Every year on a certain date it is someone’s birthday, and it is usually met with great excitement because of everything that your birthday entails. Every country has their own ways of celebrating birthdays and Australia is no different. No we do not invite kangaroos over to our place or get a new mattress from Sleepify we have plenty of other ways to celebrate. From how it is celebrated, to the food that we get to eat along with the entertainment too, it can be a big party when someone you know has a birthday rolling around.
We will now have a look at some of the things that Australians do to celebrate their birthday.
Have a gathering of family and friends
Now this is not limited to just Australia but there are certain things that are Australian customs. If there are going to be children at your party or get together then one of the most popular pieces of food that you can supply children with is a thing called fairy bread. It is amazingly simple to make as all that it is, is simply bread and butter along with a thing called sprinkles or in Australia they are called hundreds and thousands. It is nearly almost a certain hit with all children as it is very much a must have treat.
Having a barbeque for your birthday
For any birthday party in Australia, the traditional barbeque is a staple of literally every party, depending on the weather of course. However, if the party is during the spring or summer months in Australia then you can expect the weather to be warm and when it is nice weather 100% of the time there will be a barbeque. You can cook just about anything on a barbeque, from sausages, steaks, hamburgers, onions, chicken, pork and even a roast pork or chicken too, depending on what type of barbeque is available. For some reason everything just tastes so much better when it is cooked on a barbeque, we don’t know why but it just is.
The “special” 21st birthday
The 21st birthday is a special time in any person’s young life, and it is celebrated much harder than any other birthday. As a rule, turning 21 means that you are officially an adult and the birthday gifts can sometimes represent that. Some parents might buy their child a car or others might give them a key to their own house which some are afforded. It signals that you are an adult and are afforded the same rights as an adult, for example, being able to go out with friends for as long as you choose without the fear of punishment and you can also live in your parents house for as long as they want you to. All in all, it is an incredibly special birthday in the life of a young person as it finally signals the next stage of their life as a fully fledged adult.
The traditional fairy bread
This has already been mentioned previously but that is how big of a tradition this is. Ask any Australian child what food they most loved when they had their birthday parties or when they attended a friend’s birthday, and the answer will nearly almost be fairy bread. It is a staple dish at any birthday, and it is made up of bread and butter along with hundreds and thousands (sprinkles). At any birthday in Australia there will always be fairy bread to eat.
Buying presents
This like fairy bread is a staple of any birthday around the world, the art of gift giving. Now depending on what type of birthday it is (18th, 21st, 30th) etc will determine what kind of present people will get you. If you are attending someone’s birthday, it is a custom to bring a present for that person as it is a sign of appreciation for the person whose birthday it is. It does not matter if you spend $5 or if you spend $1000, if it is small or big, it is the thought that counts and it also shows that you care about the person too.
There are just a few birthday traditions from Australia, although many cultures around the world do the same thing, there are a few that only Australians do, and they do them very well.
