In Which Countries They Don't Celebrate Birthdays and Why: A Journey Through the Calendar Without Namesakes Imagine a world where no one sings "Happy Birthday to You," blows out candles on a cake, or receives gifts on their birthday. For most of us, this sounds absurd. A birthday is a personal celebration, a day when you are the center of attention. But for millions of people around the world, this tradition either does not exist or looks completely different. In some cultures, birthdays are not celebrated for religious reasons, in others due to collectivist thinking, and in still others simply because no one keeps track of years. Let's embark on a circumnavigation journey through countries and peoples where birthdays are not an event but an exception. Bhutan: A Country Where Everyone Gets Older on New Year's Day In the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, which measures its success not by gross domestic product but by the Gross National Happiness Index, individual birthdays are not celebrated in principle. Many Bhutanese do not even know the exact date of their birth. This is because the country lives by its own calendar, which does not coincide with the Gregorian calendar, but most importantly, in Bhutanese culture, personal anniversaries are not considered significant. Instead, all residents of the country officially add one year to themselves on January 1. This collective approach to age surprises even customs officers: when a whole delegation from Bhutan indicates the same date of birth, it looks at least unusual. The younger generation is already beginning to be interested in their real dates, but the tradition remains strong. Bhutanese celebrate their "common birthday" on New Year's Day, and January 2 is even an official holiday for them. Vietnam: All Birthdays on One Day In Vietnam, like in Bhutan, individual birthdays are virtually not celebrated. Instead, every resident of the country becomes a year older during Tet — the Vietnamese lunar New Year. Since the ... Read more