Birthdays - do you/your country have flags in cakes and do you fly the flag?

[Kazoo]

You mean to tell me that people from the US have missed an opportunity to display visual proof of their patriotism?! Shhh, don't tell anyone. :P

About the German flag joke-- I agree with Vivi that there's nothing wrong with anybody wearing/waving their flag. However, I can definitely understand the discomfort that some feel about it. Although I consider myself patriotic and take my responsibilities as a citizen seriously, I do not feel comfortable with overt displays of patriotism. I don't wear shirts with the US flag, and I hate it when people start chanting "USA" at completely illogical times, such as my university's homecoming parade. (The only time I felt comfortable joining in was a US vs. Poland soccer game in Chicago, where 90% of the crowd was rooting for Poland. My only time at a soccer game-- so fun!) For me, most visual displays of patriotism are superficial and signify a lack of critical thought and open-mindedness, which, under certain circumstances, can become deadly. But I don't expect everyone to make that connection or feel that way (especially since I do make occasional exceptions), so as long as everyone makes an effort to think independently, it's all good.

[Guest]

We use to have a flag...but not in the cake :P

We put a small flag on the table

...aaaaand sometimes we put up a giant 'real' flag outside our door (we dont have a flagpole).

[Nekomata]

Don't do anything with our flag here x___x *waves the English flag feebly*

[ThaHoward]

Don't see why most think something negative about it :P

[Lady Girl]

Don't see why most think something negative about it :P

I think because some Americans in particular are not always happy about what the government is doing and the flag seems to represent that entity in many ways.

I remember my dad being proud of having a flag...he was at Pearl Harbor in WWII. He also had a wild shirt he wore a lot the summer of 1976 (America's Bicentennial). I notice where I live it is used privately by people with a family member in the service or maybe a veteran.

I'm more likely to associate the flag with the country, government and military than a person's birthday.

[kassafrass]

Not in Canada and Not in Italy (well Sicily anyways.) I have never heard of that before, that's interesting.

[noregrets]

Never heard of it before.

This is not my tradition, but in Mexico (my husband's Mexican) they smash the birthday person's face in the cake. What a waste of cake!

[Skycaptain]

I agree, this is a new one on me. No to all questions. We are British we only seldom show our patriotism.

[marki]

I eat German black forest cake but in 'merica we don't put flags in the cake...we put candles!

[Guest]

No, no, no, no.

Flags don't taste nice.

[Ace-TheTimelordsCompanion]

No to all of them. Here in New Zealand it isn't a custom I have ever come across. We have cake, candles which the birthday person blows out (interestingly the 'make a wish' thing isn't big here either), food (often junk food) and games usually. Sometimes sleep-overs for older children and younger teens parties.

EDIT: Oooh, we also have balloons, and often put some on the letterbox to mark the house where the party is.

[RoswellValentine]

I have not heard of this until I saw this thread. Probably no surprise considering I'm from the U.S., but I am curious as to how many countries do this. _{That would have been a good question for the poll.}

[LaMaestra]

We don't do it in Irish culture, we just get drunk! ;)

[Guest]

We don't do it in Irish culture, we just get drunk! ;)

*Drinks LaMaestra*

*Burps*

Good stuff.

[Lady Girl]

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