversary and the 60th anniversary. The solemnity of the moment was complemented by the fact that the retirement age was approaching on the last specified dates. This was considered a huge stage in life, so it required special gifts and celebrations.

China

The East is a delicate matter, and this is especially felt when it comes to Chinese festivals. Birthdays in this country are not celebrated for everyone, but only for children. younger age and old people. There is a dual approach to determining the date: it can be set either according to the Chinese lunar calendar or the standard Gregorian calendar, common in Europe and America. It is interesting that a person’s age includes not only the period of life, but also the time of pregnancy.

Japan

Here, Birthday became a widespread holiday only in the 20th century. But not everyone congratulates the birthday boy: children are congratulated by parents, and parents are congratulated by children. This date is not celebrated every year for children, but at the ages of 3, 5 and 7 years the hero of the occasion is especially pampered and delighted.

There is a celebration in Japan for those who have turned 20 years old, but it is celebrated on a common date for the entire country. Young people know how to spend it cheerfully, on a grand scale and with a lot of entertainment.

Ireland

There is a unusual tradition: the birthday boy’s friends turn him upside down and hit the top of his head on the floor as many times as he is old. It is believed that this will bring him happiness next year.

Jamaica

Guests are required to smear the hero of the occasion with dust, the role of which is played by flour. To do this, the guests suddenly jump out of ambush and make an impromptu “fireworks” out of flour. Photos in this form are a mandatory attribute of the holiday.

Mexico

The main prop for the holiday is a piñata. It is a hollow figurine of an animal into which confetti, sweets, small surprises, etc. are placed. It must be broken using a stick with your eyes closed, after which the guests collect all the sweets and candies and divide them among themselves.