{"id":8592,"date":"2014-10-20T16:19:24","date_gmt":"2014-10-20T16:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=8592"},"modified":"2023-09-14T10:18:42","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T14:18:42","slug":"do-you-celebrate-birthday-traditions-like-your-ancestors-did","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/do-you-celebrate-birthday-traditions-like-your-ancestors-did.html","title":{"rendered":"Do You Celebrate Birthday Traditions Like Your Ancestors Did?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em>Introduction<\/em><\/strong><em>: In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to find stories about birthday traditions celebrated by our ancestors. Mary\u00a0 is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Chances are you celebrate some of your birthday traditions the way your ancestors did\u2014and not just extravagant gatherings with cakes, balloons and presents. Many cultures have unique and fun ways to commemorate a birthday.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8593\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8593\" style=\"width: 624px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/photo-1020-2014-chinese-birthday-party.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8593\" title=\"photo-1020-2014-chinese-birthday-party\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/photo-1020-2014-chinese-birthday-party.png\" alt=\"photo of a Chinese birthday party\" width=\"624\" height=\"422\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/photo-1020-2014-chinese-birthday-party.png 624w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/photo-1020-2014-chinese-birthday-party-300x202.png 300w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/photo-1020-2014-chinese-birthday-party-443x300.png 443w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8593\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Chinese birthday party. Source: Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Birthday Traditions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This list of birthday traditions came from the following websites:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/family.lovetoknow.com\/cultural-heritage-symbols\/birthday-traditions-around-world\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/family.lovetoknow.com\/cultural-heritage-symbols\/birthday-traditions-around-world<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theholidayspot.com\/birthday\/traditions\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.theholidayspot.com\/birthday\/traditions\/index.htm<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Birthday traditions around the world:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Do you pull one\u2019s earlobes for each year of one\u2019s life? Then you might come from Argentina.<\/li>\n<li>Does your family host barbeques with fairy bread for the children? Then you may have Australian roots.<\/li>\n<li>Is a one-year-old surrounded with toys and watched to see which one is picked first? In China, the selection is said to represent a future life pursuit. The child typically receives gifts with tigers which are said to protect children, and noodles are served at lunch.<\/li>\n<li>Do you receive a cake shaped like a man? Then perhaps you are connected to Denmark.<\/li>\n<li>Is a girl\u2019s 15th birthday celebrated with a waltz, 14 young dancing couples and a new pair of shoes from her father? This is reported to be a tradition in Ecuador.<\/li>\n<li>How about a wooden wreath placed on a table with candles representing your age during a Geburtstagsparty (birthday party)? This is common in Germany.<\/li>\n<li>In many Hispanic cultures there are fiestas, complete with traditional food and pi\u00f1atas filled with candy. Guests take turns trying to break it open with a stick while blindfolded.<\/li>\n<li>The Irish are known to tip a child upside down and bump him\/her gently on the floor.<\/li>\n<li>In Jordan, many make a wish while cutting the cake with the wrong side of the knife.<\/li>\n<li>In parts of Russia, pies are baked with greetings carved into the crust.<\/li>\n<li>In Vietnam, a birthday is called a tet, and it is said that many celebrate them on New Year\u2019s Day rather than on the actual birthday.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This boy celebrated his third birthday with a pi\u00f1ata.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8594\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8594\" style=\"width: 212px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/prensa-newspaper-1012-1945-tony-perez-birthday.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8594\" title=\"prensa-newspaper-1012-1945-tony-perez-birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/prensa-newspaper-1012-1945-tony-perez-birthday.png\" alt=\"article about Tony Perez's birthday party, Prensa newspaper article 12 October 1945\" width=\"212\" height=\"398\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/prensa-newspaper-1012-1945-tony-perez-birthday.png 212w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/prensa-newspaper-1012-1945-tony-perez-birthday-159x300.png 159w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8594\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Prensa (San Antonio, Texas), 12 October 1945, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Birthdays of Leaders, Presidents &amp; Royalty in the News<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Early reports in newspapers focus more on celebrations of leaders and royalty than ordinary citizens. The birthdays of presidents, and in particular George Washington, were frequently observed with parades and special dinners. At least one party was held at a tavern in his honor. This 1782 newspaper article notes that the entertainment for Washington\u2019s birthday was elegant, and the whole festivity was conducted with exquisite propriety and decorum. One can almost imagine the toasts said in his name!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8595\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8595\" style=\"width: 388px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/massachusetts-spy-newspaper-0221-1782-george-washington-birthday.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8595\" title=\"massachusetts-spy-newspaper-0221-1782-george-washington-birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/massachusetts-spy-newspaper-0221-1782-george-washington-birthday.png\" alt=\"article about a celebration for George Washington's birthday, Massachusetts Spy newspaper article 21 February 1782\" width=\"388\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/massachusetts-spy-newspaper-0221-1782-george-washington-birthday.png 388w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/massachusetts-spy-newspaper-0221-1782-george-washington-birthday-272x300.png 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 388px) 100vw, 388px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8595\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Massachusetts Spy (Worcester, Massachusetts), 21 February 1782, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This earlier article from 1711 notes a special present for the Prince of Prussia\u2019s mother\u2014she was to receive a thousand ducats annually \u201con the Birth-day of the young Prince.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8596\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8596\" style=\"width: 554px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/boston-news-letter-newspaper-0521-1711-frederick-william-birthday.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8596\" title=\"boston-news-letter-newspaper-0521-1711-frederick-william-birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/boston-news-letter-newspaper-0521-1711-frederick-william-birthday.png\" alt=\"article about the birthday of Frederick William, Boston News-Letter newspaper article 21 May 1711\" width=\"554\" height=\"125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/boston-news-letter-newspaper-0521-1711-frederick-william-birthday.png 554w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/boston-news-letter-newspaper-0521-1711-frederick-william-birthday-300x67.png 300w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/boston-news-letter-newspaper-0521-1711-frederick-william-birthday-500x112.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 554px) 100vw, 554px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8596\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boston News-Letter (Boston, Massachusetts), 21 May 1711, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This is one of my favorite birthday announcements. In 1820 the Emperor of Russia issued an imperial Ukase abolishing all the war taxes that had been imposed eight years earlier.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8597\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8597\" style=\"width: 448px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/arkansas-weekly-gazette-newspaper-0520-1820-russia-emperor-birthday.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8597\" title=\"arkansas-weekly-gazette-newspaper-0520-1820-russia-emperor-birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/arkansas-weekly-gazette-newspaper-0520-1820-russia-emperor-birthday.png\" alt=\"article about the Emperor of Russia's birthday, Arkansas Weekly Gazette newspaper article 20 May 1820\" width=\"448\" height=\"134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/arkansas-weekly-gazette-newspaper-0520-1820-russia-emperor-birthday.png 448w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/arkansas-weekly-gazette-newspaper-0520-1820-russia-emperor-birthday-300x89.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8597\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arkansas Weekly Gazette (Little Rock, Arkansas), 20 May 1820, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Researching Birthdays of Our Ancestors<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Although GenealogyBank\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/explore\/newspapers\/all\">Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a> search page doesn\u2019t have a specific category for birthdays, you can be successful by searching for ancestors in other ways.<\/p>\n<p>If you get lucky, you\u2019ll find a photo of a child or adult and a description of the birthday festivities. Try entering your ancestor\u2019s name and then include \u201cbirthday\u201d in the keyword field.<\/p>\n<p>Many accounts, including this one for Miss Cora Van Fleet\u2019s 17th birthday party, include a list of attendees.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8598\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8598\" style=\"width: 358px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/trenton-evening-times-newspaper-1101-1914-cora-van-fleet-birthday.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8598\" title=\"trenton-evening-times-newspaper-1101-1914-cora-van-fleet-birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/trenton-evening-times-newspaper-1101-1914-cora-van-fleet-birthday.png\" alt=\"article about Cora Van Fleet's birthday, Trenton Evening Times newspaper article 1 November 1914\" width=\"358\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/trenton-evening-times-newspaper-1101-1914-cora-van-fleet-birthday.png 358w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/trenton-evening-times-newspaper-1101-1914-cora-van-fleet-birthday-270x300.png 270w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 358px) 100vw, 358px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8598\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Trenton Evening Times (Trenton, New Jersey), 1 November 1914, page 21<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Since early newspapers rarely described birthdays for ordinary citizens, also try searching for descriptions of parties within news article stories. Although this account from 1833 was entirely from the author\u2019s imagination, one can appreciate the frivolity and excitement one might feel from receiving a birthday party invitation delivered by sleigh.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8599\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8599\" style=\"width: 466px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/salem-gazette-newspaper-1015-1833-aura-birthday.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8599\" title=\"salem-gazette-newspaper-1015-1833-aura-birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/salem-gazette-newspaper-1015-1833-aura-birthday.png\" alt=\"article about Aura's birthday, Salem Gazette newspaper article 15 October 1833\" width=\"466\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/salem-gazette-newspaper-1015-1833-aura-birthday.png 466w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/salem-gazette-newspaper-1015-1833-aura-birthday-300x188.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8599\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Salem Gazette (Salem, Massachusetts), 15 October 1833, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Coming of Age Parties<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If your ancestors celebrated a coming of age party, such as a quinceanera (15th birthday party for Mexican females) or Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah (Jewish parties typically at age 12 or 13), you may find accounts in the papers, including Henry Sahlein\u2019s from 1863.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8600\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8600\" style=\"width: 350px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/jewish-messenger-newspaper-0116-1863-henry-sahlein-barmitzvah.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8600\" title=\"jewish-messenger-newspaper-0116-1863-henry-sahlein-barmitzvah\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/jewish-messenger-newspaper-0116-1863-henry-sahlein-barmitzvah.png\" alt=\"article about Henry Sahlein's barmitzvah, Jewish Messenger newspaper article 16 January 1863\" width=\"350\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/jewish-messenger-newspaper-0116-1863-henry-sahlein-barmitzvah.png 350w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/jewish-messenger-newspaper-0116-1863-henry-sahlein-barmitzvah-245x300.png 245w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8600\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jewish Messenger (New York, New York), 16 January 1863, page 21<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>And finally, I\u2019ll leave you with this happy image, to remind us all how much fun birthday parties can be!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_8601\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-8601\" style=\"width: 576px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/photo-1020-2014-norma-horydczak-birthday.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-8601\" title=\"photo-1020-2014-norma-horydczak-birthday\" src=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/photo-1020-2014-norma-horydczak-birthday.png\" alt=\"photo of Norma Horydczak and friends at her 8th-year birthday party\" width=\"576\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/photo-1020-2014-norma-horydczak-birthday.png 576w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/photo-1020-2014-norma-horydczak-birthday-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/photo-1020-2014-norma-horydczak-birthday-412x300.png 412w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-8601\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: Norma Horydczak and friends at her 8th-year birthday party. Source: Library of Congress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Do you have a special tradition to celebrate birthdays in your family? If so, please share it with us in the comments section.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Related Articles about Births &amp; Birthdays:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/using-newspaper-birthday-announcements-for-genealogy-research.html\">Using Newspaper Birthday Announcements for Genealogy Research<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/get-front-page-of-day-you-were-born-or.html\">Get the front page of the day you were born or any day in history!<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/how-to-find-your-grandfathers-birth-records-online.html\">How to Find Your Grandfather\u2019s Birth Records Online<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to find stories about birthday traditions celebrated by our ancestors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12235],"tags":[8136,8137,2191],"class_list":["post-8592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history","tag-birthday-traditions","tag-birthdays","tag-history"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8592"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94451,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8592\/revisions\/94451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}