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7 Unique Ways Birthdays Are Celebrated in India 

In general, Indians love to celebrate. Let us see 7 unique birthday rituals practiced in India.

By AstroVedPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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A birthday is a very special day in most cultures. So it is not surprising that people celebrate it in special ways. In India, both traditional rituals and Western customs come into play on such occasions. This creates an interesting mix that is rather unique to India. Hindus make it a point to visit temples and offer prayers, while Christians may go to church. They also cut cakes, make special dishes at home, or go out and celebrate with friends and family. Some may choose to make donations or celebrate their birthdays at an orphanage or other charitable institutions by arranging lunch or dinner for the members. Whatever the mode of celebration, there is no doubt that birthdays are important occasions for enjoying good food and joyful moments with people who love us and whom we love. 

In general, Indians love to celebrate. We have so many religious and cultural festivals, and it may not be an exaggeration to say that we have the most number of celebrations among all countries, since India is home to people of many religions. And birthdays are just one among many such celebrations. Birthday rituals tend to differ slightly across India and may be unique to different regions. Some of the age-old, traditional rituals are no longer in vogue due to modernization, especially among urban Indians, but some people do observe them even today.

Let us see 7 unique birthday rituals practiced in India.

Birthday Cake Feeding

Feeding the birthday cake is a fun ritual that is mandatory for birthday celebrations. Once the ‘Happy Birthday’ song is sung, the person celebrating their birthday cuts the cake and feeds a slice to each of the assembled guests by hand, starting with the person they love the most. Once the birthday boy or girl has fed everyone, it is the turn of the others to feed the person. The younger guests also slather the person’s face with cake, adding to the fun.

Visiting the Temple 

In most Hindu households that still follow traditions, one makes it a point to visit a nearby temple or their favorite temple and worship. Some even turn up at the temple at 4 am, which is considered to be the most auspicious time or Brahmamuhurtham, when the gods are most active. They offer prayers for divine blessings and a good year. It is a custom to make an archana or offering, citing the person’s name, Nakshatra (birth star), age, etc.

Performing Aarti

Poojas are also performed at home, along with Aarti, led by the senior-most female in the family. Aarti is a small flame burning on a wick (immersed in ghee). The wick is kept on a silver thali or plate and rotated around the birthday girl or boy as the others pronounce blessings on them. This can be repeated a few times, as other female members of the family also bless the person in turn. During the Pooja, a paste made of rice mixed with ghee/butter/curd and colored powder is placed as a tikka on the person’s forehead.

Wearing New Clothes

A birthday is a major event, especially for children, who feel very excited at the thought of celebrating their birthday and look forward to it with great anticipation. They get to attend school in their spanking new birthday dress instead of their school uniform, and they also distribute sweets to their teachers and classmates. They can also tell their friends about the gifts they received from near and dear.

Eating Sweets

People everywhere like to binge on sweets and chocolates for their birthdays. In India, it is usually the sweet or dessert that is eaten first. The sweet in question is typically a laddoo., It is a round sweet made of flour, sugar, and ghee. After this, people have the main meal.  

Shaving the Head

Among Hindus, especially those who still stick to traditions, the head of a child is fully shaved on his/her first birthday. The baby’s gender does not matter. This ritual is done as people believe that it cleanses the child of the sins they have inherited from their past births and gives the child a fresh start in the current birth.

Birthday Rituals

Many Hindus arrange to have birthday rituals performed for themselves or their loved ones by priests at major temples. These could include Homa, Pooja, smashing coconuts, Anna daanam (feeding the poor), etc. Such rituals help to invoke the blessings of the gods for good fortune, happiness, and good health for the upcoming year. For example, Astroved offers different packages for Birthday Rituals to suit your needs. All the rituals in the Birthday Package are arranged by Astroved so that you don’t have to go through any hassles. 

culture
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About the Creator

AstroVed

AstroVed is a #1 online astrology and remedies portal whose focus is to merge the technologies of the ancient traditions with our modern science. https://www.astroved.com/

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