I used to run university orientations for international students in the US and there was inevitably a lot of paperwork involved. We had to get student info and have them sign releases, etc. Often my Saudi students would have a hard time writing their birthdate, or even telling me what day it was. At first I was so confused – you don’t know the day you were born? Isn’t that kind of important for life purposes??
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Saudi operates on a different calendar than the US (Hijiri vs. Gregorian), but that wasn’t why they were having difficulty knowing their birthdate – you can plug a Hijiri date into Google and get the Gregorian equivalent. Birthday celebrations are not part of Islamic tradition, thus throughout time many people haven’t celebrated the occasion, or even known for sure when it occurs. As early as 20 years ago, a religious decree declared it heresy to hold birthday parties or exchange gifts in Saudi. Individualism was not encouraged and birthday celebrations were an example of putting too much emphasis on an individual and gratifying their desires. But the tides have greatly changed.
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With increased Western influence, and the disbandment of religious police, it is just now becoming trendy to celebrate birthdays, especially among the younger crowd and children. Our friends often throw surprise parties in homes or everyone meets at a restaurant, complete with an elaborate cake and fire-code-worrying sparklers.
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This photo was one of the only times I’ve been truly surprised. A few days after my birthday, our doorbell rang and as I opened it, poppers went off in my face and I was accosted by our gift-wielding friends who thrust a tiara on my head while gleefully singing Happy Birthday. 🎂🎁🎉
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I’ve always loved celebrating my birthday, and my birthday week, and birthday month 😅, so I’m all for the adoption of the practice here. Although I do agree that going overboard is unnecessary, I think celebrating a person’s birth once a year is fun and harmless. But I’m also the product of an individualistic culture, so my view is clearly biased.
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