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{{Short description|Anniversary of the birth of a person (or an institution)}}
{{Other uses}}
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[[File:Happy family 2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.33
|A Rwandan family celebrating a birthday at home in 2021, during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]]]
A '''birthday''' is the [[anniversary]] of the [[birth]] of a person or figuratively of an [[institution]]. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday [[gift]]s, [[birthday card]]s, a [[birthday party]], or a [[rite of passage]].

Many religions celebrate the birth of their founders or religious figures with special holidays (e.g. [[Christmas]], [[Mawlid]], [[Buddha's Birthday]], [[Krishna Janmashtami]], and [[Gurpurb]]).


There is a distinction between birth''day'' and birth''date'' (also known as date of birth): the former, except for [[February 29]], occurs each year (e.g. January 15), while the latter is the complete date when a person was born (e.g. January 15, 2001).

==Coming of age==
[[File:Tarta de cumpleaños (RPS 10-09-2014) 18 años.png|thumb|Cake for an 18th birthday]]
In most legal systems, one becomes a legal adult on a particular birthday when they reach the [[age of majority]] (usually between 12 and 21), and reaching age-specific milestones confers particular rights and responsibilities. At certain ages, one may become eligible to leave [[School leaving age|full-time education]], become subject to [[military conscription]] or to enlist in the military, to [[Age of consent|consent to sexual intercourse]], to [[Age of marriage|marry]] with [[parental consent]], to marry without parental consent, to [[voting age|vote]], to run for elected office, to legally purchase (or consume) [[legal drinking age|alcohol]] and [[Smoking age|tobacco]] products, to purchase [[Gaming law|lottery]] tickets, or to obtain a [[Legal driving age|driver's licence]]. The [[age of majority]] is when minors cease to legally be considered children and assume control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thereby terminating the legal control and responsibilities of their parents or guardians over and for them. Most countries set the age of majority at 18, though it varies by jurisdiction.

Many cultures celebrate a [[coming of age]] birthday when a person reaches a particular year of life.
[[File:Pastelitos de colores (5684826299).jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Young women attired for quinceañera in Mexico City]]
* In Canada and the United States, families often mark a girl's 16th birthday with a [[Sweet sixteen (birthday)|"sweet sixteen"]] celebration – often represented in popular culture.
* In some Hispanic countries, as well as Brazil, the ''[[quinceañera]]'' (Spanish) or ''[[festa de quinze anos]]'' (Portuguese) celebration traditionally marks a girl's 15th birthday.<ref>[http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art40429.asp Quinceañeras – Hispanic Culture] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124070725/http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art40429.asp |date=2018-01-24 }}. Bellaonline.com. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.</ref>
* In Japan, people celebrate [[Coming of Age Day]] for all those who have turned 18.
* In the Philippines, a coming-of-age party called a [[Philippine Debut|debut]] is held for young women on their 18th birthday and young men on their 21st birthday.
* Jewish boys have a [[bar mitzvah]] on their 13th birthday. Jewish girls have a [[bat mitzvah]] on their 12th birthday, or sometimes on their 13th birthday in [[Reform Judaism|Reform]] and [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] Judaism. This marks the transition where they become obligated in [[Mitzvah|commandments]] from which they were previously exempted and are counted as part of the [[Minyan|community]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Rabbi Shraga|date=17 January 2000 |url=http://www.aish.com/jl/l/48956006.html|title=ABC's of Bar/Bat Mitzvah|website=Aish – The Jewish Website|access-date=1 January 2013|archive-date=14 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114080957/http://www.aish.com/jl/l/48956006.html|url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Other landmark birthdays===
Some cultures celebrate landmark birthdays in early life or old age.
[[File:One year baby is playing with birthday balloons.JPG|thumb|A one-year-old girl playing with her birthday balloons in Bangladesh]]
* In Korea, many celebrate a traditional ceremony of [[Korean birthday celebrations|Baek-il]] (Feast for the 100th day) and [[Doljanchi]] (child's first birthday).
* In some Asian countries that follow the [[Chinese zodiac|zodiac calendar]], there is a tradition of celebrating the [[Sexagenary cycle#Overview|60th birthday]].
* In [[British Commonwealth]] nations, cards from the [[British Royal Family|Royal Family]] are sent to those celebrating their 100th and 105th birthdays and every year thereafter.<ref>[http://www.royal.gov.uk/hmthequeen/queenandanniversarymessages/anniversarymessages.aspx Queen and anniversary messages]. Royal.gov.uk. Retrieved on 2013-01-01. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215185507/http://www.royal.gov.uk/hmthequeen/queenandanniversarymessages/anniversarymessages.aspx |date=February 15, 2009 }}</ref>

In many cultures and jurisdictions, if a person's real birthday is unknown (for example, if they are an orphan), their birthday may be adopted or assigned to a specific day of the year, such as January 1.<ref>[http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/on_new_years_day_wish_a_happy.html On New Year's Day, wish a 'Happy Birthday' to 202,000 refugees] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511045049/http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/01/on_new_years_day_wish_a_happy.html |date=2012-05-11 }}. syracuse.com. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.</ref>
Racehorses are reckoned to become one year old in the year following their birth on January 1 in the Northern Hemisphere and August 1 in the Southern Hemisphere.{{relevance|date=April 2025}}


==Birthday parties==
[[File:Child with Snow White cake 1910-1940.jpg|thumb|Child with Snow White cake, {{Circa}} 1910–1940]]
[[File:PseudoSkull voicemail 2010-09-14 326pm.wav|right|thumb|A voicemail from a child wishing his mother a happy birthday]]

In certain parts of the world, an individual's birthday is celebrated by a party featuring a [[Birthday cake|specially made cake]]. Presents are bestowed on the individual by the guests appropriate to their age. Other birthday activities may include entertainment (sometimes by a hired professional, i.e., a clown, magician, or musician) and a special toast or speech by the birthday celebrant. The last stanza of [[Patty Hill]]'s and [[Mildred Hill]]'s famous song, "Good Morning to You" (unofficially titled "[[Happy Birthday to You]]") is typically sung by the guests at some point in the proceedings. In some countries, a [[piñata]] takes the place of a cake.

===Birthday cake===
{{Main|Birthday cake}}
The birthday cake may be decorated with lettering and the person's age, or studded with the same number of lit [[candle]]s as the age of the individual. The celebrated individual may make a silent wish and attempt to blow out the candles in one breath; if successful, superstition holds that the wish will be granted. In many cultures, the wish must be kept secret or it will not "come true".

<gallery mode="packed" widths="200" heights="150" caption="Birthday cakes">
File:Birthday Cake 2.jpg|Birthday cake with name and age
File:Birthday cake (8973445388) (cropped).jpg|Birthday cake with lit candles
File:Birthday.jpg|Candles before lighting
File:Birthday Celebration 2015.jpg|A boy blowing out his candle
File:Wikipedia 20th Birthday Cake3 at Wikipedia Conference Hokitika 2021.jpg|Wikipedia birthday cake
</gallery>

<gallery mode="packed" widths="200" heights="150" caption="Birthday customs">
File:Verschenken 004 2019 03 22.jpg|Cards and gifts
File:A dog's birthday (9160323793).jpg|Birthday hat on a dog
File:Birthday party.jpg|Birthday party for children
File:Chinese banquet in a banquet hall.JPG|Chinese birthday banquet for an elder with "Longevity" banner
</gallery>

==Birthdays as holidays==

Historically significant people's birthdays, such as national heroes or founders, are often commemorated by an official [[holiday]] marking the anniversary of their birth. Some notables, particularly monarchs, have an official birthday on a fixed day of the year, which may not necessarily match the day of their birth, but on which celebrations are held.
* In India, [[Gandhi Jayanti]], the birthday of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] is an annual holiday celebrated on October 2. All liquor shops are closed across the country in honor of Gandhi, who did not consume liquor.
* The [[King's Official Birthday]] (or Queen's) in [[Australia]], [[Fiji]], [[Canada]], [[New Zealand]], and the [[United Kingdom]].
* The [[Grand Duke's Official Birthday]] in [[Luxembourg]] is typically celebrated on June 23. This is different from [[Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg|the monarch]]'s date of birth, April 16.
[[File:Oranjefeestvreugde in Amsterdam.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=3|''Koninginnedag'' in Amsterdam, 1932]]
* ''[[Koninginnedag]]'' in the Kingdom of the [[Netherlands]] was typically celebrated on April 30. Queen Beatrix fixed it on her mother's birthday, the previous queen, to avoid the winter weather associated with her own birthday in January. The present monarch's birthday is 27 April, and it is also celebrated on that day. This has replaced the 30th of April celebration of Koninginnedag.
* The previous Japanese Emperor Showa ([[Hirohito]])'s birthday was April 29. After his death, the holiday was kept as "Showa no Hi", or "Showa Day". This holiday falls close to [[Golden Week (Japan)|Golden Week]], the week in late April and early May.
* [[Kim Il Sung]] and [[Kim Jong Il]]'s birthdays are celebrated in [[North Korea]] as national holidays called the [[Day of the Sun]] and the [[Day of the Shining Star]] respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kim Jong-un's birthday remains unmarked in 2019 calendars |agency=Yonhap |work=The Korean Herald |date=4 December 2018 |access-date=22 December 2018 |url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20181204000113 |archive-date=22 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222034136/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20181204000113 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* In the United States, [[Washington's Birthday]], commonly referred to as Presidents' Day, is a [[Federal holidays in the United States|federal holiday]] observing the birthday of [[George Washington]] on the third Monday of February each year. Washington's actual birth date was either February 11 ([[Old Style]]) or February 22 ([[New Style]]). [[Martin Luther King Jr. Day]] is a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January each year to mark the birthday of [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] on January 15.

===Birthdays of religious figures===
[[File:Coloured lanterns at the Lotus Lantern Festival.jpg|thumb|upright|Colored lanterns celebrating the Buddha's birthday at the Lotus Lantern Festival in [[Seoul]]]]

====Krishna====
{{Main article|Krishna Janmashtami}}

====Buddha====
{{Main article|Buddha's birthday}}
In [[Mahayana Buddhism]], many monasteries celebrate the anniversary of Buddha's birth, usually in a highly formal, ritualized manner. They treat Buddha's statue as if it was Buddha himself as if he were alive; bathing, and "feeding" him.<ref>Sarah J. Horton (2007) ''Living Buddhist statues in early medieval and modern Japan'', Palgrave Macmillan {{ISBN|1403964203}} p. 24</ref>

====Jesus and Christian saints====
[[Jesus Christ]]'s traditional birthday is celebrated as [[Christmas Eve]] or [[Christmas Day]] around the world, on December 24 or 25, respectively. As some [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern]] churches use the [[Julian calendar]], December 25 will fall on January 7 in the [[Gregorian calendar]]. These dates are traditional and have no connection with Jesus's actual birthday, which is not recorded in the Gospels.

[[File:3992Nativity of Mary 13.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1|Preparations for a motorcade procession to celebrate the [[Nativity of Mary]] during the [[Covid-19 pandemic]] in [[Baliwag|Baliuag]], Philippines]]

Similarly, the birthdays of the [[Virgin Mary]] and [[John the Baptist]] are liturgically celebrated on [[September 8]] and [[June 24]], especially in the [[Roman Catholic]] and [[Eastern Orthodox]] traditions (although for those Eastern Orthodox churches using the Julian calendar the corresponding Gregorian dates are [[September 21]] and [[July 7]] respectively). As with Christmas, the dates of these celebrations are traditional and probably have no connection with the actual birthdays of these individuals. Catholic saints are remembered by a liturgical feast on the anniversary of their "birth" into heaven a.k.a. their day of death.


====Ganesha====
In Hinduism, [[Ganesh Chaturthi]] is a festival celebrating the birth of the elephant-headed deity [[Ganesha]] in extensive community celebrations and at home. Figurines of Ganesha are made for the holiday and are widely sold.<ref>{{cite web |author= |date=16 September 2015 |title=Andhra laddu-maker eyes to break own Guinness Record with 8000 kg laddu |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-andhra-laddu-maker-eyes-to-break-own-guinness-record-with-8000-kg-laddu-2125608 |access-date=25 September 2015 |website=Daily News and Analysis India}}</ref>

[[File:Sri Darbar Sahib at Gurpurab.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Golden Temple]] during Gurpurb celebrations]]
====Sikh gurus====
[[Sikhism|Sikhs]] celebrate the anniversary of the birth of [[Guru Nanak's Birthday|Guru Nanak]] and other [[Sikh gurus]], which is known as [[Gurpurb]].

====Muhammad====
[[File:Birthday of Fatimah (1).jpg|thumb|upright|Celebration of Fatima's birthday and Mother's Day at Al-Zahra Mosque, Tehran]]
[[Mawlid]] is the anniversary of the birth of [[Muhammad]] and is celebrated on the 12th or 17th day of [[Rabi' al-awwal]] by adherents of Sunni and Shia Islam respectively. These are the two most commonly accepted dates of birth of Muhammad.

However, there is much controversy regarding the permissibility of celebrating Mawlid, as some Muslims judge the custom as an unacceptable practice according to Islamic tradition.<ref>{{cite web|author = Imam Jalaluddin al-Suyuti (radi Allahu anhu)|url = http://www.nooremadinah.net/Documents/YaMohammad/CelebratingEid-e-Milad-un-Nabi/CelebratingEid-e-Milad-un-Nabi.pdf|title= Celebrating Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi|access-date = |date = |language=en|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160804184407/http://www.nooremadinah.net/Documents/YaMohammad/CelebratingEid-e-Milad-un-Nabi/CelebratingEid-e-Milad-un-Nabi.pdf|archive-date = 4 August 2016|url-status = dead}}</ref>

In Iran, [[Mother's Day]] is celebrated on the birthday of [[Fatima|Fatima al-Zahra]], the daughter of Muhammad.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |date=2014 |title=FATIMA (d. 632) |encyclopedia=Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopaedia of the Prophet of God |publisher=ABC-CLIO |url=https://archive.org/details/muhammadinhistor0000unse_h4s1/mode/2up |editor1-last=Fitzpatrick |editor1-first=Coeli |volume=1 |pages=182–187 |isbn=9781610691772 |editor2-last=Walker |editor2-first=Adam Hani |author-last=Buehler |author-first=Arthur F.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=20 April 2014 |title=Iran marks Mother's Day |url=http://en.mehrnews.com/detail/News/102655}}</ref> Banners reading ''Ya Fatima'' ("O Fatima") are displayed on government buildings, private buildings, public streets and car windows.<ref>{{citation |last=DeBano |first=Wendy |title=Music and the Play of Power in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia |page=234 (footnote 18) |date=2009 |editor=Laudan Nooshin |series=Soas Musicology Series |chapter=Singing against Silence: Celebrating Women and Music and the Fourth Jasmine Festival |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gAR15vJcC6wC&pg=PA234 |edition=illustrated |publisher=[[Ashgate Publishing]] |isbn=9780754634577}}</ref>

==Religious views==
===Judaism===
In [[Judaism]], [[rabbi]]s are divided about celebrating this custom, although the majority of the faithful accept it. In the [[Torah]], the only mention of a birthday is the celebration of Pharaoh's birthday in Egypt ([[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 40:20).<ref>{{Cite journal|first=Dovid|last=Lebovits|title=Happy Birthday|url=https://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/halacha/Vol9Issue11.pdf|journal=Halachically Speaking|volume=9|issue=11|pages=1–11|access-date=2022-04-12|archive-date=2022-06-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609052424/https://www.shemayisrael.com/parsha/halacha/Vol9Issue11.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Christianity===
[[File:Happy Birthday Jesus - geograph.org.uk - 3770375.jpg|thumb|upright|Christmas wrapping paper next to a birthday balloon for Jesus, displayed in the town of [[Galashiels]], Scottish Borders, in December 2013]]
Although the birthday of [[Jesus of Nazareth]] is celebrated as a Christian holiday on December 25, historically the celebrating of an individual person's birthday has been subject to theological debate. [[Early Christians]], notes The World Book Encyclopedia, "considered the celebration of anyone's birth to be a pagan custom." [[Origen]], in his commentary "On Levites," wrote that Christians should not only refrain from celebrating their birthdays but should look at them with disgust as a [[paganism|pagan]] custom.<ref>John Bugge (1975). The ancient Greeks, for instance, believed that each person had a protective spirit that attended the person's birth and thereafter watched over him. That spirit "had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born," says the book The Lore of Birthdays. Birthdays also have a long-standing and intimate link with astrology and the horoscope.11 Besides rejecting birthday customs on account of pagan and spiritistic roots, God's servants of old likely rejected them on principle as well. Why? These were humble, modest men and women who did not view their arrival in the world as so important that it should be celebrated. (Micah 6:8; Luke 9:48) Rather, they glorified Jehovah and thanked him for the precious gift of life.—Psalm 8:3, 4; 36:9; Revelation 4:11. ''Virginitas: an essay in the history of a medieval ideal'', Springer {{ISBN|9024716950}}, p. 69</ref> A [[Calendar of saints|saint's day]] was typically celebrated on the [[Death anniversary|anniversary]] of their [[Martyrdom in Christianity|martyrdom]] or death, considered the occasion of or preparation for their entrance into [[Heaven]] or the [[New Jerusalem]].

Ordinary folk in the Middle Ages celebrated their saint's day (the saint they were named after), but nobility celebrated the anniversary of their birth.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} The "Squire's Tale", one of Chaucer's [[Canterbury Tales]], opens as King Cambuskan proclaims a feast to celebrate his birthday.<ref>Margaret Hallissy (1995) [https://books.google.com/books?id=VSvLJ8tWKyQC ''A Companion to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230906143140/https://books.google.com/books?id=VSvLJ8tWKyQC |date=2023-09-06 }}, Greenwood Publishing Group {{ISBN

Birthday - Revision history