A Worldly Invitation Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sweet Potato Patties

In Ghana, for your breakfast birthday treat, you may find "oto" being served. Oto is a mixture of eggs and sweet potatoes formed into a patty and fried in palm oil. Later in the day, the children may have a birthday party featuring a traditional dish known as "kelewele", which is fried plantain chunks. At their birthday parties, a children's game, "Ampe" may be played.

This is a very popular game in Ghana, played by two children, who clap their hands twice and throw forward one of their legs. If it results in right leg to left leg a point is given.

Another way to get a point is if both players extend their left legs out to match.

Answer: 1, 5, 10, 15

Nigerian children have special celebrations on their 1st, 5th, 10th and 15th birthdays. Many guests are invited, sometimes a hundred or more. An entire roasted cow or goat is the party food and served with it is cassaba and a vegetable medley. The guests are invited to play a game called, "Pass the Parcel".

This game is similar to Musical Chairs as the guests sit on a chair, music is played, and a wrapped package is passed to each guest. When the music stops, the person who has the package, rips a piece of the wrapping paper off.

The game continues until the package is unwrapped. This about wraps it up!

Answer: A clock

In the Mandarin language the word for clock is similar to the word for death.
Because of this, birthday children in China would prefer articles decorated with tigers. Tigers in China are considered protectors of children. The tiger is a highly revered animal in the Mandarin culture and on a New Year's Day celebration children may wear hats and shoes made in the shape of a tiger's head. Seems they have no time for clocks! (oh bad pun)

Answer: Chocolates

Bringing chocolates to their entire class is just one tradition of a child's birthday in India. Other traditions include the child having to kneel and touch their parent's feet as a sign of respect. The Elders in the family are most often included in the birthday celebration. The children may also be brought to a shrine to be blessed. For their birthday dinner "dudh pakh" may be served. "Dudh pakh" is a rice pudding which may contain almonds and raisins. After dinner a singing game called, Antakshari may be played. The game can be played in teams. One team starts the verse of a song, the next team must start the verse of their song with the ending vowel or consonant of the prior song. An example of this might be "Happy Birthday to You", the next team might continue with two lines of the song "Unforgettable".

Answer: November 15

Japanese children's 7th, 5th, and 3rd birthdays,("schchi-go-san") are celebrated on November 15, which is considered to be a very lucky day according to the Japanese Almanac. These birthday ages are special times in the life of a child that celebrate their good health. Today in Modern Japan, it is usual that a boy child celebrates his third and fifth birthday, and a girl child her third and seventh birthday. On his fifth birthday a boy may begin to wear trousers, and on her seventh birthday a girl can begin to wear an obi.

When both sexes turn three years old the children are allowed to let their hair grow long. "Seven, Five, Three Festival" of birthdays in Japan is celebrated by the children and their parents visiting shrines or other places to give thanks for their good health.

Answer: Fairy Bread

The birthday child in Australia may receive a snack called "Fairy Bread" which is a piece of bread, cut into a triangle, buttered, and covered with sprinkles known as "hundreds and thousands". We could bring Cherry Ripe or Tim Tams as gifts for the birthday child. Cherry Ripe is a chocolate candy bar filled with coconut and cherries and coated with dark chocolate. Tim Tams are chocolate covered cream filled biscuits. These confections all sound as fun to eat as their names imply.

Answer: Birthday gifts around their bed

After the birthday child is asleep, Danish parents place their children's birthday gifts on the floor around their bed. When the children awaken, the birthday gifts are seen and may be opened immediately. There will also be a birthday flag waving from the window to announce a birthday celebration is to occur.

Answer: 12

For a German child's birthday the parents decorate the house. A wooden wreath with small holes on it and a larger hole in the center, is placed on the kitchen or dining room table. The center candle is embellished with carvings and decorations and is called the Life Candle. On the day of the child's 12th birthday the Life Candle is lit. Birthdays are made very special for children in Germany. In most homes the child is excused from doing homework or household chores. At their birthday party a game called Würstchenschnappen, which is similar to Bobbing for Apples may be played. Sausages are hung along a rope line and depending on how high or low the sausages are dangling, the children crawl or stretch to bite the sausage.

Answer: Their noses

In Atlantic Canada, which is comprised of the provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland, children's noses may be greased for good luck on their birthday.
Usually the children are ambushed by their friends and when caught, grease is placed on their nose. This greasing custom will supposedly make the children too slippery for bad luck to catch them. I wonder if they sing, "Slip Slidin' Away" instead of "Happy Birthday" while doing so?

Answer: 15 years old

Fifteen is considered by many families as a responsible age for a girl in Mexico.
Mexican daughters' birthdays are celebrated with a special Quinceañera Mass in their honor. This religious ceremony also commemorates a daughter's heritage as well as her spiritual journey. The "Quinceañera" (birthday girl) wearing a crown and carrying a bouquet of flowers begins the procession into the church for the Mass in her honor. In the process to the altar the Quinceañera is followed by her parents, her "Padrinos"", "Chambelan de honor", and her seven couple friends who are usually between the ages of thirteen to eighteen. Padrinos are a married couple who exemplify a devout married life. The "Chambelan de honor" can be either an older brother, male cousin, or a good friend of the Quinceañera. During the Mass the Quinceañera goes to the altar of the Blessed Mother, kneels, presents her bouquet, and prays for a modest and good life.
Processing from the church, the Quinceañera is accompanied by her "Chambelan de honor", who will be her escort for the remainder of her birthday celebration.












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