Spring is birthday season in my family. All three Gray kids, all three of my nephews, a cousin or two and several friends have Spring birthdays. So here's what I've learned about how birthdays are celebrated in Germany (German readers, feel free to correct me if I got anything wrong):
It's bad luck to wish someone a happy birthday or celebrate in any way before the actual day. I guess you have to earn those good wishes by living to see the big day. On your birthday you are supposed to bring treats, cake, etc to your friends/coworkers, rather than the other way around. Birthdays are a big deal here - adults often host their own birthday parties and everyone brings a gift.
I thought there might be a few things I didn't know about birthdays so I looked around on the internet, where all useful information lives, and all the other information does too. I started reading and got sidetracked by this paragraph:
"If a man reaches the age of 30 and still does not have a girlfriend, the
man's friends will throw trash on the stairs of the city hall and the
man will have to sweep the stairs. This lets every woman know that the
man has turned 30 and still isn't taken."
I found it here if you think I'm making it up.
This makes so much sense! I have seen guys two or three times on the steps of the Rathaus, sweeping up a bunch of bottle caps and other junk while their friends sat around, laughed at them, and drank beer. I assumed they were bachelor parties. Little did I know they were ANTI bachelor parties. Next time it happens I will make sure to take some photos for you.
My internet research also told me that Germans invented kids' birthday parties. Just like they invented Christmas trees and Santa Claus. What's next - the Easter Bunny? The Tooth Fairy? I wouldn't be surprised.
So viel Gluck zum Gerburtstag, or herzlichen Gluckwunsch zum Gerburtstag... there are a few ways to say Happy Birthday. But don't read that if you haven't had a birthday yet or you may have bad luck forever.
Saying Happy Birthday seems to work too, and the Germans sometimes sing the song in English. At least they didn't invent that.
About Me
- Julia
- Thanks for coming to my blog. It started as a way to keep in touch with family and friends, and now has become an ongoing project. I'm an American living in Germany and trying to travel whenever I can. I write about my experiences as an expatriate (the interesting ones and the embarrassing ones), and about my travels. There are some recurring characters in this blog, particularly my husband Brian and several of our friends. The title comes from the idea that living in a foreign country means making a lot of mistakes. So the things you used to do easily you now have to try over and over again. Hopefully, like me, you can laugh at how idiotic it feels. If you have happened upon my blog, then welcome. Knowing that people are reading what I write makes me keep going. Feel free to write comments or suggestions for future posts.
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