Birthdays
What Is a Hebrew Birthday?
For thousands of years, Jews have followed the Jewish/Hebrew (Tishrei, Kheshvan, etc.) calendar. At this time, that the prevailing calendar is the Gregorian/Christian (January, February, etc.), the people who know their Hebrew birthdates tend to decide on which day to celebrate. Often, it is both!
Confused Yet?
Say you were born on April 18th, 2012. Your Hebrew birthdate is Nisan 26, 5772. The following year, April 18th still falls on April 18th (of course!), but Nisan 26 won’t. The two dates may have coincided during the year of your birth, but it will be quite some time before they do so again.
Have a look at this 18-year projection:
If you had been born on April 18th, 2012, then by the time you turned 18, you will have celebrated your Hebrew birthday on 17 separate Gregorian dates—happy birthday, dear!
Israeli Birthday Customs
Most Israeli birthday customs are similar to ours: party, presents, singing, cake, candles… Here are some birthday traditions that are practiced in Israel you may not have known about:
- The birthday king or queen wears a fragrant, fresh flower crown. Our model is rocking the party store version.
- On the cake, an extra candle is added “for next year.”
- After making a wish and blowing out the candles, everyone rushes over to grab a leg of the chair on which the birthday child is seated. All together, they lift the seated reveler up in the air the same number of times as there are candles on the cake, one more than the child’s age.
- Daniel and his friends will show you. that the chair dance is not uniquely Israeli.
- It can happen at a home party, or at a fancy Bar Mitzvah.
Songs
Israel has always been about the kids, so it shouldn’t be surprise that there are dozens (actually, probably hundreds) of well-known and well-sung Hebrew birthday songs for kids. This 10-song medley is just a taste. The more popular songs are also sung well into adulthood. There is even the iconic “Happy Birthday,” performed by a classic 90’s boy band.