· In America, there was once a tradition where the child was spanked gently; once for every year he had lived and once for good luck. A child of ten would be spanked eleven times.
· In Ireland, the birthday child was lifted by his hands and feet and & quot; bumped & quot; on the floor, once for every year he has lived, and once for good luck.
· In Denmark, a flag is flow outside the window when someone in the house is celebrating a birthday
· Korea has an interesting birthday tradition. When a child’s first birthday is celebrated it is dressed in special clothes. Guests gather for a huge feast and leave money for the child, whose future is foretold by the things he picks up.
· In Russia, a birthday pie is served in lieu of a cake. A message is carved on the crust.
· Traditionally, children in Japan celebrated their birthdays on January 1. Family and friends gathered around to protect them and that’s how birthday parties originated.
· The actual day you were born only comes once every seven years. For instance, if you were born on Wednesday, your birthday will only fall on that day every seven years. The other six years, you are actually celebrating your birth date.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!", the four-line ditty was written as a classroom greeting in 1893 by two Louisville teachers, Mildred J. Hill, an authority on Negro spirituals, and Dr. Patty Smith Hill, professor emeritus of education at Columbia University.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!", the four-line ditty was written as a classroom greeting in 1893 by two Louisville teachers, Mildred J. Hill, an authority on Negro spirituals, and Dr. Patty Smith Hill, professor emeritus of education at Columbia University.
· The melody of the song Happy Birthday to You was composed by Mildred J. Hill, a schoolteacher born in Louisville, KY, on June 27, 1859. The song was first published in 1893, with the lyrics written by her sister, Patty Smith Hill, as "Good Morning To All."
· The song, Happy Birthday to You was copyrighted in 1935 and renewed in 1963. The song was apparently written in 1893, but first copyrighted in 1935 after a lawsuit (reported in the New York Times of August 15, 1934, p.19 col. 6)
· In 1988, Birch Tree Group, Ltd. sold the rights of the song to Warner Communications (along with all other assets) for an estimated $25 million (considerably more than a song). (reported in Time, Jan 2, 1989 v133 n1 p88(1)
· In the 80s, the song Happy Birthday to You was believed to generate about $1 million in royalties annually. With Auld Lang Syne and For He's a Jolly Good Fellow, it is among the three most popular songs in the English language. (reported in Time, Jan 2, 1989 v133 n1 p88(1)Happy Birthday to You continues to bring in approximately 2 million dollars in licensing revenue each year, at least as of 1996 accounting, according to Warner Chappell and a Forbes magazine article.