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How the birthday card developed
The birthday, as the term suggests, is the anniversary of the exact day on
which a person was born. In most parts of the world birthdays are celebrated
in numerous cultures with a party and often associated with a rite of passage.
Certain religious groups virulently oppose the celebration of birthdays
because of the more important dates that celebrate the birth of their founders
such as Buddhism or Christianity with the most obvious example of Christmas.
In most societies, a birthday like the 18th or 21st, can often trip a legal
obligation and responsibility. For instance an obligation to vote or take up
military conscription. Birthdays can also take the form of an award like being
able to consume alcohol or tobacco, to be able to drive a motorbike or car, or
to be able to purchase a lottery ticket
Some are related to religions like the Jewish boys who have a bar mitzvah on
or around their 13th birthday. Jewish girls have a bat mitzvah on or around
their 12th birthday. With Catholic and Anglican religions, Confirmation is the
ritual by which a young person receives a Sacrament. This grants certain gifts
of the Holy Spirit. The quinceañera celebration in Hispanic countries
traditionally marks a girl's 15th birthday. In the United States some girls
and boys have a 'sweet sixteen' birthday party. 18th and 21st are traditional
coming of age birthdays in the United Kingdom. Sometimes, in some Asian
countries, the 14th birthday is celebrated as the day one becomes a man, or a
woman, in society. The 12th or 13th birthday in India is replaced with a
fascinating 'thread ceremony' when the child takes a blessed thread and wears
it. This symbolizes his coming of age and is more common amongst boys in the
Hindu culture.
Leap years present a problem for some people when their birthday falls on the
29th February. These people often elect to celebrate their birthday on the 1st
March instead. for practical reasons many kings and queens have Official
Birthdays as well as their natural birthdays. This Official Birthday is always
on a fixed day of the year.
During the Victorian era birthday cards became very ornate and complex but the
iconic images, especially candles, remain until today. Candles, one for every
year, have been used on cards for centuries. These are often mixed with more
traditional images like sports for boys, dads and husbands, and flowers for
girls, mums and wives.
Do talk to Peter or Rebecca if you need a specially designed and illustrated
personalised birthday card, they enjoy the challenge, just click
enquiry@celtic-1.co.uk
