Esha's North Indian Birthday

by Esha
(India)

Esha's beautiful, guitar-shape birthday cake!

Being the first girl in my family after one hundred years, I must say that I have been pampered! My name is Esha, and I live in North India. My birthday is celebrated as a festival by the entire family.

Many friends travel from afar to celebrate with us.

The preparation begins one week before. The tradition is that each one in my huge family speaks a virtue about the birthday girl\boy. As my dad is good at baking cakes, so he bakes round 7 cakes, one for each day for the week following my birthday.

At my college, sharp at twelve, friends poured water at me full of mud, detergent, old medicines, tomato sauce, and who knows what! This is because of a belief that people who do not have a bath regularly should have a bath 'that way' on their birthday!

Next, I received kites with messages written on them by my near and dear friends. They made a diary where my friends put in tissue papers with blessings and good wishes written on them.

Then they covered my eyes with a cloth, as if to play some hide and seek, and took me to a new place. To my surprise, it was my room, decorated with a hundred candles, heart shaped balloons, and beautiful ribbons!

There were garlands hanging on the door, rose petals in transparent pots of water, and with candles floating beautifully. The star event was a huge cake which was guitar shaped!

This was my most awesome birthday ... unforgettable!!