Being a Filipino living in Japan for a while, I have experienced how birthdays are being celebrated in a different manner in my homeland Philippines and in my current country, Japan. There are a number of differences worth noting, for the love of knowledge about cultural differences.
(Photo from en.wikipedia.org)
Celebrating birthdays, I bet, is universal. Whatever race we are, wherever we are born, it is a fact that a birth of a person calls for celebration. It is done every year to commemorate one’s existence and life on earth. Like in most countries, birthdays are also celebrated in Japan and the Philippines. How is it celebrated? That’s the question I will try to answer.
- Most Celebrated Birthdays
In the Philippines, the most celebrated birthday of a child is the first birthday. Expect balloons and party hats, souvenirs and cake, food and music. And expect all your invited and uninvited neighbours to come and celebrate. When a girl turns eighteen and if the parents can afford, a Debut Party is to be expected. It is the grandest birthday celebration of a young woman.
The Debut is the Philippine’s traditional coming-of-age birthday celebration. For the woman, it is celebrated with the traditional 18 roses, 18 candles, 18 tokens, the debutante’s pretty gown in a wedding-like celebration. For the man, the coming-of-age is at the age of 21, but with less formal or no grand celebration at all. The next grand celebration is at the age of retirement, which is 60 (voluntary retirement) or 65 (compulsory retirement). Filipinos life span is shorter compared with the Japanese, so expect big celebrations at old age (70, 75, 80 so on).
In Japan, where uniformity is an important aspect of the society, birthdays are somewhat celebrated on a nationwide level. For children aged seven, five and three, families celebrate on a national festival called “Shichi-go-san”, which literally means seven-five-three. Girls of age three and seven and boys of age three and five are celebrated, and parents pray for their children’s good health and growth. Children are dressed in their traditional clothes – the very expensive and fine kimono, and parents take them to the shrine to pray. Shichigosan is nationally celebrated every 15th of November.
For the coming-of-age celebration, men and women aged twenty, gather in the city or town hall and celebrate “seijinnohi” or the Coming of Age Day. Women wear their finest and very expensive kimono called furisode with matching make-up, while men wear their finest suit or their traditional dress called hakama.
(Photo from minamishinshu.jp)
- Simple or Grand?
In the Philippines, birthdays are big events. It is highly celebrated within the family and relatives and the circle of friends. Sometimes, weeks or even months before the big day, everyone looks forward and prepares for the big celebration. Of course, not every year is a big celebration. It depends on the individual family’s financial capacity. If you have the gold, celebrate like a star. But, if you just have a dime, settle for a simpler celebration. Rich or poor, may it be a hotel celebration with a hundred guests or pansit (noodles) celebration with the family, birthdays are hailed in the Philippines.
In Japan, birthday celebrations are usually celebrated in a simple manner. No extravagance, no big celebrations. Parents usually celebrate their kid’s birthday by simply preparing a small and family-exclusive party. Adults may go out with their intimate friends and celebrate.
- Give or take?
One thing I observed about celebrating birthdays in Japan is that the celebrant is exempted to pay part of the bill. On my first birthday in Japan, my Japanese friend set up a dinner party with our other international friends and at the end she did not allow me to pay since it is my birthday. It is the complete opposite of my experience in the Philippines. When I celebrate my birthday, my friends and co-workers expect me to give them a treat. Take them out to a nice restaurant and pay for their meal or invite them in your house and prepare food for everybody to feast. In the Philippines, generally, the celebrant is the one who spends.
- Feast or meal?
Big birthday celebration in the Philippines is like having a feast. Filipinos love to cook and eat and love to entertain guests. Expect lechon (whole roasted pig) on the table which everybody loves, and a lot more food, including pansit, lumpia and adobo. Not to mention the drinking session that will follow after. There are also games and karaoke singing.