Birthdays in Germany

Birthdays in Germany are celebrated a bit differently from the United States. From a quick Google search, you could easily find the differences between the cultures. This includes not wishing someone a happy early birthday and staying up until midnight to congratulate the person.

I feel that the difference lies in how birthdays are celebrated. In Germany, a birthday party of people who are teenagers usually includes drinking beer and staying up late. I feel this differs from the United States as people tend to have a fun party, drink soda, and eat pizza. I think this is where I had my culture shock, as when I wanted to celebrate my birthday party, I had to think about how Germany has a different culture.

Although I had wanted to have a fun picnic for my birthday party, I also knew it was expected of me to throw a party that went late into the night. I had also been told how it was still normal as a teenager to give out party favors for people coming to your birthday party. My friends ended up helping me throw a late-night party, which ended up being a very fun time for everyone!

Although there are many differences, a lot of things stay the same. The happy birthday song is usually the same, although there are some German variations. It is also normal to have cake and receive presents. Even though there are some differences in celebrating birthdays in Germany, it is still fun to learn how the German culture was different and experience it.