BIRTHDAY TRADITIONS

There are many things to celebrate the BIRTHDAY, can using BIRTHDAY CARDS, candle , CAKE, gift etc.

A birthday is the date on which a person was born. It is customary in many cultures to celebrate the anniversary of one's birthday in some way, for example by having a birthday party with friends in which gifts are exchanged. It is also customary to treat someone especially nice and generally accede to their wishes on their birthday.

Western birthday traditions

In most English-speaking countries it is traditional to sing the song "Happy Birthday" to the honored person celebrating their birthday. This happens traditionally at a birthday party while someone brings a birthday cake into the room, which is often darkened. The birthday cake is traditionally a highly decorated cake, and is typically covered with lit candles when presented; the number of candles equals the age of the person. The person whose birthday it is will make a silent wish and then blow out the candles. If done in one breath, the wish is supposed to come true. Another superstition associated with birthday wishes is that if you reveal your wish, it won't come true. It is also very common for the "birthday boy" or "birthday girl" to cut the initial piece of the cake, except for young children.

The singing of the song also often happens at a restaurant when one gets taken out for their birthday. The server or servers in the restaurant may lead the singing of the song while dessert is delivered to the table (which may or may not be a piece of cake, and may or may not be complimentary). The dessert may feature a sparkler instead of a candle. Other customers at the restaurant usually join in for the singing of the song. At some restaurants the servers may perform special, untraditional birthday songs and dances.

For special birthdays and for when the number of candles might be considered a fire hazard, special candles might be substituted for the many individual candles. These candles are in the shape of a numeral; for example on one's 5th birthday there may be only one candle on the cake in the shape of the numeral 5, and on one's 50th birthday there may be only one candle on the cake in the shape of the numeral 50.

A birthday is considered a special day for the person, and so the person will often get special treatment from friends and family. This is specially true for children who cannot wait for their own special day. In contrast, many adults loathe the reminder that they are continually getting older. In addition to parties, people often get (and give!) gifts on their birthday. Often, the honored person gets a "birthday hug" from friends and family.


Birthday parties for children often include fun games, like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Musical Chairs and hitting piƱatas. For adults, the parties tend to be more formal, such as a nice dinner at a restaurant. Despite the age, these parties have the intent of making the honored person very happy. In jest, the birthday is sometimes referred to as the "Best day of the year" and the day after the birthday is the "worst day of the year" since one must wait a whole year for their next birthday!

There are also traditions of surprise parties. This sometimes causes people to feel ignored because it appears their birthday has been forgotten, when actually it has not been mentioned because a surprise party has been planned. Conversely, some people do not mention that nothing is planned for their birthday, because they expect a surprise party.

The BIRTHDAY CARDS are also tradition in the west and also in the east to celebrate birthday,.when give to her / him surprisingly for his/her birthday.

Astrology

The modern Astrological sign that one is born under depends on one's birthday, and the specific time of birth is used to calculate the person's natal chart. However, astrology is not limited to Western astrology alone, though Western astrology by itself has dozens of branches and various offshoots. In modern India Vedic astrology (or Jyotish) is commonly used to this very day, and in China Chinese astrology has been around for thousands of years and continues to flourish. The ancient Greeks formed Hellenistic astrology while the Mayans of South America also formed their own brand of astrology with the help of their super-precise, world-famous observatories. The ancient Egyptians also had their own system of astrology while a unique system of astrology eventually emerged in Tibet as well. Other cultures and civilizations around the World also developed their own astrological systems, though they are far too numerous to list here.

Notable birthdays

Notable birthdays can include:

* When the most significant digit changes, for example one's 1st, 10th, 20th, 50th, or 100th birthdays.* In most legal systems, one becomes a legal adult on a particular birthday, and at different ages gain different rights and responsibilities -- voting, certain drug use (e.g. alcohol, tobacco), eligibility for military draft, etc.

* Most cultures have one or more coming of age birthdays:o Jewish boys have a bar mitzvah on their 13th birthday. In Reform and Conservative Judaism, Jewish girls observe a bat mitzvah on their 12th or 13th birthday.o In Latin America the quinceaƱera celebration traditionally marks a girl's 15th birthday.o Many girls in the USA have "sweet sixteen" birthday parties.o In countries with significant drinking ages, it is often typical to become intoxicated with one's friends as soon as legal; some bars facilitate this through drink specials or the like. In countries where age restrictions on alcohol are loosely enforced, this phenomenon may be less common.


The birthdays of historically significant people, like Jesus, Muhammad, or Martin Luther King, Jr., are often turned into holidays.

Official/Alternative birthdays

Some notables, particularly monarchs such as Queen Elizabeth of England have "official birthdays" which do not match their actual birthday, but on which celebrations are held. In cases where an historical figure's actual birthday is unknown, e.g. Jesus, it is common for a particular date to be substituted.
Children who are born on the 29th of February, which only falls on Leap years, often celebrate their birthday annually on the 28th, or the 1st of March.


In Roman Catholic countries such as France, it is common also to have a 'name day'/'Saint's day'. This is celebrated in much the same way as a birthday, but is held on the official day of the saint that the person is named after.

History of celebration of birthdays in the West

It is thought that the large scale celebration of birthdays in Europe was due to Mithraism in the Roman Empire, and that prior to this it was not so common. Mithraism had a large influence throughout the empire, due to being taken up by many Roman soldiers, until it was supplanted by Christianity. Even today, the celebration of birthdays is not universal in the West, for example, the Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays, considering them to be a pagan festival, along with Christmas and Easter.

KIDS BIRTHDAY CARDS


Send this eCard !
MAKE YOUR OWN KIDS BIRTHDAY CARDS
Get your printer, scissors, crayons and colored pencils! We have large printable coloring pages, and blank cards and invitations. To use the cards, cut them out on the black lines, the fold half, then in half again.
The blank cards can be used for any occasion - send a birthday card, thank you card, get well card, or one just because you can!
Be sure to visit
our main birthdays and parties page for great ideas including party crafts, birthday themes for little ones, preteeens, sleepover party ideas and more!
Balloons
If you’re planning a party and need invitations or thank you notes in a hurry, our sister site, Birthdayinabox.com, offers preprinted and personalized invitations and thank you notes that complement their 100+ party themes. You’ll also find more free coloring sheets, craft ideas and other activities in their Crafts section.

Birthday Card History

Birthday Card History is said to be over a hundred years old. Though there is no record to tell us who send or received the first birthday card but it said the tradition of sending Birthday Cards began in England a century ago. In those time people used to personally greet a person on a birthday, but when a well-wisher was unable to do so he send a Birthday Card. Thus Birthday cards were more like an apology at that time.

History of Greeting Cards

History of Greeting Cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese who are said to have started the tradition of sending goodwill messages on a New Year. Early Egyptians too are believed to have made used papyrus scrolls to convey greetings to dear ones. During early 1400 the tradition of exchanging handmade paper greeting cards developed in Europe while Germans at that time are known to have printed New Year’s greetings from woodcuts The advancement in printing technology and mechanization besides introduction of postage stamps in 1850s helped to make greeting cards more affordable. No wonder, they soon became popular means of personal communication. However, credit for the start of Greeting Card industry in US is given to Louis Prang, a German immigrant who started a small lithographic business near Boston in 1856. Prang perfected printing over a decade and in early 1870s, he published deluxe editions of Christmas cards that became an instant hit in England. US Card Industry saw a slump in 1890 and 1906 but soon after 1906, the situation improved and a number of leading card producers of today were founded. Now the cards played on sentimentality and were quite unlike Prang’s elaborate creations.Increased competition during World War I improved printing process. Early 1930s saw the use of color lithography. The move lead to an unprecedented growth in US Card industry. 1950s saw the entry of humor in cards with the creation of studio cards that were long cards with a short punch line. During 1980s non-event cards or the cards not made for any particular occasion began popular and helped card industry reach a new high.

Birthday E-Cards

Greeting Cards have taken a new avatar in this present age of Internet technology. Today, they are being increasingly exchanged as electronic or e-greeting cards. Advancement in the technology that began in 1990s has lead to a further growth in card industry. People find it easier to send e-cards, as they are a cost effective and instantaneous means of exchanging greetings. E-cards are available for Birthdays, anniversary, Christmas and a host of other occasions. Use of Java and Flash makes them humorous. One can also personalize E-Cards that is available for Free at most e-cards sites. Greeting Card IndustryGreeting Card Industry is burgeoning today. Concept on non-event casual greeting card has further lead to the growth in the industry. US Card Industry was valued at $7.5 billion in 2004 based on total unit sales of 7 billion greeting cards for the year. The industry reported a sales growth rate of 8.7% between 1999 and 2004. However, Birthday Cards alone are estimated to constitute 60 % of the total annual cards sales followed by anniversary with 8 % of the sale. Though greeting cards made their advent in India much after they appeared in US, Indian Card Industry has picked up fast. At present the industry is estimated to be around Rs 250 crore in terms of yearly consumer spend. Unorganized sector takes 40 % of the market share. The organized 60 % of the market is divided between Archies, Hallmark and ITC.

Significance of Birthday Cards

Birthday Cards are an important means of communicating good wishes and love to a person. They carry a personal touch that makes them endearing and very special. Emotionally charged cards help to convey feelings of love that most people find difficult to express. To cater to the growing and varied demand card manufacturers make multitude of designer cards to depict variety of emotions from sentimental to humorous. Success of regional language cards in multi-linguistic societies such as India point towards the significant role greeting cards play in our lives today.

Birthday cards with ANIMAL theme
















Birthday cards feature animal themes. Some pets, some zoo animals, and some wild animals. Great for animal lovers everywhere.

Birthday cards with animal theme, usually used for kid's birthday or pet/animal lovers.
see also :

BIRTHDAY GREETING CARDS with FLOWER theme

Greeting cards or Birthday Greeting Card are always a great way to surprise family and friends throughout the year and put a smile on their face. Whether it’s a birthday card, a thank you note or just a short message to say hello, a card can be a wonderful means to express yourself.

Greeting birthday card has many themes, one of them is FLOWER theme

Flowers can speak the language of the heart beautifully. So when it's your loved one's Birthday there couldn't be a better way of expressing yourself other than with these warm and beautiful Birthday ecards.
See also :

How to Make Gift Enclosure Cards for Kids


Birthday Cards also related with Birthday Gift Card. Now, see the article below, you will see how the simple and easy way to make birthday gift card using Microsoft Words.

If you attend as many birthday parties as we seem to, you need a supply of cute birthday gift enclosure cards for your kids' gifts. Making kids' birthday gift cards is easy and fun using a word processing program such as Microsoft Word or a Print Project software program.


To get started on your gift enclosure card project, you'll need a package of blank business cards that work in your printer. The next step is to find a cute graphic to put on the card with your child's name. Browse through the Microsoft Clip Art collection to find the right picture for your child's card, or check out these free graphic resources online. When you find an image you like, save it to your computer in the My Pictures directory. Don't worry if the picture is a little too big for the card. You can easily resize it to fit.


You will find several nice fonts for your child's name in your word processing program, or you might want to download a fun kid font from the Web.

Billy Bear's Fonts for Kids

Fonts for Kids

How to Make the Kids' Birthday Gift Enclosure Card Using Microsoft Word

1. Open Word.
2. Click Tools, then Envelopes and Labels (under Letters and Mailings in Word XP).
3. In the Envelopes and Labels box, click the Labels tab.
4. Click the Options button to choose a format for printing your card. Choose the correct size for your blank business cards. I use Avery Standard Business Cards (2 X 3.5). Click OK.
5. Type your child’s name in the text window, then click New Document.
6. The business card template document will open. Save it to your computer, then begin to design your card in the first box.
7. You can center the child’s name in the box and change the font style, size, and color to whatever you like.
8. To insert an image onto the card: Click Insert from the top menu, Picture/From File. Browse to find the image you saved to your computer, select it, then click OK. You can also choose the Clip Art selection to use Clip Art from your Microsoft Word collection. *What if the picture is too big?
9. When you have the first card done to your satisfaction, copy and paste it into the other boxes on the page.
10. Print a test page on plain paper, then compare it to your sheet of cards before you do your final print onto the card sheet.

* To resize the picture you insert on your card: Select the image and Click Format/Picture from the top menu. When the picture formatting box opens, click the Size tab. From the Size tab change the Scale percentage down from 100% until the picture is the right size for your card.

See some sample gift enclosure cards made with Microsoft Word.

HOW TO MAKE A BIRTHDAY CARD

How to Make a Birthday Card in Easy Steps

Birthdays are special events. The day a person is brought into this world is a wondrous day to celebrate. As such, this day requires special efforts. Homemade birthday cards are an excellent way to show someone you care. It will be an obvious sign that you have put some love and effort into creating their special moment. .

Each time some one has received a homemade birthday card from the the others, the expression on her/his face could just light up the room. Even though we are in a different state now, just the act of making the birthday cards gives us the memory of her/his smile. Whether you need to know how to make a birthday card for a lover, a family member, a co-worker, or a friend, you can find something here.

Following the instructions below, you will learn how to make 4 different types of cut and paste birthday cards.

How To Make a Birthday Card:

Basic Birthday Card
This basic birthday card can be used alone or can be used as a base birthday card for the cards below.

Materials:
1 sheet of 8½ x 11 card stock paper In Desired
Color Sharpie Marker In Accenting Color
Scissors
Glue
Extra card stock in various colors

Instructions:
To make the birthday card, you will need to take your piece of card stock paper and fold it in half lengthwise. Be sure your crease is nice and tight. Once this is done, all you will need to do is add your custom message on the cover and on the inside. To make it more decorative, you can simply use different colors of card stock and cut out shapes and paste them to the front. You could also draw on the front if you are an artist. Yet another option is to jazz up the card by turning it into one of the birthday cards below.

How To Make a Birthday Card:

Photo Birthday Card

To make the photo birthday birthday card, first you will need to make the basic card above, leaving out decorating the front. That will come with adding the photograph.

Extra Materials:
Photograph

Instructions:
Now that you have made the basic birthday card, take another piece of card stock. Fold it in half lengthwise, just as with the basic card. Cut down the fold all the way until you have cut the paper in half. Check the size of your photograph. Trace that size on one of your pieces of halved paper. Cut that shape out.

Now take your scissors and cut out a square or circle inside the paper shape you just cut out. Make sure the opening you create is the correct size to showcase the photo. Now take your photo and glue it to the front of the card.

Glue your shape over the photo in the appropriate position. Let the card dry according to the instructions on your glue. This can be anywhere from a few hours to a full 24 hours. To avoid the card from sticking together, lay it open to dry. If you haven't added your message, do so once the card is dry.

Your card is now ready to give to that special someone.

DO YOU KNOW?


Birthday cards are great ways to commence and spread excitements of birthday celebrations. Birthday greeting cards are greatly versatile corresponding to the themes, recipients, purposes, and relations involved in sending greetings through those cards.

Here are the categories of BIRTHDAY CARDS :

Birthday Cards

Happy Birthday Cards

Birthday Invitation

Friends Birthday Cards

Girlfriend Birthday

Boyfriend Birthday

Birthday Mommy-Dad

Birthday Daughter-Son

Birthday Thanks Cards

Kids Birthday Cards

Twins Birthday Cards

Romantic Birthday

Birthday Flowers Cards

Belated Birthday Cards

Birthday Miss You Cards

Boss Birthday cards

Birthday Gifts Cards

Birthday Blessings

Birthday Poem Cards

Birthday Party Cards

Birthday Sayings

Birthday Husband-Wife

Teacher's Birthday cards

Colleague Birthday Cards

Teen Birthday cards

Just for Him Cards

Just for Her Cards

Birthday Fun Cards

Birthday Smiles cards

Pet's Birthday cards

Birthday Fireworks Cards

Special Birthday

Naughty Birthday Cards

Same Day Birthday

Birthday Treat Cards

Zodiac Birthday Cards

WHAT is birthday cards?


Birthdays are never complete until you've said 'Happy Birthday' to the birthday gal or boy! So you need BIRTHDAY CARD to give to whom have her/his birthday

Wishing friends or loved ones on their birthdays sure adds to their cheer. So go ahead and make this day all the more special. Now, please choose a good birthday cards to sends to your love ones.