Posted by Not with standing the fact that nowadays birthdays are celebrated according to the English calendar, Hinduism advocates birthday gifts according to the Hindu almanac. According to the Hindu calendar, birthday should be celebrated according to tithi which is the lunar date. A lunar month consists of 30 tithis, whose start time and duration vary.
Many hindus regard birthday celebrations with regard to the tithi of their birth. For example if one was born on the 4th day of the lunar month then his tithi is called Chaturthi. Thus he will celebrate his birthday on the Chaturthi of his birth month each year. This doesn’t imply that the birthday celebration date will be 4th of the birth month, it could change according to the lunar cycles.
Traditional Celebrations in Hinduism for Birthdays
From a spiritual perspective, one’s birthday is the day to assess one’s spiritual progress. Some of the common rituals followed are-
- Taking a bath in the early hours.
- Offer Prayers to the Lord or Kuldevta by doing Aarti using ghee. Apply Vermilion on your forehead.
- Offer Namaskar to elders and take their blessings.
- Chant bhajans and engage in spiritual thoughts throughout the day.
Other Rituals That the Entire Household Can Follow On Birthdays Are-
- Singing bhajans to seek the blessings of God on the person who’s birth date it is.
- Preparing sweetmeat at home and offering to the God and then as Prasad to the person who has his birthday.
- Light a lamp with ghee and do Aarti.
But with changing times, some parts of the celebrations have changed and people have adopted modern methods of celebrations and inculcated some older rituals as well. It is up to one’s will to balance the two and celebrate a happy birthday. What is commonly seen is that most Hindus often visit a temple and perform arti and puja to seek God’s blessings on their birthday. They also cut a birthday cake and celebrate with friends and family.