There ’s nothing like a birthday to make you take apart your lifetime . With another year go , you retrieve of how you ’ve spent your time and vow to do easily in the next year . For some , it ’s a fourth dimension of abstruse rumination ; for others , it ’s a fourth dimension of renewal .
Birthday superstitionscan help hale you out of the natal day doldrums as you age , provide easy way to boost your portion , regain love , and finally last the life you want before the next birthday rolls around . They also wait on as the perfect way to help friends and familycelebratetheir special day and carry on traditions , many of which date back centuries .
Before you celebrate your liberal day , check out these 10 natal day superstitions .
10: Birthday Love
A distinctive natal day ritual involves family extremity setting up candles on a birthday cake . Some old Southern traditions in the United States advise that those cd can help you with your love animation .
There should be one candle on the cake for each class of life , of course , and if you deal to blow them all out at once , you ’ll be conjoin within a twelvemonth . Missed a few ? Do n’t worry ; just get as many as you may . The number of candles remaining light tells you how many age you have until yourwedding day . If you ’re not look to get hitch anytime shortly , you might not want to blow too hard , just in case .
9: Make a Wish
One of the most wide recognized natal day superstitious notion in western cultures involves blowing out thecandleson a patty , but this one has nothing to do with love and marriage . or else , you ’re reckon to make a wish as you blow out the candles . If you get them all with one breath , your wish will get dead on target — as long as you do n’t tell anyone what you wished for , of course of action .
Obviously , this gets harder to do each yr , as yet another candle gets added to the mix , so take a big breath to boost your chances for winner . This custom may have originated in Germany , where people added an extra - orotund candle to the eye of the cake . just blow out this great candle have in mind your indirect request would come true .
8: Hidden Treasures
In a move that would spook health professionals everywhere , some superstitions call for baking objects inside abirthday patty . Despite the choking hazard they pose to an unsuspecting company guest , these hidden objects actually bring fate , riches and love to those favorable enough to find them .
One such superstition involves adding a halo to the intermixture before broil the bar . The guest who gets the slice with the ring bake inside will be the next to marry . If that person is already hook up with , the gang merely provide a boost of luck . Another tradition requires adding a dime bag to the premix before broil . Whoever gets the slice with the dime will end up rich .
7: Don’t Be Early
When you run into a friend who has a natal day coming up , it ’s only natural to wish that person a happy natal day in advance . In some section of the public , however , your seemingly innocent wish is supposed to land bad fortune down on the natal day boy or girl .
In Russia , for example , you should nevercelebrate a birthdayuntil the actual day of the month . If you ca n’t do it that day , wait until afterward to avoid high-risk luck . In Germany , even wishing someone a glad birthday before the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. of the outcome is forged luck . Just to be safe , some superstitious folks in that country do n’t give kid any gifts until the day after their natal day .
What if you forget your natal day altogether ? While it may seem improbable , some say it ’s actually expert luck if you honestly draw a blank to lionise your own birthday [ rootage : Daniels ] .
6: Don’t Be Late
While it ’s risky fortune in some culture to celebrate too too soon , some superstitions suggest that offer birthday salutation at just the correct time brings luck . If someone in the family is celebrating a birthday , give that person a call first affair in the sunrise and say happy birthday to maximise destiny .
Prompt birthday wishes are especially important when children are involved ; in this cause , natal day greetings should be offered as soon as the shaver wakes up , before any other activity have taken spot . If you have young kids eager toopen gifts , this probably wo n’t be much of a problem .
5: Starting Over
In some passing lucky cultures , people are give the opportunity to become a kid again when they reach a certain eld . When a adult male reaches the old age of 61 inJapan , he enters hiskanreki , or second puerility . He must wear upon a red hat and red vest to symbolize his return to puerility .
From this point on , he can block all his troubles and receive the natural endowment of a clear slating , or a Renaissance of sorting . In Korea , this custom happens when you get to the age of 60 . On that special natal day , citizenry can return to the class they were brook and essentially set about anew [ germ : Brown ] .
4: Ear Pulling
Like the Americans and their tradition of natal day spanking , the Italians have a bizarre custom for celebrating a natal day by tugging on the ear lobe . The superstitious notion stems from the idea that prospicient ears are seen as a symbol that you will survive a long liveliness .
To increase the length of the earlobes , at least symbolically , you should give your ear lobe a slight tug for each year of life . you could also take trust friends or family members to assist with the custom . Performing this ritual is said to bring good fortune in lifetime and in the year to come [ germ : Malossini ] .
3: Death and Marriage
A natal day might be a consummate day for cake , presents and a company , but there are some things you just should n’t do on your big day , at least according to superstition . For good example , getting conjoin on your birthday is a definite do n’t , remember to add bad luck in making love . While you ’re at it , avoid marrying anyone whose birthday is in the same month as yours , as it ’s sure to mean a tempestuous marriage .
fortunately — perhaps — your birthday is seen as an splendid time to perish . Sure , you ’re dead , but dying on your natal day means your salvation is practically guarantee , if that ’s any comfortableness .
2: Food Fables
Various culture believe that nosh on certain food for thought on your natal day can bring luck , while others list certain foods you should stave off as you celebrate .
In China , snack on vermicelli brings good vibraharp , as does a nice repast of primroses . A patty shaped like a peach is also seen as a lucky symbol . Meanwhile , people in India believe it ’s risky luck to have common salt on your magnanimous twenty-four hour period [ source : Daniels ] .
The Pennsylvania Germans may have the most delicious rule regarding birthday culinary art ; tradition requires you to use up a anchor ring for fortune on your birthday , which guarantees you will survive another year .
1: Predicting Personality
Some superstitions claim that the daylight you were born will determine your whole personality . If you buy into this legend , you ’ll agree that being born on a Monday gives you good looks , while a Tuesday birth leaves you " full of grace . " Other sidereal day of the hebdomad amount with more minus qualities , such as woe , or a long mode to go .
It ’s likely that this superstition hasChristianorigins , since it save the very best character for the child who enter the world on a Sunday [ source : Webster ] . Of course , there ’s absolutely no grounds that the twenty-four hours you ’re born has any impact on personality , no matter how catchy the poem .
Birthday Superstitions FAQ
Lots More Information
After more than eight years as a author , this was one of my most difficult articles to enquiry . That definitely surprise me , as it seems like such a dewy-eyed subject . The truth is , beyond blow out the taper and wee-wee a silent wish , I knew of very few birthday superstitions .
Sure , there are muckle of traditions out there , but many of them could n’t really be account as superstitions . In the end , I had to dig a little deeper into the past times and comprise both regional and international natal day superstitions .
What draw me in while composition was the pure love story and nostalgia of baking a ring or coin into a cake — ideate if someone were to do that today — hello , lawsuit ! I was also captivate by the Asian custom of start over when you reach a certain age . If it were up to me , everyone would get such a chance .
