Birthday...Religious and Spiritual Beliefs
Religious beliefs have a strong effect on the way some people celebrate their birthday. Since people thousands of miles apart can share the same spiritual beliefs, the following customs have been divided by religion instead of geographic location.
In Muslim cultures, people thank God following the birth of a child by giving gifts to the poor. After the child is a week old, its head is shaved. The family then donates an amount of silver equal to, and often more than, the weight of the child's hair. Following this ritual, family and friends come together for a feast and a naming ceremony. It is expected that some of the food will be given to those in need as well.
According to religious customs, Hindu children only celebrate their birthdays until they are 16. Until then, however, they do not go to school on their birthdays. Instead, a birthday is observed with a religious ceremony where a priest blesses the child. On a Hindu
child's first birthday, his or her head is shaved while being held by a special fire. Removal of the hair cleanses the child of any evil in past lives, symbolizing a renewal of the soul.
In many Jewish communities, a male child's hair is not cut until he is 3 years old. On his third birthday, the boy's first haircut is accompanied by a special ceremony called an upsherin, which also symbolizes the beginning of the child's Jewish education.
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