Background to Birthdays

A birthday is of course the day of the year on which a person was born and is considered a day for celebration among many cultures. Birthdays are celebrated with gifts, parties or rites of passage.

Many religions celebrate the birth date of their gods or founders. Christmas is celebrated widely by Christians and even non-Christians alike. Also, the birthdays of saints, notables (such as Monarchs), and significant people from history (such as national heroes) are often celebrated, or at least commemorated, by an official state holiday.