Birhtday in Canada

At almost every birthday party there is a birthday cake decorated with coloured sugar sprinkles. The cake is divided into layers.

Between them a wrapped coin is hidden. Whoever finds it is the first to get a turn at all the games organized at the party.

At the birthday parties children get crackers.

What is a cracker anyway? Well, it is a tube wrapped in crepe paper. It pops when you pull a paper strip. Inside cracker usually there is a small prize.

For the girls reaching 16 there are the sweet sixteen parties. The symbol of such a party is sugar.

In French speaking province of Quebec a person having a birthday receives a punch for each year of her or his life plus an extra one for good luck.

In Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Newfoundland) the nose of a child celebrating birthday is greased with butter.

It sounds strange. Why is it done?

Well, it is believed that the child is too slippery for bad luck to catch her or him. It is believed that such a tradition is of Scottish origin.