I love how birthdays are celebrated in the workplace here in Germany. Every single person in the office, even the ones you don’t see very often or talk to but once a year, come to visit you, shake your hand, give you a hug, and wish you a happy birthday. Honestly, it is such a nice gesture and something I hope to bring back to the workplace in the states. In my office of 30 coworkers, we have a calendar of birthdays hanging on our bulletin boards to make sure we don’t miss anyone.
Oh, and did I mention? The birthday boy or girl brings the cake or doughnuts for everyone to eat. Every. Single. Time. Having a decade birthday? Then the celebration just got better. Several times a year we have huge lunches for my coworkers turning 40 and 50, and the birthday boy or girl pays for the whole meal! Complete with a celebratory small glass of Prosecco or beer.
Also in Germany it is considered bad luck to wish someone a happy birthday before their actual birthday. Same with baby showers. No baby showers until after the baby is born. And instead of asking “How old are you today,” in my office they say, “How young are you today”?
I’m curious: How do you celebrate birthdays at work? Do you keep a list as well? Take the birthday gal or guy to lunch? Would you consider treating your whole office?
Mandy Byron is a budget analyst, climber, DIY addict, and world traveler who was born in Germany and moved every three years thereafter with her three sisters. She blogs weekly at www.wethreemothers.blogspot.com. After getting her MPA and working as an environmental consultant, Mandy decided to pursue her passion for traveling and started a federal career in Bavaria, Germany. A few years later and a few moves later, she and her husband, Frank, have returned to the Bavarian countryside with their children, Cooper and Lily.
