In today's post, we'll explore how to write birthdays in your stories. Also, some additional birthday magick for those who are interested.
I've realised most of my stories start with one of the main characters' birthdays. It's a fun and the simplest way for me to reveal a character's birthdate, age, name and also friend and family relationships. They're given special treats and gifts on their birthday which makes them have that main character syndrome. Birthdays also symbolise new beginnings...
One mistake I keep making is forgetting other characters have brithdays too. So, it's good to have dates and a timeline, this greatly helps.
Birthday party itself
Obviously, you can tell so much about a character just from the way they celebrate. Some throw loud parties with friends, music, and chaos. Others prefer quiet dinners or even spending the day alone. The type of cake, the decorations, who shows up (and who doesn’t), all these little details reveal personality, values, and emotional depth. Maybe your character hates their birthday, or maybe they use it as an excuse to reinvent themselves.
Different cultures from all around the world!
Here are some interesting facts about birthday celebrations from all around the world!:
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Piñata (Mexico & Mesoamerica) - this is more than just a kids’ party game, the piñata has deep roots: pre-Hispanic rituals and later Spanish/Catholic symbolism mixed into something colorful and symbolic. Blindfolded hitting, candies raining down. This is perfect for scenes where community, fate, and temptation collide. (source: AP News)
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Doljanchi / Doljabi (Korea - first birthday) - the Korean dol (돌) is a huge deal: the child’s first birthday is a ritual feast, with a special table (dolsang) and a doljabi where the baby picks an object that’s said to predict their future (money, thread, pen, etc.). It’s a beautiful, cinematic moment for showing parental hopes and ancestral continuity. Use it when a family’s expectations or prophecy-threads need to be shown. (source: Wikipedia)
Miyeok-guk - another interesting tradition from Korea is what adutls eat on their birthday. It’s common to eat seaweed soup (miyeok-guk) on birthdays as an homage to the mother (it’s a food associated with childbirth and postpartum), so birthdays can also be quietly reverent and familial, not just party-time. Great for showing gratitude or the quieter emotional layer under celebration. (source: ef.edu)
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Red eggs & ginger (China - baby milestones) - in Chinese tradition, red-dyed eggs (and sometimes ginger) are given out at a baby’s one-month or first-year celebration; eggs symbolize birth and new life, red brings luck. This makes an intimate birth/coming-into-the-world ritual that can easily be turned into a naming scene. (source:Wikipedia)
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Quinceañera (Latin America - 15th birthday rite) - the quinceañera marks a girl’s passage from childhood to womanhood with religious elements, formal dress, dances, godparents, and community theatre. Use it to stage rites of passage, family politics, and public identity shifts. (source: Encyclopedia Britannica)
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Ear-pulling, bumps, and teasing rites (Eastern Europe, Spain, etc.) - in places like Russia (and popular in other regions), kids sometimes get their ears pulled as many times as their age, or get playful “spanks/bumps.” These little rough rituals are great for scenes that show affectionate teasing or old-fashioned customs that feel awkward in a modern setting. (They read as affectionate but can also reveal generational differences.) (source:Liden & Denz)
Different way to celebreate, depending on the religions
Furthermore, religions can influence how birthdays are celebrated, or if they’re celebrated at all. Some might view it as a sacred event, thanking their gods for another year of life, while others might see it as vanity or a day that doesn’t need celebration. In fantasy or spiritual-based stories, you could mix this with rituals, blessings, offerings, or celestial alignments. Think about how divine beings or spirits might interact with birthdays in your world. Maybe they send omens or gifts, or maybe they test the person turning a certain age.
Birthdays in the context of your stories~
Birthdays can be more than just a date, they can also drive the plot. Maybe something major always happens around a character’s birthday (like fate or prophecy aligning with it). Maybe their birthday marks the day a curse renews, a contract resets, or a power awakens. Birthdays can carry emotional weight, too! Reminding characters of who they were, what they’ve lost, or who they’re becoming.
Birthday Magick!
If your character is more witchy, you can make their birthday stand out as an important part of their lives. Show them to take a cleansing ritual bath, show them to put essential oils, bath salt, lit candles, play soft music, and chant while they wash themselves. Another idea is to make them do a tarot reading for the upcoming year ahead. make them save up their birthday candles as they become magical once they're blown. These could be used in later rituals for manifesting and wish granting.
by: Nili
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