Happy Birthday in Germany

German Culture Site
Francine McKenna
BellaOnline's German Culture Editor


Happy Birthday in Germany
Guest Author - Tracie Marquardt


A normal birthday celebration in North America might include going to a restaurant for dinner and drinks with your friends or family, or if you are very lucky, having someone close to you throw you a surprise birthday dinner or party. Not so in Germany!

Germans have some special rules about birthdays. One of them in unbreakable! I once made the mistake of wishing my colleague happy birthday on a Friday. His birthday was the next day, on Saturday. Big mistake!!! Germans consider it bad luck to give birthday wishes before the official birthday begins – that is at 0:00:01 (12:00:01 for those who do not use a 24-hour clock) on the anniversary of the day you were born.

It is common, even expected, for Germans to throw their own birthday parties. They pick up all costs for food, drink and entertainment for their birthdays. Not bad for party goers, but it can be quite expensive for the birthday boy or girl.

Birthdays that end in a zero (30, 40, 50 etc.) are given more importance than other birthdays. I was invited to the 50th birthday party of a German friend a few years ago. This friend happened to live in the old east Germany and also happened to be fairly well-off, relatively speaking (many in the old east are unemployed or have little money). The birthday dinner was catered by a local friend of the birthday girl and about thirty guests were invited. The food was delicious. The wine was fabulous. Everyone was dressed up. A great time was had by all!

Occasionally I come across someone who decides to have their birthday celebration the night before their birthday. This is technically a no-no. However, as long as there are no gifts, no birthday wishes, no cake, until the stroke of midnight, it is accepted practice. It can make for a long night ( I say this based on experience) but everyone can have a good time, eating, drinking and dancing, until it is time for the birthday toast and gifts.

Having a birthday on a work day also comes with responsibilities. You must (and I do not say that word lightly) put on a birthday celebration for yourself at work. A select group of guests (colleagues) are invited to your office or a meeting room, where the festivities occur. When it is your birthday, you must (again that word) supply the refreshments. Cake and coffee are expected. In Germany, many people also bring pretzels to work for their birthday treats – they bring dozens of the delicious hand-sized, soft, salted pretzels found in every bakery in the country. You may even find that your colleagues bring in home-baked cakes in your honour – this is also a wonderful tradition!

B&SD