How are Birthdays Celebrated in Israel?
While birthdays are special occasions in cultures around the world, birthdays in Israel can be particularly meaningful. In the Jewish culture, milestone birthdays carry particular importance and ritual, making them a key element of birthdays in Israel.
Day of Birth: An Israeli Birthday Custom
In Israel, your first birthday is the day of your birth. A unique feature of birthdays in Israel, in accordance with Jewish birthday customs, involves the celebration of two separate birthdays. The existence of these two distinct dates is a result of following two calendars: the Hebrew calendar and the civil Gregorian calendar, which frequently are not synchronized with the other. There is no rule about which birthday an individual should celebrate, some people even celebrate on both dates! However, once every 19 years the calendars conicide with the other, resulting in only one birthday that year.
Are you curious about when your Hebrew calendar birthday would be? Use this calculator to find out!
Child Birthdays in Israel: An Important Tradition
Similar to Western customs, children’s birthdays are, for the majority of Israel’s population, a time of joy and festivities. Birthday parties often include close family and friends as per Israeli birthday customs, ranging from simple gatherings to elaborate parties in honor of the birthday boy or girl. Certain more conservative religious Jews refrain from celebrating their children’s birthdays, viewing it as a practice with roots in Egyptian culture.
Bar and Bat Mitzvahs: The Ultimate Jewish Birthday Traditions in Israel
When you join us for your Christian Holy Land Tour, our tour guides will take you to see the Western Wall. Regarded as the holiest site for Jews, the Western Wall holds profound significance as a place of prayer. Therefore, it is common to witness groups of men guiding young boys to the wall, where festive singing, prayer, and a sense of jubilation prevail.
This practice stems from the fact that on a boy’s 13th birthday in Israel, as well as globally, he transitions into manhood and assumes responsibility for himself, his actions, and his relationship with God. ‘Son of Commandments’ or Bar Mitzvah is a revered Jewish birthday tradition celebrated on a boy’s 13th birthday in Israel and around the world.
During the celebration, the birthday boy is seen as a man and given the opportunity to pray and read from the Torah in front of the guets. He typically wears traditional prayer clothing for this occasion. Following the religious ceremonies, there is often a celebration, ranging from modest family gatherings to elaborate and expensive parties.
Celebrating Bat Mitzvahs, when a girl transitions into womanhood at the age of 12 or 13, depending on the community, is another important facet of Israeli birthday customs. While certain communities may not acknowledge bat mitzvahs, their frequency has increased over time. In some cases, the celebrations for young women are very similar to young men, while others modify them due to the belief that it is inappropriate for a woman to read the Torah in public.
Presents are also exchanged on this occasion. While some gifts hold religious significance, money gifts have become increasingly popular in mondern times. Typically, these cash gifts are given in increments of 18, as this number symbolizes life in its numeric representation, known as “chai.”
While this day is typically set aside for individuals aged 12 or 13, it is occasionally observed by adults who never had the opportunity to celebrate their mitzvah earlier.
Adult Birthdays: A Look at Israeli Birthday Customs
Celebrating adult birthdays in Israel varies widely, ranging from elaborate festivities to complete non-observance. Certain individuals, citing the absence of explicit mentions in the Torah except for Pharaoh’s celebration, do not consider it a significant day in any manner.
On the other hand, there is a large secularized society in Israel, leading to vibrant celebrations of birthdays. Young individuals can often be celebrating their special day at restaurants and nightclubs, particularly in Tel Aviv.
Others join together with friends in their homes and enjoy a special meal. Cake is of course on the menu!
Adult Birthdays in Israel, as per Jewish birthday traditions, often involve doing good deeds, reflecting on the past year, acknowledging blessings, and planning self-improvements for the next year.
How to Say Happy Birthday in Hebrew: An Israeli Ritual
In Israel, a significant portion of the population speak multiple languages, with many individuals being proficient in English. Therefore, saying “Happy Birthday” is widely understood and acknowledged. However, if you’d like to say a birthday greeting in the official language of Israel, you have three choices.
Yom Hul-a-det Sam-e-ach:
This translates to “Day Birth Happy”. While this may seem like a strange order in English, if you were to say it in as Sameach Huladet Yom in Hebrew, people will think you sound very strange!
Ma-zal Tov:
This translates to “Good Luck” in English. This is often pronounced as Maz-El Tov but it is actually Maz-al in Hebrew. This is a generic well wish for any event of happiness including birthdays, weddings, graduations, and births.
Ad Meih V Esrim:
This particular greeting is a very Hebrew/Israeli greeting. It means “Until 120”. This is reference to Genesis 6:3. “And the LORD said: ‘My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for that he also is flesh; therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.”
Celebrating Birthdays: On Tour in Israel
Experiencing birthdays in Israel while on tour can offer a special and unforgettable insight into Jewish birthday traditions. Many of our groups try to make the day extra special by doing something special for the birthday boy or girl. If someone in your tour group is celebrating a birthday, we recommend bringing a birthday card for everyone to sign. Additionally, consider singing “Happy Birthday” on the bus or during a mealtime—you might even have the entire dining room join in the celebration!
God’s gift of life is truly a blessing!
