Scribd
Upload
8 views2 pages

German Birthday Customs and Traditions: Caleb 10/26/13 German II Holiday Project

This document discusses German birthday customs and traditions. Some traditions include not wishing someone a happy birthday before their actual birthday, celebrating the eve of one's birthday in parts of Austria, and the birthday person paying for drinks if they invite others out. Certain ages have unique traditions as well, such as cleaning doorknobs with a toothbrush at 30 or having socks hung around an unmarried man's property at 25.

Uploaded by

CalebBarnaby
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
8 views2 pages

German Birthday Customs and Traditions: Caleb 10/26/13 German II Holiday Project

This document discusses German birthday customs and traditions. Some traditions include not wishing someone a happy birthday before their actual birthday, celebrating the eve of one's birthday in parts of Austria, and the birthday person paying for drinks if they invite others out. Certain ages have unique traditions as well, such as cleaning doorknobs with a toothbrush at 30 or having socks hung around an unmarried man's property at 25.

Uploaded by

CalebBarnaby
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

German Birthday Customs and Traditions

Caleb
10/26/13
German II
Holiday Project
Germans celebrate their birthday Geburtsta!" li#e almost e$eryone else in
the %orld& thou!h they ha$e a 'e% uni(ue traditions that I %ould li#e to tell you
about today)
*ne o' the thin!s that are a bi! no+no is %ishin! a German ha,,y birthday
be'ore his/her birthday& this means no %ell+%ishes& cards& or ,resents !i$en be'ore
his/her birthday) *ne the other hand i' you li#e in ,arts o' -ustria& is it customary
to celebrate your birthday on the e$e o') -nother thin! is that i' a German in$ites
you out to !et/drin# on his/her birthday is it insisted that the tab be one them) I'
[Link] sin!le and !oin! on thirty& [Link] are e/,ected to do a 'e% chores) I' you are
a %omen& your 'riends %ill %ant you to clean all the door#nobs %ith a toothbrush
and i' you are a man you %ill be e/,ected to s%ee, the stairs at city+hall or another
,ublic ,lace) 0hat is it that can 'ree you 'rom these tas#s& you may as#1 *nly a
#iss 'rom the o,,osite !ender %ill do) *n a side note it is also tradition to
comically dress the birthday boy or !irl %hilst they are ,re'ormin! their tas#s)
There are also a 'e% years %here s,ecial thin!s %ill ha,,ened 'or your
birthday such as2
16
th
Birthday 3 This year you should run 'or the hills as your 'riends
%ill undoubtedly co$er your head %ith 'lo%er)
14
th
Birthday 3 This year is it custom to ha$e ra% e!!s bro#en o$er
your hear)
25
th
Birthday+ I' you are an unmarried man& the %hole to%n %ill
#no%& as many soc#s are hun! around your house/ ,ro,erty and you
must 'ollo% them& %hilst do%nin! an alcoholic be$era!e e$ery 'e%
meters)
6or children.s birthdays they are usually e/cused 'rom all household %or#
'or the day& or i' their birthday 'alls on a school day they are e/cused 'rom the
day.s home%or#) -lso 'or a child.s birthday 'rom %hen he/she is born until he/she
turns 12) - small %ooden %reath is set in the center o' the table %ith 12 holes
arran!ed around the rin! and a lar!e hole in the middle) These holes are 'illed %ith
12 candles and 1 lar!e 78i'e Candle)9 :$ery year they li!ht the correct number o'
these candles instead o' ,uttin! candles on the ca#e)
It is also thou!ht that birthday ca#es ori!inated 'rom Germany& durin!
medie$al times& they had s%eet bread& sha,ed li#e ;esus in a blan#et& %hich they
%ould !i$e out to celebrate Christmas) Ho%e$er they then decided to !i$e the
children on their birthday) The tradition o' addin! a candle to the ca#e is also a
German tradition& a candle is to be ,ut in the ca#e in the mornin! and is to burn all
day 'or !od luc#"& until the 'amily sin!s the Ha,,y Birthday son! and the birthday
boy/!irl blo%s out the candle)
These are just some o' the German birthday traditions and customs& they
ha$e a $ery interestin! %ay o' celebratin! their holidays and I encoura!e anyone
interested to !o and see %hat they ha$e to o''er)

You might also like