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

[ThaHoward]

For birthdays do you have flags in your cakes (children birthdays mainly) and do you fly the flag? Also I would like you to answer for the culture of your nation. I.e what's most usual during birthday celebrations in your country/ethnicity.

Could be nice if you told me where you're are from and if you/your family do it and if it's usual in your country :)

Personally I posted yes on every question :P

[Rising Sun]

Not in France, which could be surprising for other countries considering how patriotic French people are, I guess.

[Myssterry]

We don't have this custom in the UK. :)

[ObsessedWithCats]

Pssst, your Q4 is a clone of your Q2.

My answer is, as far as I know, 'No' to all 4.

[Celestine]

United Statesian here and I've never heard of this.

[ThaHoward]

Pssst, your Q4 is a clone of your Q2.

My answer is, as far as I know, 'No' to all 4.

Oh thank you, fixed to if you/your family flies your flag :)

[5_♦♣]

1: Not sure.

2: No.

3: Not sure.

4: No.

[Guest]

No to all. It's a surprise for me that someone does. :o

[ThaHoward]

It's a surprise to me that some do not do it.

[IceHurricane]

Not sure

No

Not sure

No

I don't really know what's 'usual' in Canada, but I've never seen anything to do with the Canadian flag on people's birthdays. Well except Canada itself. :lol:

[AshenPhoenix]

Nope. Never even heard of this here and the u.s. and pretty glad I haven't. I'm surprised it's a custom. I've never associated birthdays with my country. I wouldn't really want to associate my birthday with "hooray for my country!" (I don't really even understand the logic there...)

Besides, I usually dislike patriotism when it involves flaunting a flag, mostly because to me it signifies more blind following to do it at random times when it isn't truly symbolic of anything happening, but that's just me (ironic coming from a military family guy, eh?).

[Guest member25959]

Holy shit, I really hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me if people did this (I'd probably puke all over the cake if I ever saw this). I'd rather burn my nation's flag but it's not worth the money or effort.

[sanremi52890]

Nope, never (from the US). So in Norway is this a custom (I assume)?

I am possibly the most un-patriotic American possible, (except for brief moments during the last World Cup).

[Squirrel Combat]

Flags are not flown on X-mas Days here in the states. In Sweden they have what are called "Name Days" but I don't know if they fly flags above the house or cake or car or whatever.

[jebadesu]

Nope to everything.

[tommy92]

Nope to everything. I guess it is uncommon here in Germany. We used to fly the flag when our family from the US came to visit, but that's kinda unrelated and had nothing to do with patriotism or something, only a funny family tradition^^

[peanut-butter-cloud]

No to everything in America.

[Uranium]

No and I was very surprised to find out that people do this somewhere. The more you know :o

[Guest]

No to all... I've never before heard of folks doing that.

[Grumpy Alien]

No to all. Never heard of it. I don't even own an American flag. There's no specific times we fly or don't fly a flag here. It's mostly only really patriotic people that have American flags flying at home and that's usually just year round for decoration. Many homes have decorative flags or other nations' flags to represent something about that family - such as a military branch flag or a flag with kittens. Public buildings will sometimes fly a flag at half mast if someone important has died. But we don't associate the flag or any flag with birthdays.

In America, we just have birthday cakes or cupcakes, sometimes parties. The cake often has a theme related to the person's interests. We put candles - usually a numbered candle or the same amount as the age the person is turning - in the cake and sing happy birthday. When the song is over, the person blows out the candles, traditionally making a wish.

[Purple Heart]

No to all. Though as I was born on St. George's Day, I really wouldn't be against the idea :p

[Oasis]

[tommy92]

This depicts the German relationship to their flag pretty well (during World Championship there were many cars equipped with flags and there were people who called them nazis ...well because apparently we aren't allowed to publicly display our flag/patriotism)

I am indifferent about this though :D I personally don't like the "concept" of patriotism, but I think that's enough off topic for now :lol:

[Vivi]

um no....i think the whole german cant wave thier flag thing is ridiculous. i do get where the problem roots from but there is a difference between the swastika and the german flag. no offensene to anyone who doesnt agree

[Waist of Thyme]

No. This is the first I've heard of this.

[RD_the]

This would be the first time I've ever heard of this tradition, so that would be a "no" on all counts.

I'm in Canada, which has a national narrative of multiculturalism and a "cultural mosaic." Because of this I'm sure that there are some who would do this within their families. However, I have never heard of it before. I grew up in an area that was heavily settled by Scandinavian immigrants, but it looks like that particular tradition didn't make the transition (though a lot of the food culture did.)

The Canadian flag is flown over public buildings and monuments year-round. Some businesses also fly the flag, though this is entirely their choice. Full mast for everyday, and half-mast to show a state of public mourning. There are people who have private flags in their yards, or use them for curtains in their windows (more likely as curtains), but this is quite rare. Our annual national holiday (Canada Day on July 1) is the time most people will bring out the flag. Painting maple leaves on faces, wearing the flag as a cape or a skirt, waving small flags, etc. Other times of the year the most common flag you will see is the local hockey team's flag flying over supporters' cars.

Birthday celebrations here are generally highly personalized affairs, and depend very much on what season the person was born in. Looking at children's birthdays, celebrations that I am familiar with involve a party with the child's friends from school. There is some sort of activity (amusement park, swimming, playing at a park, going skiing, going sledding, doing crafts, watching movies, whatever) based on the season and the child's interests. This changes from year to year. This is sometimes, though not always, accompanied by a meal that is usually something like pizza. The friends and family present the child with gifts, there is time set aside for opening the gifts. There is also cake. There are candles placed in the cake that in some way represent the age the child is turning. This could be candles moulded in the shape of numbers, thin candles that are arranged in the shape of the numbers, or the number of candles that correspond to the age. (ie 6 candles when the child is turning 6.) The cake is presented to the child and guests with the candles burning. The song "Happy Birthday" is generally sung at this point. At the end of the song, the child blows out the candles, trying to extinguish them all in a single breath. The cake is then served. The celebration tends to run the length of an afternoon (unless the child and parents have opted to have a slumber party) and is often held on the Saturday closest to the child's actual birthday, though sometimes they are held after school. It depends on what the parents decide.

This is the basic design of the birthday celebrations I saw as a child, though there were variances on the theme. For example in my family, because my siblings and I were all born in the summer when most of our friends would be out of town for holidays, my parents would host our birthday parties before the end of the school season, and then for our actual birthdays we would have a small celebration with just our family.

There were probably other variations as well based on individual needs, differences in economic status, and ethnic background.

[Vyanni Krace]

No for all of them.

As far as I know people here in the UK don't really do that.

[Vyanni Krace]

Ooh I love that one! The moment when he realises he's wearing his flag is hilarious. XD (Feel a bit sorry for him though.)

[Janus the Fox]

Birthdays... No... but during national holidays perhaps yes. Like during the UK's Queen's birthday where flag cakes are more common to buy... but that's about it I think.

Heh... Google images of welsh flag cakes prove otherwise. ;) https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=welsh+flag+cake&client=firefox-a&hs=nM0&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=3E9wUuiTLs-P7Aa9t4HIBA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1600&bih=777

[WhenSummersGone]

I've never heard of this or seen it so my answers were no. We just have candles and sing Happy Birthday.