Dear Draco,
My birthday is coming up next month! Normally, to celebrate my birthday I spend the day with my family opening presents and eating some of the most delicious cake to ever exist. However, this year will be the first birthday I have ever celebrated outside of my childhood home and away from my family. If I'm being honest with you, the thought of celebrating away from my family hasn't gotten me all that excited for the big day. But I had an idea! Maybe I could try to cheer myself up by starting a new birthday tradition of my own? But the thing is I've never realized that there were so many birthday traditions to choose from.
Ramble aside, this brings me to the main reason why I'm writing to you. I'm wondering if you could help me figure out a new birthday tradition to try this year. Also, if you don’t mind sharing... what do you like to do on your birthday?!
Thank you in advance for your advice!
-Happy Birthday to Me
Dear Happy,
It does seem like you have a bit of a problem. Not only are you spending your first birthday away from home, but it looks like you are also very confused about what to do on your special day. Luckily for you, I'm an expert in... well, all things, but in particularly celebrating oneself. Saying this, I'm in a pretty good mood since my favorite Quidditch team just won the cup, so I suppose I should help you.Growing up in Malfoy Manor, birthdays were always the one day that felt particularly special in comparison to the usual comings and goings of the rest of the year. My parents were what some would consider hands-off with my upbringing, and honestly, some days I only saw them when we were all gathered around the dining table eating our meals. But, birthdays were always the exception.
So, what did a birthday look like for me in the Malfoy household? My birthday always started with my mom waking me up while holding a birthday cake and singing "Happy Birthday". Before you ask whether my mom baked the cake, the answer is no. Actually, the cake was always baked by one of our elves, trust me you wouldn't want her near any kitchen equipment but the thought still counts, right? After waking up and blowing out the candles, we would then all go downstairs to the dining room to have some cake for breakfast.
Once we were all done eating, I would usually go over to the presents that were stacked high in the corner of the room and start opening them all up. The gifts were always my favorite part and were always things that I had asked for throughout the previous months. After all the presents had been opened, my father usually left to do whatever he normally did... secret meetings with the Dark Lord, shopping, etc, who knows really. But my mother and I would always go do something fun that I had wanted to do. One of my most favorite birthdays was when my mother and I took off to the coast and spent the entire day enjoying the sea, gathering seashells, and relaxing without a single care in the world.
When I got a little bit older, my birthday traditions started to change a bit. Yes, I still ate cake, opened presents, and did anything I wanted for the day, but rather than my mom waking me up by singing "Happy Birthday", I now wake up on my own to go on a walk around the garden. During my birthday walk I like to reflect on the previous year and plan for the next. Instead of having cake for breakfast, well, I still eat cake for breakfast. Who wouldn't want a cake for breakfast? What I'm trying to say is that there are many different ways you can spend your birthday, and it's completely normal to want to make new birthday traditions.
Anyways, let's move on to talking about birthday traditions you could try for yourself. Years ago, I met a fellow wizard who was here on a vacation exploring everything we had to offer. The wizard in question was from Mexico and when we met, we talked for hours sharing stories about each other's countries over Butterbeer. During the conversation, we had somehow started talking about birthdays and the wizard brought up piñatas. From what I remember, during birthdays they fill piñatas with candy and small prizes. After filling up the piñatas, they then string it up in the air; although the wizard said that those in the magical community like to use a leviating charm instead. Once the piñata has been strung up, they blindfold someone and spin them around a few times until they are dizzy. Next, they give the; now dizzy person, a stick to try to hit the piñata with. This process keeps going with the other partygoers until the piñata cracks open, spilling the candy and prizes on the floor below. What I was told is afterward it is complete chaos as everyone runs towards the candy and prizes to gather up as much as they can. Having said this, I'm not entirely sure whether you'll be able to find a piñata in time, but if you're crafty enough you could probably make one with colored tissue paper and a cardboard box.
More recently, I met an older witch from Spain, and again, we somehow started talking about birthdays. The witch told me that in Spain they do something called, "Los Tirones de Oreja", and she translated that to 'ear pulling'. Supposedly on a person's birthday, they receive a tug on the earlobe for the number of years they've been alive. For example, if someone is turning 21, they would receive 21 ear tugs. The older witch wasn't entirely confident about how the tradition started, but she did promise me that it's especially popular with the younger crowd and with those young at heart. That is if you don't mind people pulling on your ears of course.
The final birthday tradition I would like to suggest to you is something that is done in China. What I've learned is in China, the birthday person is served a bowl of long noodles. According to some of the books I've flipped through on this topic, the long noodles are said to help bring on a long life to the person eating them. The tradition dates back to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty who associated long faces with long life, and the tradition took off from there.
As you can clearly see, there are many different traditions you could incorporate into your own birthday. But in the unlikely chance that nothing is grabbing your interest still? I'll have to only say that I'm sorry and there really is no helping you. Oh, one last thing before I put away my quill for the next month. Regardless of what you do, know that your birthday is to celebrate you, so I suggest that you should do whatever makes you the happiest on your very special day.
Wishing you the most magical and happiest of birthdays!
P.S. I expect my payment for this amazing advice in the form of chocolate cake.
-Draco
Spain Birthday Traditions Source | Longevity Noodles Source | Piñatas