Birthdays have been celebrated for as long as man has been able to mark the cycle of the year. In different cultures, there are numerous traditions surrounding birthdays. A particularly lovely Birthday tradition is to give a piece of gemstone jewellery which relates to the person’s
Birthstone.
Significant birthdays include:
- When the most significant digit changes, for example one's 1st, 10th, 30th, 50th, or 100th birthdays.
- 18th and 21st birthdays, as marking the step into adulthood.
- One's golden birthday, also called a champagne birthday, is the day when the age one turns is the same as the day in the month one was born. (e.g. someone turning 20 on January 20th celebrates his golden birthday).
- 12th or 13th birthdays, depending on the culture, to mark someone’s coming-of-age. For Jewish children, this is about the time that they celebrate their bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah and for Christian children it is when they have their first Holy Communion, or confirmation service.
- ‘Sweet Sixteen’ has become a popular special celebration for girls, as being the age at which the transition is made between being a child and being a young woman.
For more information and gift ideas for Birthday’s view our
Birthday Gift Guide