Birthday Traditions | British VS American

[@sazzle7470]

I live in the UK and I've always served and eat my birthday cake. I've been to birthdays where they serve it and others where they wrap it and add it to the party bags. I've always thought that at the point of the cake being cut up, wrapped and shared out was a signal from the parents in charge of the party that it was time to leave 🤣

[@antidotebrain69]

I don't get the bring your coworkers treats thing? If any birthday celebration happens at the workplace in the us, hopefully not forced on the birthday person if they don't celebrate, it's done by their coworkers?

[@04williamsl]

@@antidotebrain69 I don't think we do what they suggest in the UK. To me, it's always been about bringing any leftovers into the office so it doesn't go to waste. Sometimes that's a birthday cake, sometimes sausage rolls, brownies etc etc

[@ghostguy76]

For my birthdays we ate some of the cake if it was just my close friends,but give it out in bags if it was a bunch of my class from school

[@leobeboop4944]

I mean I didn't have many friends so that might be why but we always served the cake at my party and sent the leftovers home in party bags

[@Sarah22410]

Same

[@TheactualPurplePotato]

The cake would always go home in a party bag which would basically consist of crayons a colouring book and random plastic toys

[@ciara1045]

yeeees not enough mentions of party bags I think! theyd always have yet more sweets in too but I remember my mum always sticking some fruit in the party bags for me and my sisters partys and my friends always questioning about it lol

[@Alexophant]

don't forget the bubbles! I swear there was always a tiny pot of bubbles with those weird maze games on the lid

[@TheactualPurplePotato]

@@Alexophant yesssss they would always have that maze thing with the little ball idk what it's called

[@eleanorrigby5759]

Yes! Lucky bags

[@rach_laze]

@@Alexophant and the bubbles always smelled weird

[@Pergolesi1736]

Another really fun UK birthday party game was the chocolate game. Everyone sits in a circle and in the middle there's a bar of chocolate on a plate with a knife and fork, and also a hat, gloves and scarf. Everyone takes turns to roll a die. If you roll a six, you run to the middle, put on the hat, gloves and scarf, and try to eat as much chocolate as you can with the knife and fork. When someone else rolls a six you have to stop and take off the hat, gloves, scarf and it's their turn. A lot of the time you don't end up getting to the chocolate because someone else rolls a 6 before you've had a chance to get the hate, gloves and scarf on. I think the game ends when the chocolate bar is finished? It was really chaotic and fun.

[@Alexophant]

I loved this game so much! We'd play it every year on the last few days of the school year in primary school

[@danh4698]

ALWAYS. Did you also play the flour game? You put a bunch of flour in a bowl and then turn it upside-down (basically a flour sandcastle) and then put a chocolate button on top. Then you pass a knife round a circle and each person has to cut a slice off, and if you cut it so that the flour-castle crumbles, you have to try and fish the chocolate button out from the flour with your mouth.

[@francescascanlan4549]

Whaaaat, I’ve never heard of this one??

[@omniglot]

We played that at scouts. Great fun.

[@JustTheJames]

This is bizarre, I have never heard of this. Are you from the North?

[@mildlydispleased3221]

Pass the parcel was the pinnacle of a British birthday party.

[@danielwhyatt3278]

Oh TOTALLY. That and musical statues.

[@cr9153]

​@@danielwhyatt3278or musical bumps.

[@kayelle8005]

Pass the parcel, chocolate six, musical chairs and frozen statues. Also we sometimes had an activity of icing arrowroot biscuits. We also took cake home and a lolly bag. Birthday cakes were mostly made from the classic Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake cookbook. Australia in the 70s.

[@jackfoster4935]

Core memory

[@L.a.77]

As an Australian, I'm kind of just realising just how close we are lol

[@katep4393]

As a Canadian married to an English guy and living in London, I was so embarrassed when my then 4 year old took me aside after her party. She tried to soften the blow by opening with telling me how great her party was and that everyone had a fantastic time. Then came the zinger: a party isn't a party unless there were sausages.

[@yakirfrankoveig8094]

Kid knows whats up

[@eli-he9nz]

a game i always remember playing was wink murder. everyone stood in a circle and one person got picked to be the “detective” and left the circle. then 1 to 3 people were picked to be the “murderer” depending on the size of the group. the detective came back and stood in the middle of the circle and the murderer(s) had to wink at all of the other people to kill them without getting caught by the detective, who had a limited number of guesses to figure it out. everyone really dramatically pretended to drop dead, it was peak comedy for a group of 7 year olds

[@Justabitnosey]

I remember playing this.

[@pink_nicola]

I never played this at birthday party’s but did at youth groups, school drama and guides. A similar one was murder in the dark which only really worked at guides in winter but was basically hide and seek with the lights off but when you were found you would scream dramatically.

[@Ausecko1]

Yep, played this in primary school

[@Justabitnosey]

@@pink_nicola We played that but at guides we played another one with the lights out. We had to take it in turns to crawl accross the hall without being seen. Once we were seen we were out.

[@candicraveingcloude2822]

Iremember playing this and somehow not being able to wink

[@jacturner6886]

Honestly it was bringing in sweets and other treats to your class in primary school when it was your birthday. Mostly because people had birthdays during term time and during the week, so to make up for those who didn’t get invited to the main party on the weekend (before or the weekend coming), they got a packet of sweets or something. When I was in secondary school there were some people who brought in cards and presents for their favourite teachers. The teachers were interrogated by students to find out when their birthdays were and how old they were going to be. Sometimes that teacher refused to tell so they’d ask another teacher and they’d tell them. It was a weird but nice gesture…

[@arcticturtle12]

Yes! Absolutely, I loved grilling my teachers to find things out about them. Depending on the teacher and whether I liked them, have organised cards signed by the whole class. However, it was more so a distraction tactic so then we didn’t have to do as much work. 😂

[@antidotebrain69]

But what if the person didn't want to celebrate their birthday?

[@starflight4842]

This reminds me of the one time I had my birthday on sports day so my birthday party was delayed for a few days, but had BBQ at school so it made up for it

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

​@@antidotebrain69it's just a gift, not a party

[@NidonocuPoisonBunny]

Honestly the main reason you'd share out the cake for later is because after a buffet meal of sandwiches, crisps, sausage rolls, cheese, other snacks and sweets, and then ice cream, biscuits (cookies , jelly (jello), and other puddings... No one has any room left. So you take the cake home to enjoy later, either thay evening or the next day along with the other treats in the party bag.

[@inekeclewer]

I think things have changed over time in the UK too. In the 90s you wouldn't hire a hall for a primary party, you'd have maybe 6 or 7 friends over for party games and food at your house. There might be a theme, but it wasn't fancy dress, eg, my brother had a thunderbirds one, but this meant the invites and cake were thunderbirds themed, and my dad made cardboard thunderbirds hats for everyone to wear when they arrived, but otherwise they were just in their party best

[@stevenwhelan2357]

Id say the church hall peaked in the 90s, nowadays I take my son bowling or crazy golf etc

[@annterry9194]

My daughters birthdays both fell around Christmas. So we had a happy un-birthday in July at the beach.

[@Sapphykins]

most of the birthday parties I went to as a child in the 90s were in village halls! Maybe it's a regional thing (or an urban vs rural thing?)

[@webwarren]

Depends on age and financial status in the US. Unless you're rich, primary parties are at home with friends and/or family, just cake and ice cream and party games for kids, coffee-and for the adults. Meals and/or themes (other than themed party plates, napkins, paper tablecloths, party hats, and some games) don't kick in until about age nine or ten when one might have a skating party at the local ice or roller rink, a bowling party at the local alleys, or a party at a name museum, or a sleepover party. High school birthday parties might still involve skating, or perhaps a trip to a major league sports game or a Broadway play. If the venue has a party package, it may include the food and cake (you are restricted to what they provide in the package), or it might be admission and equipment, while you provide the food, drinks, cake, etc.

[@Pergolesi1736]

The absolute best birthday party game I ever played (UK) was one that only my mum seemed to do. She called it the wool game. Before the party started my mum would cut a really (really) long length of wool, one for each child, and wind each one all around the living room (think security lasers criss-crossing everywhere for a visual). Each string would start at the doorway. Then at the start of the party each kid gets given an end of wool, and the game is to wind up the wool and find the sweet (it was usually a chewit) at the other end of your string and try to be the first one to get there. This meant lots of everyone climbing around/through the web of wool wrapping wool around their hand.

[@helenl3193]

That sounds amazing! Well done your mum

[@GussyToYou]

So she used Child labour to organise her knitting bag

[@Phiyedough]

I'm a lot older than Heather but I have not experienced anything she was talking about. I was in a working class family in the Midlands so there might be regional and class variations. Pass the parcel was just a parcel with multiple wrappings so only one kid got the present. Birthday cakes were usually home made but often either in the shape of the birthday number or a toy such as a car or boat. The savoury food like crisps and sausage rolls was often more popular than the sweet stuff like jelly and blancmange.

[@luciachanger6505]

yeah no sweets in the wrappings, it was just one prize at the end. I never won. And we always had Jelly and ice cream :)

[@Peter-gv6vf]

Absolutely! Things have obviously changed a lot

[@helenl3193]

Yeah, our parcels had sweets in *some* of the layers, but not every one. It was just part of the game that a gift/treat wasn't guaranteed. Even today my friend's kids get homemade cakes and party food, and it's served at the party - with the option to take it home in a party bag (pencil or novelty rubber, maybe a bouncing ball or other cheap toy, and a fun-size treat) if you were too full or had to leave early, but not as the default. We're working class and we're kids in the 80s & 90s, but the fact the traditions aren't entirely alien for my godson, etc, suggests class as much as time being the deciding factors

[@scottneil1187]

Same, modern change I suppose, can't have any of the poor little brats feeling like they're left out or not super special.

[@Amileo350]

I agree no sweets in the layers just one final present. Im 61 😅

[@ymarkone]

When we first moved to the US from England my Mum had a birthday party for me we realized the difference in cultures. Imagine our shock when the kids didn't eat very much of the sandwiches and biscuits (cookies) that my Mum had made and were all clamoring for cake and ice cream. We had so many leftover sandwiches that we ate them for the next couple of days.

[@squidthing]

Your poor mom! Yeah kids expect pizza not sandwiches at American birthday parties.

[@Alexophant]

They didn't eat the sandwiches? But they were always amazing, every birthday party me and my friends would go to/host, everyone always looked forward to sandwiches and party food :D

[@silviasanchez648]

@@squidthing It's the other way around (or it used to be), because pizza is pretty common, like you can eat pizza any time, but sandwiches & cake is special occasion food.

[@squidthing]

@@silviasanchez648 Many American kids eat sandwiches for lunch every single day at school so it loses its specialness pretty quick lol I know people who don't like them as adults because of the association with school lunches.

[@thatpeskyrat]

@@squidthing british kids eat them every day for lunch too, they’re just… also a special party thing…? Man i don’t get it. sandwiches suck.

[@liv5477]

I’m American and I work at a very large nationwide law firm, and every month we have a “monthly birthday cake celebration” where the firm pays for 2 massive sheet cakes for each office and everyone can leave their office and go get cake and chat for an hour. It’s very nice! But we also celebrate birthdays within our individual teams.

[@xzonia1]

Yeah, most of the companies I've worked for just do a big sheet cake in each dept or on every floor or whatever each month to acknowledge everyone who has a bday that month. It's nice. I prefer the bday acknowledgements to pizza parties at companies. :)

[@LiqdPT]

Yes, I've had the company celebrate birthdays. But in the UK (according to this video), you bring in your own cake. That's weird.

[@Mashmarriner69]

We have the same here in UK.. But we also get paid sick leave. As well as birthday cakes.

[@eattherich9215]

I worked for an international lawfirm here in London and every Friday the departments had a tea break. It was usually biscuits, but sometimes there was cake because of someone's birthday.

[@liv5477]

@@Mashmarriner69 we also have paid sick leave lol

[@PendragonZed]

The cake was sent with a bag with a toy and some sweets. It was like a gift bag, and I assume it was based on wedding traditions (you go home with a slice of cake and a gift).

[@klimtkahlo]

At weddings they send you home with a small gift but not with cake where I come from…

[@PendragonZed]

@Klimt Kahlo I've been to less formal/traditional weddings we ate the cake (a sponge) there, but more formal weddings it got boxed up for guests to take (but it also tended to be proper wedding cake not a sponge).

[@xzonia1]

In the US, people eat the wedding cake at the ceremony or after party. They don't take it home to eat. Only the bride and groom take home wedding cake to freeze to eat on their one year anniversary for good luck.

[@PendragonZed]

@xylene huh, in the UK the tradition is that the top tier of the cake is saved for the christening of the first child. It's not frozen, you just pour some more booze into it every now and then.

[@xzonia1]

@@PendragonZed Oh wow! I've never heard of anyone doing that before. Love learning other traditions; thanks! :)

[@danh4698]

In primary schools, it's very common for the birthday child to bring in sweets for the whole class that they hand out at the end of the day As a teacher I have had to comb through COUNTLESS celebrations/roses etc. boxes to pick out all the nutty ones, and then count the remaining ones to check there are actually enough for everyone to have!

[@rach_laze]

A lot of schools have a "no chocolate" rule these days bevause of the number of kids with nut and milk allergies, it has to be something like haribo or fun-size skittles with sealed packaging

[@Xnedrashallan]

Interesting! At many schools in Illinois/America kids are no longer allowed to bring in Candy. Whether for lunch or parties. We also are definitely not allowed to send nuts to school. We have notes that say “please do not bring candy, bring pencils, etc” we’ve done stickers for birthdays at schools here. Or little puzzles.

[@just.Athena]

I vividly remember being in Year 3 and it being my birthday, and being told that "It's not your birthday because you didn't bring in sweets for everyone" because I couldn't really afford to.

[@iriscollins7583]

Queen Elizabeth II Actually was near the end of April, I think King Charles birthday is in November.

[@BookNomming]

As a child there was a thing where you bring sweets into school on your birthday and hand them out at the end of the day (also if you went on fancy holidays abroad). This still happens now but a lot of schools discourage because of the healthy eating initiative and allergies. We seem a lot more concerned about allergies here and that’s one of the reasons some establishments won’t allow you bring your own birthday cake to eat there, because they don’t want to be held responsible but also there are some places that do It to make more money.

[@NataliaDryganets]

I'm from Russia, and we also have a tradition to bring something to your class/workplace to celebrate. During the school time it was quite fun to share the sweets with other kids, suddenly you're the most popular kid of the day. At work it's usually not mandatory, I always enjoy to bring food and celebrate with my team, because they're great people and I love spending time together, so it's just an excuse to have a 15-30 minute chat with all the team members, connect and have a laugh. Usually they bring some collective gift in return.

[@janemiettinen5176]

Same with us Finns, any excuse to have cake and coffee! We also have name-days, perfect excuse for cookies or something smaller, like candy. I dont have one, not enough Janes in Finland, so I celebrate with my middle name, if at all. Ive also had colleagues who wouldnt even tell when they had b-day, like it was secret knowledge, guarded at all costs. They dont want any extra fuss made on their sake, I guess. In smaller companies, the bosses might get us something, I still use the basket I got for my bike. My boss noticed I needed one and surprised me. Same with the coffee thermos I got one year, I had hard time finding certain kind, my boss found one and ordered it from abroad. Small gestures, but I really appreciate them. I know my boss listened to me, too! My husbands bosses take him out to dinner of his choosing, he also gets a bottle of booze of his choosing (very Finnish, I know..). The firm is only him & his two bosses, pretty lucrative niche company and they all like spending time together, they are more like buddies. It really depends on the company, how big it is, how close-knit people are and how much you are appreciated. Oh man, now I kinda want some cake..

[@Sophie_Cleverly]

UK person here and I'd say it's kinda mixed as to whether you eat the cake there or take it home? At my kid's birthday parties everyone usually eats it there unless someone asks to take it home for later. I assumed that taking it home was either because people were too full to eat more or because the parents were just over it and wanted everyone to leave 😂 Also never in my life played sleeping lions at a birthday party, that was always a thing we did at like school or gymnastics club

[@better.better]

fun fact about the birthday song... it was actually in the public domain THE WHOLE TIME!!! the couple who were suing were scammers and didn't actually hold any legal copyright. they were just bluffing the whole time and because everybody caved, everybody else thought that they actually held the copyright and nobody ever actually checked. the truth was only figured out just recently. I think Today I Found Out made a video about it

[@EricaGamet]

I'd be interested to see that show, because at the time the lawsuit brought was against Warner Music. They had a copyright transfer (assignment) on the song, which had been copyrighted in the 30s. The judge ruled that the transfer most likely wasn't valid and also that the original author might not have actually been the author. The suit came about because an indy filmmaker challenged the validity of the copyright. I'll have to search out the video you referenced. THanks!

[@ramblingmillennial1560]

wow is this true? What the actual hell!?

[@JustTheJames]

@@EricaGamet IIRC, the copyright did technically exist but only covered one specific piano performance of the song so it was completely irrelevant

[@wandaXmaximoff]

When I was in secondary school in the 90s (UK) there was this awful tradition of throwing eggs and flour on people when it was their birthday (on the walk home, so not to get in trouble with teachers, I guess). Me, being aware of this tradition, on my birthday, I walked a different route home and caught the bus to avoid everyone. I remember feeling very smug as I sat on that bus thinking how none one would get to egg and flour me! 😂

[@theseventhnight]

we had a similar thing where I went (90s too) but instead of egg and flour you'd get thrown in the sand pit (the one for long jump) and everyone would kick sand over you. It kinda fizzled out once they put a fence around the sports field

[@wandaXmaximoff]

@@theseventhnight Ah, gotta love British secondary schools in the 90s.

[@AndrewHalliwell]

Really? It was egg and flour day on the last day of the school year back in the eighties in Oldham. Anyone could get it. I mostly escaped, only being egged once.

[@janebaker966]

Good thinking.

[@RaefonB]

Yep same here, Coventry (90s-2000s). Birthdays and last day of school, you were at risk of being egged and floured. I had an August b'day so was safe as long as nobody grassed me up, otherwise you'd definitely get attacked on last day of school.

[@CraigGrannell]

Things have changed a lot during my lifetime. When I was a kid (early 1980s), parties were often at people’s homes, and a few were at fast food restaurants. I never had a party in a school hall. These days, kids in junior school are usually doing things at local gymnastics centres and the like. But, yeah, people do still take home the cake.

[@drakhan6287]

In Wales we will usually sing the standard Happy Birthday song and then sing Penblwydd Hapus, which is just the same but Welsh.

[@BookNomming]

British didn’t necessarily have themed birthdays all the time. As a child I have had a party at McDonald’s, local pub, a disco party where you can win prizes and sweets. Or just something small at your house (as a teen I did have some themed parties) Some people had swimming parties, pony parties, bowling. Nowadays a lot of the children I teach have things like rock up parties and birthday parties seem to be a lot more bigger with Instagram culture etc.

[@Alexophant]

Go karting was always popular when I was little, they'd hire a hall out and a company would come in and make a sort of inflatable track, then when the kids were older, they'd go to proper go karting places :D

[@avacurtis2729]

Did u say a local pub???? They allow kids in pubs?!?!

[@Alexophant]

@@avacurtis2729 yes? why would that be weird? /gen

[@mothturtle7897]

@@avacurtis2729 a lot of pubs in the UK are family friendly, at least during the day. Some even have play equipment in the pub garden. I assume a children's birthday party at a pub would be in some event room at the back rather than at the bar.

[@cr9153]

​@avacurtis2729 there are different kinds of pubs, some are family friendly and have amusements for children, some are more eating establishments, while others are purely for drinking, so yes many kids go to pubs.

[@clauga247]

In Spain we also bring food/cake to work when it's our birthday, like you offer them stuff because it's your birthday, if not it's like rude because you don't want to share celebrations with them. So yeah on your birthday you invite the rest.

[@fairgreen42]

Same in Austria.

[@lobstermash]

How do they know it's your birthday? I would lie.

[@coasttocoast2011]

I’m Australian, the two biggest things I remember from birthday parties as a kid is goody bags and there was always fairy bread

[@kooltom4]

Yes, and party pies? That also seems v. Aussie kids birthday, with tomato sauce getting everywhere 🙂

[@alexandra1415]

Uk also had goody bags

[@ShirinRose]

The Aussie parties I went to usually had chocolate crackles as well 😋

[@coasttocoast2011]

@@alexandra1415 There is a lot of similarities between the UK and Australia. I remember playing the game Heather was talking about, Sleeping Lions, but we played it at school when I was in about year 1-3. It was at the end of the day

[@clarissathompson]

I live in Canada and just recently learned about Fairy Bread, its such a fun idea! Still, I would rather have cake, lol!

[@superbucko8640]

As an American, I can say that we definitely brought treats to class on birthdays, and we also bring a treat to work. It's fun. Not sure why your area doesn't Evan 😂

[@donnascottcomedy]

For my 5th birthday in the 1970s, I did exactly what you suggested Evan. Had a massive tantrum over the mere concept of pass the parcel. Everyone got sent home while I was sent to my room, crying, "But I'm supposed to be the birthday princess, wah!" I got one more party when I was 6. Dad hired a projector and I was transfixed by the utter trauma that is Watership Down.

[@England91]

Watership Down for kids poor you

[@scottneil1187]

Yep, I too am a child of the 70's and remember the Watership Down trauma.

[@janemiettinen5176]

I used to help at my besties kid sisters parties, meltdowns were nothing exceptional. I vividly remember this one girl, who bashed every food, present, outfit, party favor and whatnot. Her train of thought was only she had nice things, everything else was crap. Year after year, without fail. She kinda made sure someone cried, if she got several girls bawling, all the better. She even tried to go after us older kids and adults. All the other kids just took it as “Thats just Linda, shes always like that”. I wonder what she grew up to be..

[@BellePullman]

Sharing a cake is meant to be sharing good luck... the person celebrating has to make the first cut in the cake. It's the same with weddings and birthdays. So taking a bit home is taking the good fortune back home with you. It's a leftover of a reaaallly old tradition - I bet there's a lot more research on it for weddings than children's birthdays!

[@xzonia1]

Thank you for the explanation! I was wondering why in the world anyone would be expected to bring a cake to work on their bday. That makes sense. :) In the US, we eat the cake at the party; you shouldn't eat it by yourself.

[@janemiettinen5176]

I think Ive heard of taking a piece of wedding cake home with you, but the b-day cake was new to me. Im aware of the first cake piece has to land on the plate upright, sideways brings bad luck, both on weddings and birthdays. And I love my father-in-law dearly, but hes the only person who has started my cake - twice! My birthday is on national holiday, he forgot it was also my birthday - no good luck for me :)

[@Waterflame]

There was an amazing place I used to go to for birthdays, because of the birthday song. (They closed down years ago, and it still makes me sad.) The entire waitstaff would come gather around your table, and get the entire restaurant to clap. Then, they would sing the words "This is your birthday song! It isn't very long!" before abruptly stopping the clapping and walking away like it never happened. It was *perfection* and I miss it.

[@yvonnehorde1097]

Thanks for the vid. In Germany, it is quite common to have two birthday parties: One with your parents at home that basically consists of eating a birthday cake and getting your presents from your family and one with your friends, the "Kindergeburtstag". Kindergeburtstag is quite a thing here. Usually, it starts with kindergarden age and goes until you are a teenager. In kindergarden age, you usually celebrate at home. Mom bakes another birthday cake and organises some small games. Classical games are "Topfschlagen", for which you need a pot, a spoon and you have to put a towell on the eyes of one kid while another one is hiding the pot with a sweet under it. One kid gets a spoon and has to find that pot with a spoon.The other kids help with hot and cold. And when the kid with the spoon hits the pot, it is allowed to take the towel off the eyes and to eat the sweet thing under the pot. Another game is, for example, poor black cat, armer schwarzer Kater. One kid is the black cat and goes from kid to kid. The kids have to stroke the black cat and have to say "armer, schwarzer Kater" (poor black cat) and the cat has to try to make them lough be all means. If a kid loughs, it is the next black cat. If the family has a garden, the kids also often play "Eierlaufen", running with eggs. Two kids get two spoons and a hrad boiled egg. The parents have prepared a journey for the kids they have to walk on without loosing the egg. The first one who arrives at the prepared goal with the egg untouched wins a prize. Throwing cans is also a thing, parents collect old cans and color them bevorehand and buy a tennis ball, and the empty cans are put on a table and the kids try to throw them off. After the games, the kids usually get dinner, which mostly consists of french fries and chicken nuggets or pizza. Sometimes, there are also motto parties with themed games. In elementary school, many kids celebrate in "Indoorspielplätzen", a bit like your chuck.e. cheese, but the fairy game stuff like carrussels, differnt things to jump on and Some things to climb are the center here , the food is not that important. You can bring your own cake, but you have to rent a room in the place for 3 hours and you have to order a meal for the kids which usually also consists of chicken nuggets and french fries and a desert. Older kids often go to the cinema or celebrate a laser tag party.

[@RaefonB]

Heather did a great job describing the piece of birthday cake soaking through and sticking to the square of kitchen-roll, lol. But no mention of party-bags, as far as I can tell. Is it 'cos I'm old, are party-bags not a thing anymore?? (When I was a kid, there'd only be a few winners for Pass-the-Parcel, most of us would get nothing haha, often including the birthday boy or girl!)

[@seraphina985]

I think that one has drifted over time, I remember when I was very young it would tend to be nothing except for the main package or at best a few consolation layers near the end. Over time there started to be like a single individually wrapped sweet in the outer layers and it became more like an every ticket wins tombola from there. Even more silly considering we would all just toss them on the ground under our chair and carry on playing as it was always more fun to see who got the actual prize regardless.

[@lunaangeleclipse9745]

Party bags were definitely a thing when I was in primary school

[@eleanorjones8613]

These videos were how I found your channel. I would rewatch them religiously during quarantine. This makes me super happy. Sending all the love and virtual hugs!

[@johnlockitis]

for me, there would always be a sort of 'trend' every year, so if you had your birthday early (september, october) you'd be guaranteed to go to the venue you'd gone to for your birthday atleast another five times that school year. we also had many, many different versions of musical statues like musical bumps, musical horseshoe aswell I think? and musical pose. there was also this big thing of thanking someone for their gift, i remember my parents writing down every single present i got and who got it for me so i could spend an hour the next day writing out little thank you cards for each one.

[@earthkat]

I live in Shetland and it was the 80's so Birthdays bit different due to location and time. The big Birthday party's were at swimming pool for pool discos and also leisure centre, we didn't and still don't have McDonald's, Pizza Hut, KFC etc. At the leisure centre my favourite was the roller disco. We also had ones in the local Island hall, the Swimming pool and leisure centre were on mainland Shetland. Home parties were more common. We tended to eat cake there but if there was lots of leftovers some would be taken home. We played pass the parcel but just one gift in the centre. There was also Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Duck, Duck, Goose, Murder in the Dark, Mother May I, Musical Statues and Musical Chairs. My Mam used to make our cakes but being a Boxing Day baby one year she didn't have time so I had to make do with a chocolate Yule Log but also meant more cake for me. My favourite cake she ever made was for my brother. She made a snooker table and used buttercream instead of fondant. Usual Victoria sponge and Jam filling though. It was brilliant.

[@BookNomming]

My mum made most of my birthday cakes. As a teen I used it have birthday where we would just go into town for the day , sleepovers were huge though!! My sister has a summer birthday (in term time mostly) but would often get barbecues or garden party. (Not the posh kind 😂)

[@jazminjoyce4253]

My husbands work has a cake policy 😂 I've never seen anything like it before but it works great. When you start with all your induction paperwork, policy handbooks etc you get a copy of the Official Cake Policy. It's very straightforward. 1. If you are new, you owe a cake in the first week. 2. You owe a cake for your birthday. 3. If you do a mistake that costs the company money, you owe a cake. That's the parameters and the rest is in good faith. I.e. if two people's birthdays are close together you do smaller cakes each, or organize what days you'll bring your cakes, if you make a mistake that effects lots of people, you should bring a giant slab cake so there's enough left for the next crew at shift change, or if it's only screwed over the office staff you could do a smaller fancier cake. My husbands boss messaged me that he owed a cake once, and it was a mistake but technically it didn't end up costing the company money, so I made chocolate cupcakes, which technically fulfilled the policy except his bosses one was full of cayanne pepper.

[@gemstone39]

My work also has Cakeable Offenses. You make a mistake that inconveniences other staff or customers then you owe cake.

[@deefalador857]

I'm shocked husband should sort his own mistake cake, if the boss is messaging his wife that's like it's her mistake..

[@archimistry4454]

I remember bringing in a box of chocolates to school to primary school when it was my birthday haha. But my brother is in primary school now and now allergies is a big issue so now they advise bringing in small toys for everyone which honestly I just find a little capitalistic lol

[@lucie4185]

We do small bags of haribo at my kids school.

[@antidotebrain69]

I never did anything with my fellow students at school but teachers would occasionally force public acknowledgement in class and it was embarrassing.

[@JoeBleasdaleReal]

And bringing in sweets you’ve bought isn’t? I don’t get what you mean by “capitalistic” 😂

[@oliviaroberts5673]

@@JoeBleasdaleReal bringing in “small toys” for everyone gets very expensive much more so than a tub of celebrations!

[@oliviaroberts5673]

Used to be the best day! I remember we had a birthday chart so you knew when the sweets were coming in!

[@bobtheskutterbot]

My first day of school was on my 5th birthday. There was a biscuit tin covered in white paper with candles stuck through the lid. The candles were lit and everyone in the class sang happy birthday to me. The next day, it was another kid's birthday and the tin cake was reused for that. I think I died a little that day to see something I thought was special for me be passed on so readily.

[@Taversham]

We also had a tin cake at primary school - but with a fairy cake inside for the birthday boy/girl

[@JennaGetsCreative]

My Grandma throws herself a summer birthday most years! Her real birthday is in January. Fun fact, this actually gives her three birthdays. She was born so close to the midnight crossover between the 30th and the 31st that whichever date her mother thought it was and whichever date the midwife wrote on the paperwork were not the same. She claims both and has never told us which one's on her legal documents.

[@IsaacSemple]

I think bringing a cake to school or work is like our British excuse for celebration a way to sorta bring happiness to these dreary places 😂😂😂😂

[@MeppyMan]

Yeah it was interesting to hear his perspective. I think he’s just used to the American selfish/narcissism maybe? In fact rooting your own horn is way bigger in the US than in the UK or here in Australia or NZ.

[@squidthing]

@@MeppyMan Its not narcissism (🙄), American co-workers are just more likely to know your birthday and get you a cake (on the company dime). HR departments, team leaders etc usually keep a calendar of such things. Usually its a shared cake with the others who are celebrating around the same time with a card then given on your actual birthday. Coming in with your own cake and making a fuss (tooting your own horn, perhaps?) would be seen as an admission that you didn't think anyone would remember or a weird passive aggressive ploy to make everyone feel guilty for not knowing --- which ironically is a narcissistic behavior.

[@MillsyLM]

@@squidthing there is an argument to be made against that though because it's assuming that everybody who works at said company is happy to have that sort of thing "forced upon them". There are introverted people that clearly would find that sort of thing uncomfortable and awkward. I'm sure there's plenty of people who would rather take a sick day or book a vacation day (if available to them) than have that sort of forced celebration.

[@RaefonB]

@@squidthing Ohhh, I maybe misunderstood something in the video! So Evan wasn't saying birthday cake doesn't happen in U.S. workplaces, only that you don't usually supply your own? I was well confused 'cos I've seen the birthday cake thing at work in loads of American TV and films. Thanks for clearing that up.

[@GracieLizzy]

@@squidthing you don't make a fuss you just drop off some cupcakes or a traybake or something in the break area and let your immediate coworkers know that they are welcome to take some if they want and maybe mention it's you birthday you don't get all huffy if nobody reacts

[@katelynabrol149]

UK i had a birthday party at mcdonalds, they had a room you could rent upstairs for the day. it was disney themed i had many birthday parties at the local soft play areas, where we'd play for around 4 hours in the soft play, then go to one of the party rooms, where we'd play and eat. i also had my 11th birthday party at a function room in a pub. we hired a bouncy castle, and broke some of the lights (oops), thankfully the pub held the bouncy castle guy responsible because he said it would fit without damaging anything. we also had a chocolate fountain I was born in early april, which means my birthday always just fell into our easter holidays. so while many kids parents' brought sweets, cupcakes, or fruit platters to share at primary school, i never did that. then at secondary school, i dont think anyone got anything for the class, it was mainly just for friend groups, and that wouldve taken place at break or lunch time. though i also did bake just generally, and shared what i baked with my friends, and the cool teacher (and if they were a really cool teacher, theyd let us eat them in class)

[@MrSinclairn]

Yes,same here with my 2 younger siblings,either at a specially paid function at McDonalds and even before then,Wimpys.!👍

[@daisyrobinson4326]

In Primary school we always used to bring in a packet of sweets to share with the class on our birthday and then we’d have a separate birthday party where we would give everyone a packet of sweets in their party bag with the cake as well but that might have just been in my area. Also I’ve never seen anyone at school bring a cake in for their friend’s birthday but when I went of D of E if it was going to be someone’s birthday while you did it then your friends would tell the teacher who ran it and bring in a cake for them to keep safe so they could celebrate their birthday on the day

[@tove9340]

In Sweden we brought in ice cream to school for our own birthdays until we were 13! Everyone who had a birthday during the summer got assigned another day to bring ice cream as well (kinda like the queen I guess) so the last week before summer was just constant ice cream. It was great

[@debbiehenri345]

As someone in their mid-50's - I see that birthday parties have changed a bit from my generation to Heather's. There would be no themed dressing up. Boys were tidy and girls wore long dresses. We did not have Piñatas in my day. Never even heard of them until I was in my early 30's. We didn't have parties at venues, they were always held at the birthday child's home. Absolute chaos for the parents, so it was common for an aunt or grandmother to help out. As for games... Sleeping Lions sounds rather like Musical Statues. We also had Pin The Donkey, Musical Chairs, Pass The Parcel (but not a packet of sweets under each layer of wrapping. Just the one present in the middle. It's so much more tense to get nothing when you think it's the last layer), Telephone Game (it was not called that then, but the idea is the same). Also, there was an odd game (the name I've forgotten now) where the first child to throw a 6 on a dice had to first dress up in all these extra layers of adult sized clothes as fast as possible (gloves, hats, thick coats, scarves, jumper, boots) and then try to eat pieces of a chocolate bar with a knife and fork - while the rest of the children continued to throw the dice in anticipation of throwing a 6. If someone else succeeded - your go was over instantly, and the successor would have to quickly as possible dress up in the extra clothes you would then have to shed at equal speed. That was actually my favourite game. It's so frantic and ridiculously hard to eat a chocolate bar with a knife and fork - but I have seen it done. (I've also seen the same game played with dry cream crackers). Yes, we would always have a piece of cake wrapped in a serviette to take home, usually a small present, and perhaps a small bag of extra sweets or leftover cakes. I think the birthday cake thing may have been a way for mothers to show off their cake decorating skills (my mother would always want to look at the slice I received)- because I never saw 'ready-made' birthday cakes for sale in shops at that time. Buying one would have been considered sacrilege I believe.

[@CrossoverKid92]

At my school we never brought in cake but we would bring in sweets and we'd share them out at the end of the day before hometime. And at parties, whenever we served up the cake, it would always be added to goodie bags which would have little toys and stickers and sweets in stuff inside them

[@lisap.7981]

Hey Evan… for when she’s talking about kids at the party coming dressed up in costumes per the party theme. Here in the states those are more parties that girls have when no boys are invited. Say a little girl wants to have a princess themed party & wear a princess dress. Usually an American boy would not want to participate unless it was his sister’s party with no choice in skipping it. He just sulks while wearing just his everyday clothes. So parents would make it a girls only party. Same for boys wanting a superhero party with dressing in his favorite superhero costume. Those were popular when I was a kid 40-50 yrs ago. So Mom’s didn’t usually invite girls to their son’s superhero party that year. Now a days with all the Marvel/DC Comics movies most girls want superhero parties too. So co-ed costume parties are becoming more popular at kid birthday parties.

[@eggarts9562]

As a brownie leader I can say whoever invented sleeping lions was a genius however it is very hard to convince the last one that the game was actually over

[@zoeadams2635]

With the soft play area, it could also be a room with big foam shapes to build stuff out of, knock down, throw, climb on etc

[@Beach_BCs]

I'm American, my mother was English. She made two cakes; one to serve at the party and the other to be used to send pieces home. However, starting at around age six, I began leaving my birthday parties. The first year no one could find me. I'd gone to a neighbor's house to watch TV. They were at my party. The second year they stayed home and when I walked in she handed me a cupcake and let me watch TV.

[@terryenby2304]

Cake and sweets for work/school/events is lovely, it really cheers you up! One day you go to the staff room and it’s a grey Monday morning and someone brings in cakes and sweets! It really brightens up your day! Christmas birthday CHILDREN are often given a half birthday/summer party so that they can have fun with friends.

[@traybake1]

So i guess not every kid in the UK did this but we did have a chain that was very similar to Chuck E Cheese here too, it was called Charlie Chalk and it had the same kids play areas with ball pits and games machines and tubes and such. So ironically they weren't as different as chalk and cheese.... i'll see myself out.

[@AmberClareHawleyx]

This is what came to mind for me when Chuck E Cheese was mentioned 🤣

[@georgiem4065]

For my area in uk its wacky warehouse, I think we just don't have the same brand nationwide

[@AmberClareHawleyx]

@@georgiem4065 thank you! I couldn't remember the name of that one... just the wacky part 😂 I thought I'd made it up!

[@VillaFanDan92]

I just made the same point in another comment. The fact that it was always attached to a pub too. So your Dad could get a few pints in while you're climbing through tubes.

[@emmaharrison6233]

In my area we had Brewster Bear which was very similar!

[@hannahkat9722]

As someone who didn't have big birthday parties, this is all so surreal. I had a day at home with my family, and I'd have a chill sleepover with a couple of friends. When I left primary school I arranged a big birthday party at the local ski slope, and I think we ate cake and sent everyone else home with some too.

[@RunrigFan]

Pass the parcel one is sort of of true but often it’s one present where it’s wrapped in layers

[@janebaker966]

Bloomin eck. I nearly cried that no came to your birthday party aged 7 not even your Grandma! But it's those experiences that teach you philosophy. I'm so very old that birthday parties were very simple,in fact I can't remember having one after I was 8,or my sister,or my brother. The parties I remember it was some jelly,some ice cream,some chocolate mini rolls and of course the birthday cake made by my Mum. The candle to blow out. And yes,pass the parcel but there was only one prize,we was poor,and the most objectionable kid always won it. Just like in real adult grown up life. Then everyone went home.

[@ruth649]

As a former primary school teacher, there are 100% kids who will try to do the worm.

[@LilBitnTx]

Bring your own cake to work just sounds like buying yourself roses and have them delivered to the job. Lol. 😂😂😂

[@helenl3193]

I've only done it at jobs where others did it so it then became expected for all to do it. Which isn't great, because often you've got unconsidered wage disparities, people with allergies or even people who don't want to engage or be centre of attention (or are immigrants unfamiliar with the practise) and/or just don't like cake! It starts as a nice idea, but can sometimes become yet more workplace enforced fun. (I have egg allergies, I feel for all the nut allergy sufferers!)

[@cr9153]

​@helenl3193 always book your birthday off, not an issue then 😂

[@iamsocrazy13]

Best birthday cake ever was the caterpillar cake. Colin, Clive, Charlie, Clyde- what ever his name was…

[@xenon8117]

Of course it is!

[@stephfh]

So the internet was lying to me and Colin, the Caterpillar cake isn't the most famous birthday cake in the UK?

[@Bastion90]

Definitely the most famous for me. I've had Colin the Caterpillar practically every time I have bday cake. It's kind of a tradition because Colin the Caterpillar is the same age as I am.

[@katelynabrol149]

i think colin is the most famous, but not the most common. most kids will have a big party, and so a colin will not feed everyone

[@JoeBleasdaleReal]

It’s definitely a more recent thing. We always used to have the bog-standard Victoria sponge with fondant icing in party bags at primary school. Colin the Caterpillar was far too bougie for early 2000s kids 😂

[@xzonia1]

Colin the Caterpillar really should be considered the best; it's got buttercream icing. I'd rather just not eat cake at all if it's got fondant icing on it; bleh! Lol

[@RichardBarclay]

@@xzonia1 Colin had buttercream icing inside, but it's coated in chocolate.

[@kathrynabbott5032]

I was born 8n the 70’s we always ate the cake. My mother once made me an owl cake - lots of butter icing and flakes.

[@makaio9578]

Uk- the birthday parties I attended/ hosted was either in something like a school hall during the weekend, a soft play centre with a weird name like wizzy world, places like McDonald’s or Pizza Hut or activity venues like bowling alleys or lazer tag. My birthday personally is in July so I often had a garden party where my mum would hire bouncy castles. and host the whole thing. It was social convention in my primary school to bring in small bags of sweets for each of your classmates Music seemed to be a very certain time in music. Barbie girl, Bob the builder, 5678, that sorta thing was always played Party bags would always include a piece of birthday cake, a small bag of sweets and a small game where you’d have to get a small ball barring through a maze into a hole

[@sarahchattaway95]

I'm a British twin and I always went first for the candles and then my Brother would go (I'm the eldest) my brother is my only sibling so we never got the other sibling being jealous because it was there birthday too😂 We would always have big parties at adventure parks or on a pier it would always include a soft play and most of the time a death slide was there 😁

[@ausername9190]

i never knew death slide was a national term

[@scifirocks]

I don't think taking cake in gift bags is to restaurant rules. I remember attending lots of birthday parties in the 90s and they were typically held at their house and they did that. Sometimes they'd be at the village hall if they were being fancy, but rarely somewhere else. I think it was more a hint to leave, like here's your gift bag bye.

[@Swede-m7q]

If you have a girl child in the US, every party is a theme party, usually involving a Disney character. I sewed a lot of costumes for my now-36-year old daughter. Too much fun! And in SoCal, piñatas abounded. Great memories. 🌺

[@xzonia1]

I never had a birthday party growing up aside from immediate family, though my parents did allow me to invite a friend and her brother over one year on my birthday. Your kid must have lots of happy memories around her bday. :)

[@phoenix-xu9xj]

Only fairly young people compared to me at 68 , would know about party bags. We never had such things. We just ate the cake.

[@akula9713]

When I was a kid in the 1960s, mothers made the cake ( they knew how). The whole party was party games with prizes. Pass the parcel, musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey, blind man’s buff, and many more. There was jelly, ice cream, but mainly games! When the party finished, the kid whose party it was blew out the candles, and the cake was cut, portioned out, and you went home with a paper bag that had sweets, cake and perhaps a toy. The parties were held in the house and garden. No hiring halls, schools, entertainment or other overly outwards signs of opulence.

[@webwarren]

When I was a kid, after the cake was lit, the candles blown out, and it was cut and eaten, there was the public unwrapping of the presents. If you were too young to read the card, your parent (or teacher, if it was a party with gifts at school) would read it who the gift was from. You'd unwrap the gift, show it to the assemblage, thank the giver (who would then bow or curtsey and say "you're welcome"), and then the gift with the card would go in a pile for you to write thank you notes in the next couple of days. After that, there might be a story or quiet activity, then the kids would go home with "loot bags" of candy (lots of really small candies like you might get at Halloween) and cheap trinket toys...

[@amberkumar4514]

I literally will never decline an invitation or fail to attend a child’s birthday because of how very sad it is that no one attended your 7th birthday.

[@sarah.93.31]

Can confirm as an Irish person, cake must be eaten at the party, dirty looks are thrown at anyone who says they "don't want/like cake!" Musical chairs & musical statues are a staple for kids parties. 1990's kid here, so our 'pass the parcel' was one gift wrapped in 10-20 layers of wrapping paper. There was no sweets for every child in each layer. If you unwrapped a layer and it wasn't the last layer with the gift inside, tough luck, keep passing it around and hope it gets around you again. Lastly greetings card are a MUST for pretty much all occasions, just as popular as in the UK.

[@xzonia1]

Surely you don't give dirty looks to anyone who's diabetic and can't eat sweets? Half my family is diabetic. Sounds like some fun traditions. :)

[@littleannie390]

I am rather old so times have changed. We didn’t have anything other than sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and jelly and played games like musical chairs and pass the parcel (and there was only ever one prize in the middle). Also it’s more that it’s expected that you will bring in cake on your birthday at work because everyone does. I also always thought this was a bit weird.

[@scifirocks]

I think the bringing your own cake thing isn't so common anymore thankfully. My mum spoke about this and I found it very strange, but I've (35) never encountered this at anywhere I've worked.

[@Arcadia61]

@@scifirocks It's not that bad. You buy one cake a year, and get to eat a piece of cake almost every week if there are enough people at the workplace. Doesn't have to be cake. Some bags of fun-sized chocolates are also acceptable. Some bring a large bowlful of strawberries when in season.

[@xenon8117]

We did barbecue birthdays and we’d have the classic caterpillar cake. The birthday person got the head and everyone got a slice and ate it there. It was just a family event though so maybe different if you had a heap of kids instead of just a couple.

[@zak3744]

Why would you want to *not* bring birthday cake to work? You've got two options: 1) you go to work every day and work 2) you go to work every day and work, and on several days of the year everyone also eats cake as well as working What sort of absolute maniac would choose option number one as the better way to organise society?

[@antidotebrain69]

Because i am antisocial and don't really acknowledge my birthday outside of my family and friends. I don't even really keep count of my age or the date unless it's to take advantage of the birthday vacation day.

[@RunrigFan]

You must be fun yet oh boring

[@RunrigFan]

I’m bringing a cake for everyone to share. So poison you don’t care about your birthday

[@antidotebrain69]

@@RunrigFan I just don't think birthdays are important outside of certain milestones? 5 - school starts 13 - teenager 16 - sweet 16 (personally don't actually care about this one but it was a common dating age thing when I was growing up) 18 - adult and maybe graduation 21 - drinking 50 - you're getting old and close to retirement

[@RunrigFan]

@@antidotebrain69 it depends where you based but it’s 18 to drink here and as for milestones you can be an adult at 16 as usually you start college in uk and you’re independent. 18 to drink 21 for certain premises. If you looking at the age sheet you will never enjoy your life.

[@clarkeashley39]

I remember in school, especially primary school writing Christmas cards for the class and receiving them. I found it fun as some cards were really beautiful to look at.

[@danstn]

one of the best birthday parties i attended as a kid was at our local swimming pool. we went swimming and had the big inflatables to play with, then we went into a big room where the parents had ordered mcdonalds for every kid.

[@ceegers]

Bringing stuff into work for your own birthday is just having a good excuse to have desserts at work!

[@andream4452]

These all sound like really fancy birthdays. I think for the most part it was cake and ice cream with a few friends. Maybe a slumber party. Never had themes.

[@Showsni]

We used to have Burger King birthday parties here in the UK, with the highlight being getting to dance with Kid Vid himself! You'd start with a burger king meal for all the guests (in a special slightly separate area of Burger King), then have the usual moving around party games (musical bumps/statues/chairs/hats (where you passed around a paper Burger King crown)), then an employee in a Kid Vid costume would come out and dance with the children. The main issue I had with them was that the eating was invariably right before the party games, so I always got a stitch.

[@shanerz62]

Caribbean children's birthday party start off for the children but end for the adults. Sometimes going straight into the next morning

[@shenlong3879]

Personally I'm not much into celebrating birthdays but I see bringing cake or other treats in to work, when it's done, more as a sharing in your celebration thing than a "celebrate me" thing.

[@clevm002]

Why do you always get a guest who isn't just a standard working class UK person... There is always a twist, this lady's mum is Irish and she sounds fairly middle class .. so of course she would find it funny and weird too.. i love how Evan reacted to soft play unknowing that UK soft play means the equivalent of like 'ball pit and slides'

[@Iilsen87]

When someone brings a cake, they're not saying celebrate me, they're saying celebrate with me

[@TrailRat2000]

Birthday bumps were a big tradition at a lot of parties I went to as a kid.

[@xzonia1]

What's a birthday bump?

[@TrailRat2000]

@@xzonia1 It's tricky to explain but I guess, in its basic form, it's where the birthday child is grabbed by the arms and legs, and is swung into the air a number of times related to their new age!

[@xzonia1]

@@TrailRat2000 That's cool! I've heard of birthday spankings, one light-hearted swat for each year they've been alive, but not birthday bumps ... I think I like bumps better! :) lol

[@Escapee5931]

Yeah, we used to get "The Bumps" in the playground at school. Often, you'd make contact with the ground on each bump, so quite painfull!

[@inatwirlingram2540]

I loved chuckie cheese as a Brit when i was living in the States in the eighties, although it was quite different to what you were describing back then. I hadnt seen any anitmatronics before andi was in my twenties. Was invited to this kids party, must have been helping out a friend) anyhow i thought it was so much fun and loved the singing rat LOL I am in my sixties now and we had such simple.parties in the UK growing up We girls would always drese up in our best party dresses that were usually home made but of beautiful material. The cakes were home made too, and delicious. We would have sandwiches, jelly and ice-cream and the cake was indeed wrapped up in a napkin and sent home with the children in a goody bag with some small toy items and a ballooon. We also played a game called oranges and lemons ( where the song ended with you getting your head chopped off LOL it was one of the old Elizabethan nursery rhymes not sure why we sang it at parties, you must look it up, its about the different bells in London) Simple but fun, reading it back it sounds nuts 😁

[@ashleycompton1804]

The tradition of wrapping the cake in a napkin predates concerns about nut allergies. Bringing in cake to work on your own birthday means there’s no danger of someone being left out.

[@sarahglover3286]

When I was a child I wanted to celebrate my birthday on my half birthday as my birthdays a week before Christmas but then it would be a week after my brothers so I had to use my actual birthday despite having parties literally snowed off!

[@noadekel434]

In Israel it's very common to bring cake to work on your birthday, especially in small businesses 🙂🎂

[@fimbulsummer]

Thanks to the show Bluey, we now use “Lucky’s Dad’s Rules”, which are just the traditional rules of Pass the Parcel. Only one big prize in the middle.

[@kappybarry]

The only thing I will say about the weird thing of bringing your own cake to a venue and them saying "no no, eat our cake", that would most likely be due to health and safety. Only speaking from my experience of working in a pub where you aren't allowed to bring in outside food or drink. Yeah obviously the pub wants you to buy their food/drink, but the "reason" was because the pub had to adhere to food safety regulations, where they know all the allergy info about their own food, but any food/drink brought from outside, they can't say for sure what ingredients are in it. That's just my guess about the no food from outside the birthday venue, not that any kid would have a birthday at a local lads lads pub

[@xzonia1]

That makes sense. :)

[@khwezik3894]

I've always brought cake on my bday week. From primary school up until now at work. It's just the done thing. It's about sharing the joy of your bday as supposed to 'celebrate me' cause cake always goes well with a cuppa

[@samanthaoddsweb]

So, yeah the cake thing at work is weird. I reason it out as it saying, I had a birthday I would like to give you some cake cos... CAKE!! duh! :D Hi Heather!! lovely to see you being a part of the program instead of on the side. You make a darn cute couple!

[@xzonia1]

Heather seems very sweet. Evan's a lucky guy. :)

[@samanthaoddsweb]

@@xzonia1 isn't she, he really is. Far too good for him ;)

[@amitshah9945]

Pass the parcel, musical chairs, musical statues and settling old scores from postcode wars. Classics.

[@jlpack62]

I truly cannot wrap my head around not eating cake at the actual birthday party, unless it was by individual choice. Birthday cards are definitely a thing in the USA. It would be incredibly odd if a birthday person in the USA brought their own cake/cookies, etc. to work or any party. In fact, it would be incredibly sad if someone had to bring their own cake.

[@avacurtis2729]

Although for me at least (I'm American). Lots of kids brought food for their bdays in elementary school. It wasn't done in middle or high school though because you had class with wayyyy to many people lol.

[@ldg3968]

In elementary school I remember kids bringing in cupcakes for their birthday that their parents made or bought. Sometimes there would be a pizza party. But this was for a small school with small classes after the first year or couple years of elementary I don’t remember people bringing in treats for their birthdays anymore

[@SuperCloneRanger]

Not sure if its country wide but charlie chalks was the default birthday location for parties growing up.

[@BookNomming]

Yes!!!

[@captainfinn64]

From scotland here and although you mainly talked about childhood birthdays when you have an adult party (usually for 21, 30, 40 and so on) it would always be in a sports club (usually football, golf and bowling clubs) and theese clubs are just halls with a bar and usually at the party theres a dj and some sort of buffet. Its not just birthdays that are in sports clubs but anniversaries, wedding receptions and other celebrations too.

[@theseventhnight]

The whole sending cake home with guests is way, way older than the concern over allergies so that isn't the reason it became a tradition

[@TheDustyForest]

Regarding the arguable arrogance of bringing cake for your coworkers etc. on your own birthday to essentially force everyone to celebrate your own birthday, I think it's just one of those vicious cycles where no one really wants to have to buy cake on your own birthday to give to other people, but because it is 'the done thing', if you don't do it, it's like you're taking everyone's generosity for granted and being selfish

[@Annsunshine30]

In Norway, we are bringing a cake to work, to share with our colleagues, on our birthday too. And if you don`t, your colleagues may look at you, as someone who doesn`t want to share, or doesn`t care about their colleagues. One of my British friends, here in Oslo, expected it to be the other way around. And was very surprised to find out that he had to bake it himself, if he should get any cake. Some people are keeping quiet about their birthday, so they don`t have to go through all the hassle of baking and bringing it to work etcc.... :-D :-D

[@antidotebrain69]

They're your coworkers, not family, though? How is it rude not to want to celebrate your birthdays with people who are only coworkers?

[@Annsunshine30]

@@antidotebrain69 It`s not really about the birthday, it`s more about the cake sharing. :-)

[@antidotebrain69]

@@Annsunshine30 I guess I could see that. It just seems like a tedious burden of a tradition to deal with.

[@driftedspirit]

Late 80s/early 90s kids having birthday parties at McDonalds was amazing! (Im UK based). Those parties were great. These days for small kids its just book a wacky warehouse (jungle gym) for an hour, eat pizza and drink pop for 30 mins , present cake and cut it up, go home lol. Older kids its usually cinema, bowling parties, laser tag, rent a room in a pub for a disco etc. Cake bleeding through a napkin is very relatable! The grease is kinda gross.

[@DavidBeddard]

Having been born in High Wycombe, I had to laugh at the Marlow bullying 😂 😉

[@iNightra]

Don't forget birthday beats! (especially in secondary school) Where you get to punch your friends (usually in arm/shoulder) for the number of years old they are. If your friends were smart they wouldn't do it that hard so you didn't get revenge when it was their birthday

[@annaflanagan3721]

I don’t think having a children’s birthday party in a school hall is common, it’s more like church hall or community centre. The most common I found was to go to the persons house or a soft play, bowling, cinema, Pizza Hut or McDonald’s etc if their parents can afford. Also a lot of times it was choice if you wanted the cake at the party or you just wanted it home which I think most kids choose because they’d already eaten so much sweets.