Yeah, I know this isn’t as sexy or exciting as talking about women’s intimate bits, but I did think it was an appropriate topic since it’s my birthday today. That got me to thinking about the history of birthday celebrations. Where did it all begin? So, I did some research, of course. Here is what I learned.
- The earliest recorded birthday celebrations started in ancient Egypt. It seems that almost everything lately has its origins in ancient Egypt. As one might expect, these celebrations primarily focused on the pharaohs, rather than the common people. Pharaohs celebrated their coronation day as their “birth” into godhood.
- The Greeks were the first to celebrate ordinary folk and started the tradition of placing candles on cakes as an offering to Artemis, the goddess of the moon, with moon-shaped candles. The celebration was intended to honor people’s protective spirits with feasts and offerings.
- Then came the Romans, who popularized celebrations among family and friends. However, this was mostly limited to wealthy citizens who held extravagant parties and started the practice of gift-giving.
- Initially, birthday celebrations were frowned upon by Christians, who viewed them as pagan rituals. However, the celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth led to a broader acceptance of birthdays in general among Christians.
- With the expansion of consumerism, birthdays gained significant popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries. There was a particular focus on childhood, leading to the celebration of children’s birthdays with cakes, candles, and gift-giving.
- However, birthday celebrations vary widely among different cultures. For example, in Japan, the “Shichi-Go-San” festival celebrates kids who turn 3, 5, and 7. Conversely, in the US, UK, and Australia, “Sweet 16” is a big deal. In Hispanic culture, 15 is a significant milestone for girls, marked by a quinceañera. Japan’s coming-of-age day is celebrated at the age of 20. A Confucian coming-of-age ceremony was traditionally held in China for men turning 20 and girls turning 15, but today the age is 20 for both young men and women. The bar mitzvah, a Jewish rite of passage, is celebrated when boys reach the age of 13. Alternately, the Satere-Mawe tribe in the Brazilian Amazon has a tradition for 13-year-old boys called the bullet ant initiation. Birthday boys must put on gloves with vicious stinging ants that have been sedated and woven into the gloves with the stingers facing inwards. By the time the gloves are put on, the ants are pissed! This is the price to become a man, which they have to endure multiple times (twenty to be exact) over the course of several months.
- The age of 21 became a significant milestone because in the UK, a boy could become a knight at this age. Obviously, in many parts of the US, 21 is a big deal because it’s the legal drinking age in most states. Although when I was in college in Illinois, the legal drinking age was 19 and changed to 21 before I reached legal age. Fortunately, Wisconsin was still 18 during the years I waited to become legal.
I have a new book out called The Invisible Woman, and coincidentally, along with it being about a lesbian superhero, there is a particular focus on a serial killer who kills his victims right before their birthdays. So there is a bit of focus on birthday milestones. Too bad I hadn’t researched the history of birthdays before writing the book; I could have woven in some of these very interesting facts! I encourage you to check out the book, as well as my other recent releases. Links for purchase buttons are below. Just a little hint: if you buy through the Affinity website, there are no taxes. They’ve been fun to write! Since it is my birthday, I’ll be giving away free Audible codes for The Kitten Trap and Trouble in Paradise (I like to do reverse gift giving on my birthday). I have some for both the US and UK on a first-come, first-served basis. With the exception of my paid subscribers to Substack, who have first dibs on the Audible codes. If you’re interested, send me an email or dm.
The Invisible Woman: A Lesbian Superhero Story Available for pre-order now!
Trouble in Paradise – Trophy Wives Club Book 4
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The Kitten Trap
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The Love Demand
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Pleasure Workers in Audio
Love Sins – The Final Chapter in The Organization Universe
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The Final Chapter in the original Organization series is now in Audible
Catch up with Books 1 and 2 in The Next Generation Series
Where it all began….
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Annette Mori 
Happy Birthday Annette. Hope you had a wonderful day.
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