History of Birthday Gifts

Although historians are certain that people have observed their birthdays for quite some time, there are few records of such celebrations that still exist for Birthday gifts. Of these few descriptions, only those birthdays of kings, high-ranking nobility, and other important figures have been documented.

Common people and especially children never celebrated their birth when the idea came about nor received birthday gifts. This trend has been explained by a theory that nobility were the only people wealthy enough to throw such celebrations, and quite possibly were the only ones deemed important enough to have been written about or remembered. Some historians believe these early birthday bashes resulted in the custom of wearing birthday "crowns" as time went on.

Eventually, birthday celebrations became a tradition around the world with young and old, rich or poor as well as exchanging birthday gifts.

Although birthday customs are quite similar in some countries today, not everyone celebrates in the same way. Different people have incorporated their own rituals into the birthday celebration, based on spiritual beliefs and ancient cultural traditions. While you may find some of them odd, or even humorous, each one is unique.