For ages it's been believed that a person's birthday is no ordinary day of the year. Almost every culture has its own specific rituals with which they believe they can attract luck and happiness, while the wishes a person makes will definitely come true if said on their birthday.
Even though some traditions may seem crazy or uncivilized, nothing can stop the birthday boy/girl from carrying them out and being filled with the hope that they will make their dreams come true.
Smearing oneself with cake
While in some countries it's tradition to pour water over the birthday boy/girl for them to be healthy and happy, in the US they substitute water with cake. Smearing cake over the celebrant is an old tradition in the US. After they blow out the candles they have to plunge their face and hands in the cake. This is the only way that their wishes will become reality, Americans believe.
Throwing the celebrant in the air
An old English belief goes that a person's friends and relatives have to throw them up in the air on their birthday. They grab them firmly by their arms and legs and start tossing them up. This tradition is upheld by generations of English who believe that they attract successes to their lives in this way.
Throwing flour on the birthday boy/girl
If a person on the Caribbean has a birthday they need to be on the lookout the entire time because at any given moment their friends might pour an entire bag of white flour over their head. It is believed that flour used to knead bread will bring luck and wealth to the birthday boy/girl, despite the fact that they'll have to take another shower.
Pulling the ears of the celebrant
According to Hungarian traditions, shortly after you wake up on your birthday it's important that someone pulls on your ears real good. But a single tug isn't enough if you wish to have luck, so this ritual is repeated by everyone who brings you a gift for you birthday.
Sweeping the porches in town
In some areas of Germany, men who are about to turn 30 and are still unmarried have to sweep the porches of every home in town on their birthday. The belief also holds that the man must receive a kiss from the woman who's porch he is cleaning.
