Cultural differences in children's birthday parties.

[TheNameIsDickDarlington]

I was recently at a child's birthday party where one of the mums questioned the classic cheese and pineapple on a stick birthday snack. Apparently, she had never seen this before.

This led me to think about children's birthday parties and how much of what I would consider a traditional child's party is specifically cultural to England (which is where I have always lived). Do most countries have the typical Bouncy castle in a hall and buffet food type kids parties or does each country have its own version of that?

Black people are hardly ever on time when it comes to events and anything else tbh!

My friend’s son recently had a Blessing at a Church and I arrived 40 mins late due to traffic. I was the first one there🤣 I arrived before my friend’s son too. It’s crazy really but definitely a thing.

If an event is at 2pm, my sister will leave her house at around 2:30. I feel like it’s an unspoken rule that no one really turns up at the time asked. I hate lateness and try not to be late with other people but when it comes to my family and Black friends, I already know what time to arrive. Not sure if it’s the same or completely different with other POCs

It's an absolutely typical kid's party.

Totally agree the cake thing makes no sense. But why would you have an invite that isn't the time you're actually meant to arrive?!

Thinking aloud, I guess we have a similar (though somewhat opposite) thing with weddings. My American friend was baffled by a friend getting married at 2pm when I said we had to be there by 1:45 AT THE LATEST and she had assumed we didn't need to be there til 2. Whereas I had assumed that meant the ceremony started at 2 (which it did).

Moving here in my 20s, and having kids in my 30s, the things I had to adjust to were gifts not being opened at the party, and the cake being presented, candles blown out and the cake then whisked away again to be cut up to be handed out at the end, rather than served at the party.

And no fairy bread. I tried it once but the British parents were horrified. Including my DH tbh.

I thought this was standard! Along with cheese and pineapple on sticks. Yummy!!

See, I thought this was just a birthday thing but now I’m having images of (drunk) people leaving wedding evening parties half-covered in a shawl, scrambling to find a taxi in the rain, and holding little pieces of cake in a napkin! 😂

(or receiving them in the post - presumably a few days after the fact…? 😂😂)

70s birthday party menu was finger sandwiches (egg or salmon paste), iced gems, sausage rolls. On cocktail sticks were cocktail sausages, cheese and pineapple, cheese and pickled onion. Also a couple of large bowls of crisps. Then dessert was jelly and ice cream. Orange squash to drink and cake to take home.

I did a few old fashioned home parties for my kids, they're really hard work!!!!

Lucky's Dad's rules!!!!

(It's a Bluey episode for anyone who doesn't have little ones anymore. Whether you have littlekids or not - watch it! It's brilliant!)

Depends how rich you are. Commonplace for kids parties still.

Most of our childhood parties and my dc and friends early childhood parties have been a bouncy castle in a village hall with a buffet. Not seen cheese and pineapple on a stick or as a hedgehog since I was a child though. I always thought it a bit random- I love cheese, love pineapple but never understood them together. So would just happily get a few and eat all the cheeses then all the pineapple.

I’ve noticed jelly and ice cream rarely make an appearance anymore. Another combo I used to find weird. I like both but separately so used to have to ask for just jelly because my mum told me off for asking for them in separate bows once 😂

And now I just want cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks, maybe with mini onions and mini sausages. Could I pass that off as a meal for the family one night do you think?

Cheese and pineapple were a massive hit for both our DCs parties. Both kids and adults went nuts for them. Can’t beat a retro buffet snack.

The kids around here (UK) love a party bag, mostly filled with plastic shit though but we’ve tried to be more sustainable putting a sunflower pot and seeds in and some sweets rather than the plastic shite we always receive.

one thing I’ve noticed of late is parents buying big extravagant cakes and not bloody cutting them, that’s the best bit!

"Now my son is 10 and the classical parties start. Rumour has it that girls sometimes visit those, too!"

@Doro371 do you mean... like a Brahms and Schubert pre-teen dance?!! I think not, but you are German so

(Genuine admirer of most things German here btw!)

USA here, specifically major east coast city in an urban setting.

No hard and fast rules re drop off.
Never any booze!
Never any home-made food. Always ordered in. Hygiene and convenience, plus massive pizzas delivered to your door always cheaper and easier and more likely to be eaten.
Never seen a bouncy castle.
Always at a venue for young kids, or someone’s pool for a party/sleepover when they’re older
Cake always eaten there and then.
Yes goodie bags
50/50 on “no gifts please”

Covid changed things, people seem fine not doing whole class parties for little ones now. For the best. Half of our weekends during the school year featured at least one party back in the day. Right pita.

Now i want a 70s birthday party menu to myself

Australia

Unless it's winter, younger kids parties are generally in the park. There are specific parks great for parties (seating, fencing, great playground, BBQ, toilets) and it's common to get there early (or send grandparents!) to get one of the BBQ / seating areas.

buffet food is provided - sometimes sausages from the BBQ in bread plus other snacks. Sandwiches not as popular as they seem to be for UK parties - and never jam! Fairy bread is a must (buttered cheap white bread covered in sprinkles and cut into triangles).

presents generally taken home to open but cake is always cut and eaten there.

The thing about wedding cake... that is what people do isn't it? I've always had a piece given to take away. In fact I have dietary requirements and I've had my own special mini one to take away.

@RobinHood19

I have definitely left many weddings drunk and holding a slice of cake. Sometimes it gets put in a fancy little box!

I'm in my 50s - have a gorgeous friend who sadly never had her own children, but would have been a super mum, as she has been a super auntie. I mentioned Party Rings and she had no idea what they were. Next present - she had a ton of packets. I'm not sure she was that keen but at least she now knows what party rings are !!

I don't think I've seen cheese and pineapple on a stick since 1987. Stuck into half an orange, possibly covered in foil if you were feeling fancy, to make a hedgehog. I wouldn't be surprised in someone under the age of 40 had never seen one!

Thank you for explaining fairy bread! I assumed it was angel cake.

You mean you are rich if you can hire a hall and a bouncy castle? Is that what you mean? I’m in quite a deprived area - maybe that’s why people don’t have hall and bouncy castle parties. They are definitely not commonplace where I live. Most child don’t have parties at all - though that’s in part cultural.

Chocolate cornflake cakes and butterfly cakes, how could I have forgotten!

You see I tried to hand the cake out at the last party I hosted for dc (I’m English but didn’t get the cake in party bag thing either) but literally no kid wanted it! They were all full already having eaten loads of sandwiches, pizza, chocolate fingers, party rings etc. So I think that’s why it’s sent home. Also party bags are a huge thing here and the cake makes up part of that, my Spanish friend was/is very confused about party bags.

And cheerios! I was trying to explain cheerios to my kids the other day - do they still have them at parties?

Interesting that it's shifted to taking presents home since my day. I've only been to a couple in recent years and one they opened the presents there and I can't remember the others so assume they took them home.