Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Birthday Bumps and other lost traditions

36 replies

TamiTayorismyparentingguru · 27/09/2018 13:43

It’s DD’s birthday this weekend and I am busy organising her party. I mentioned to DH that we’ve never done the birthday bumps with our DC. the eldest is 14 now so I know it’s clearly been a long time coming!) Thought it might be fun to resurrect that little tradition and he looked at me like I had 2 heads with no clue what birthday bumps even were!

They were definitely a popular tradition when I was growing up (at parties and at home with families) but I’ve never seen or heard of them for years.

Anyone still give Birthday Bumps to their DC?

Any other traditions which have been lost over the years?

OP posts:

PrueDent · 27/09/2018 15:03

Never given birthday bumps to the dc but did tell them about it on the oldest's last birthday.

Interestingly, DH grew up with the "bumps" as someone "bumping" their knee into the birthday person. Where I grew up it was one person taking ankles, another taking wrists and lifting the birthday person into the air before "bumping" them back to the ground. I can even remember some teachers doing it (over a crash mat) in a PE lesson.

Can't think of any other lost traditions though. Although probably just as well they're lost

GoodbyeSummer · 27/09/2018 16:17

We used to bump heads with each other or have that many hits over the head - the teacher or my mam being the one doing the hitting! I do birthday claps now - I dread to think of the repercussions if I were to hit a child over the head 6 times and then one extra because it's their birthday

Namechanger1776 · 27/09/2018 16:20

Having the bumps used to be the best thing about having a birthday. I’ve never given my kids the bumps.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Events & celebrations

villainousbroodmare · 27/09/2018 16:25

I'd forgotten this! We used to gather in a circle and more or less make a net of our arms to boost the birthday kid in the air.

Davros · 27/09/2018 16:27

Same as Pruedent. I often Moab that no one does the bumps any more

MawkishTwaddle · 27/09/2018 16:29

We used to do 'fog slaps' - basically hitting someone around the head if you noticed they'd had a haircut.

There was a thing where you stamped on someone's new shoes too.

It was all just thinly veiled aggression, really

Prettysureitsnotok · 27/09/2018 16:35

Birthday bumps was just punching someone on the arm when I was a kid! I remember a hilarious (but probably not actually that funny) assembly at school where they showed us a picture of a terrible bruise to explain that it is in fact bullying...

Davros · 27/09/2018 16:45

Nooo. The bumps was when a number of people picked up the birthday person and bumped their arse on the ground, then lifted them up (a bit like the drunken sailor without the swinging). One bump for each year and one for luck when you dropped them near the floor

Spongeface · 27/09/2018 16:48

Some birthday bumps sound lovely! When I was we it was getting thwacked on the back really hard for however many years old you were! Winded you! And each person did it to you.
I was wondering how anyone would want to do that to their kids!

FrancisCrawford · 27/09/2018 16:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

worriedsister2 · 27/09/2018 16:56

Still do it where I am (I work as a school nurse 1 day a week)
Punches on the arm names birthday beats

badtime · 27/09/2018 16:57

Where I'm from, it was grabbing someone by the wrists and ankles and bumping them on the ground then lifting them up really high (basically throwing them but not letting go). Sometimes a bystander would also give the birthday person a boot on the arse every time they came in range.

MyHairyToe · 27/09/2018 17:05

How had I forgotten about the bumps! We’ve never given DC the bumps! This will be remedied at the early opportunity.
And yes with pp, being thumped on the arm was birthday beats; not so fun...

DaisyDreaming · 27/09/2018 17:08

Only had birthday bumps the 2 years I had a swimming party so had them in the water! Would love to see your 14 year olds reaction if you did them!

Davros · 27/09/2018 23:02

Sometimes a bystander would also give the birthday person a boot on the arse every time they came in range.
That made me larf out loud

MadMaryBoddington · 28/09/2018 00:07

The bumps hurt. I hated the bumps. Though not as much as a friend, who was given the bumps on his 18th birthday, but for a laff they did it the wrong way round, face down, and smashed his teeth to smithereens.

BackforGood · 28/09/2018 00:29

I think there is a health and safety reason why the bumps has gone out of fashion

PanannyPanoo · 28/09/2018 00:36

A teenager from my school was paralysed from the neck down after being dropped having birthday bumps. I think it happened a few times in the same year, so people stopped.

Interesting how it means different things to different people. Wonder if that's a geographical thing or an age thing.
Was being flung in the air in the south west in the 70's/80's.

Bouledeneige · 28/09/2018 00:49

I must admit I often hated the bumps.

My DD and I did it to DS when he was around 11 I think, as a laugh. We only managed one bump and then collapsed. It was basically slamming him on the floor. He then chased us and beat us ruthlessly with pillows.

BumDisease · 28/09/2018 00:53

I'm 33 and birthday bumps were definitely a thing when I was at school but luckily I'm in Scotland and my birthday is in the middle of July so I never got them

Nothisispatrick · 28/09/2018 00:56

Urm when I was younger birthday bumps was the birthday boy getting mercilessly beaten up in school.

Agustarella · 28/09/2018 00:58

In my day (c. 1980) birthday bumps involved being thrown in the air then caught on an old brown blanket kept especially for the purpose. In those days blankets were sturdier, toddlers less fat, and health and safety wasn't a thing.

SneakyGremlins · 28/09/2018 01:03

Nothisispatrick I remember being that boy

Agustarella · 28/09/2018 01:06

I really had no idea the birthday bumps could be so sadistic, what is wrong with some people???

planetclom · 28/09/2018 02:05

Southeast bumps were legs and ankles but never a family thing strictly school/friends I hated them

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread