I usually do not like celebrating my birthday, but some of the people I work with surprised me with a homemade cheesecake with candles. My mentor told me that we had work to do in her office, but when I walked in, everybody was waiting to sing to me in Spanish. When I got back home after work, my host family also surprised me with a cake and sang to me!
I learned about the importance of celebrating birthdays here in Spain. Do you know how to say Happy Birthday in Spanish? It's Feliz Cumpleaños! But, when it is sung to people as a song, they sing, Cumpleaños Feliz, Cumpleaños Feliz, te deseamos todo (we wish you everything), Cumpleaños Feliz! What I found to be interesting was that many people actually said Felicidades to me, which means "Congratulations!" It felt weird to be congratulated on my birthday, even though they were just happy for me!
Every positive event, such as a graduation, birthday or a promotion at work, is a reason to have a party. Family is very important for the Spanish people, and everybody's birthday is a great event. Everybody's birthday is a reason to celebrate, so the community and family can see each other to talk, eat and laugh together.
