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1、AboutBirthdayAbirthdayisthedateonwhichapersonisborn,markingthedayalifeoutsidethewombbegins.Itiscustomaryinmanyculturestocelebratetheanniversaryofone'sbirthday,forexamplebyhavingabirthdaypartywithfamilyand/orfriends.Giftsareoftengiventothepersoncelebrating
2、thebirthday.Itisalsocustomarytotreatpeoplespeciallyontheirbirthday,eithergenerallyaccedingtotheirwishes,orsubjectingthemtoariteoftransition.WesternprivatebirthdaytraditionsHistoryofcelebrationofbirthdaysintheWestItisthoughtthatthelarge-scalecelebrationofb
3、irthdaysinEuropebeganwiththecultofMithras,whichoriginatedinPersiabutwasspreadbysoldierstroughouttheRomanEmpire.Beforethis,suchcelebrationswerenotcommon;and,hence,practicesfromothercontextssuchastheSaturnaliawereadaptedforbirthdays.BecausemanyRomansoldiers
4、tookupMithraism,ithadawidedistributionandinfluencethroughouttheempireuntilitwassupplantedbyChristianity.BirthdaycelebrationswererareduringtheMiddleAgesbutsawaresurgencewiththeadventoftheReformation.Duringthisperiod,theywereseenasagoodwaytotransfercustomsf
5、romthesaint'sdaystootherdatesnotlinkedtothenewlyrepudiatedvenerationofsaints.Eventoday,thecelebrationofbirthdaysisnotuniversalintheWest;inadditiontothosepeoplepreferringnamedaycelebrations,Jehovah'sWitnessesdonotcelebrateeither,consideringthemtobepaganfes
6、tivalsalongwithChristmasandEaster.FestiveBirthdayCakeInmostEnglish-speakingcountriesitistraditionaltosingthesongHappyBirthdaytoYoutothehonoredpersoncelebratinghisbirthday.Similarsongsexistinotherlanguagessuchas"Langzalhij/zijleven"inDutch,"ZumGeburstagVie
7、lGlück"inGerman,"CumpleañosFeliz"inSpanish,or"Stolat"inPolish.Thishappenstraditionallyatabirthdaypartywhilesomeonebringsabirthdaycakeintothe(oftendarkened)room.Thebirthdaycakeistraditionallyhighlydecorated,andtypicallycoveredwithlitcandleswhenpresented;th
8、enumberofcandlesoftenequalstheageoftheperson.Thepersonwhosebirthdayitismakesasilentwishandthenblowsoutthecandles;ifdoneinonebreath,thewishissupposedtocometrue.Itisalsocommonforthe"birthdayboy"or"birthdaygirl"tocutth
