Many people in this country celebrate the birthdays of their
children. Friends, relatives and neighbors are invited to the parties. They
come with various gifts wrapped in colored paper. When they come. They are
greeted with bright smiles by the parents of the child.
The entire house is decorated with balloons and steamers.
The child is dressed in new clothes. So are his friends who come to the party.
The dining table is full of delicious dishes and there is invariably big rich
cake. Candles are lit. The guests stand around the table waiting for the cake
to be cut. The child is brought to the table. A knife is handed over to him. If
he is not old enough to cut it himself, someone helps him to do so. Then a
round of applause follows. The guests sing ‘Happy Birthday to you’ several
times. The food is placed on the plates which are then handed round. Smiles and
jokes go on during the eating. This followed by songs. The camera clicks on
during the whole programme.
When the programme is over and the table is cleared, the
presents are unwrapped. This is an exciting moment. Everybody is anxious to
know the presents the child has got. The presents vary from person to person.
Some give toys, some books, some clothes, some photo albums, some rings or
necklaces.