I have two family birthdays this month. Celebrated in different countries. So I got to thinking about birthdays.
Do you insist on celebrating your birthday only on the day, or do you celebrate the day before or after?
Do you insist on celebrating your birthday only on the day, or do you celebrate the day before or after?
Or the weekend before or after, depending on the day of the week and circumstances.
What if your birthday is Xmas Day, or St Patrick's Day? If it's Xmas Day and you celebrate that day, you miss out on having a second set of gifts and meals and parties.
On the other hand, if you live alone, at least you can join in the general celebrations.
What about celebrating everybody's birthday?
What if your birthday is Xmas Day, or St Patrick's Day? If it's Xmas Day and you celebrate that day, you miss out on having a second set of gifts and meals and parties.
On the other hand, if you live alone, at least you can join in the general celebrations.
What about celebrating everybody's birthday?
Birthday Month Celebration Cake
Toastmasters clubs often buy a birthday cake for members and guests. Yes, every month there's usually somebody with a birthday, often two, or three, or four. Cake is bought. Photo opportunity.
Especially if there's only one meeting a month, the club celebrates with photos of the birthday babies of the month.
I was thinking of extending celebrating my birthday for a whole week, or month. Or a year! Any thoughts?
Flag of South Korea
South Korean Birthdates
In at least one country, they celebrate everybody's birthday the same day, once a year.
In South Korea, they also count your birth from conception (like anti-abortionists) so the day you are born is your first birthday, and when the British say a school child is 16, to the Koreans he or she is 17.
I learned this when I was a home tutor in the UK. I asked my Korean pupil to write about himself and his family and asked how old he was. He hesitated and replied, "In Korea I am 17 - but in London I am 16."
I went white and chilled. For a horrible moment I was thinking, "I have to spend an hour alone with a young man who is out of touch with reality. He might be schizophrenic. He has two ages, in different countries. He is a split personality. What will he say next? Am I safe?"
I feigned total calmness. I said,"Would you like to explain this interesting fact? Why are you different ages in different countries? Did you just have a birthday, with different time zones?"
He explained. Korean traditional thinking. So different. Birthdays are numbered from one a year from your birth in the UK and much of the Western world. It has not always been so in the East, and still another system is used. Your birthday, numbered one year old. What I had thought was a simple, undeniable fact, an obvious fact, was simply the convention of my culture, my era, my country.
Have you any thoughts on this?
In South Korea, they also count your birth from conception (like anti-abortionists) so the day you are born is your first birthday, and when the British say a school child is 16, to the Koreans he or she is 17.
I learned this when I was a home tutor in the UK. I asked my Korean pupil to write about himself and his family and asked how old he was. He hesitated and replied, "In Korea I am 17 - but in London I am 16."
I went white and chilled. For a horrible moment I was thinking, "I have to spend an hour alone with a young man who is out of touch with reality. He might be schizophrenic. He has two ages, in different countries. He is a split personality. What will he say next? Am I safe?"
I feigned total calmness. I said,"Would you like to explain this interesting fact? Why are you different ages in different countries? Did you just have a birthday, with different time zones?"
He explained. Korean traditional thinking. So different. Birthdays are numbered from one a year from your birth in the UK and much of the Western world. It has not always been so in the East, and still another system is used. Your birthday, numbered one year old. What I had thought was a simple, undeniable fact, an obvious fact, was simply the convention of my culture, my era, my country.
Have you any thoughts on this?
Interesting Websites About Birthdays Around The World
Celebrating Everybody's Birthday at a USA church
https://sumc-sacramento.faithlifesites.com/events/2702551/3122014
Age Reckoning in China, Japan, Korea and Asia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning#Korean
Celebrating Everybody's Birthday at a USA church
https://sumc-sacramento.faithlifesites.com/events/2702551/3122014
Age Reckoning in China, Japan, Korea and Asia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning#Korean
About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.
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