It's my Birthday and I'll Celebrate if I want to

Just a studious girl in class, right? But look closer...closer. Just under her desk hangs a bag full of little cookies and a liter of Fanta. And no this is not her packed lunch.

It's actually her birthday. Since I now have had about four other experiences with other students having birthdays, I knew what this bag meant when the minute I spotted it.

As part of the Spanish culture, people kind of decide whether they want to celebrate their birthday, and if so, to what extent they want to celebrate it. I know, sounds crazy to us selfish Americans, right?

But no joke, I actually overheard a student tell a teacher it was their birthday and the teacher responded, "Oh happy birthday! Are you going to celebrate it?" Now if this conversation had been in Spanish, I would have probably thought I heard wrong; but it wasn't.

Don't get me wrong. The kids do get excited about their birthdays. I mean as kids I think it's actually in your DNA to be overjoyed about turning one year older. They don't ignore the day. Often times, older kids may go to dinner with their families and especially when they are younger, they'll have small parties. In fact, one fourth grader told me she was having her birthday party at Burger King. Yes, Burger King. It's a thing here to have birthday parties at fast food restaraunts (it's not necessarily "fast" food to them...nothing is when they eat meals for two hours at a time).

Back to the hanging bag, though. Spaniards not only choose whether or not they celebrate their birthday, but they also bring their own treats for other people! Whaaaatt? I explained to the 6th grade students that in the United States it is the complete opposite: we expect to be held up to prince and princess standards, with gifts, cakes and events all served and planned for us-not the other way around. The response was scrunched faces and confused stares. It was worth a shot...

All in all, if the students (as well as teachers) want to bring in treats for their own birthday, who's stopping them? Maybe they're the ones doing it right...

#culture #teaching