(1)
In America, some kids don’t just get cakes, cards and gifts on their birthdays. Even singing the birthday song is not enough. They’ll also be waiting for spankings (打屁股) on that day!
That’s not because they do something wrong. It’s an old custom (传统) to give children birthday spankings. It’s said the custom started hundreds of years ago in Europe.
The spanking brings good luck and congratulations to the birthday boy or girl. Usually, a child gets one spanking for each year of age, and another one to grow on. Sometimes they also get one to live on, one to eat on, and one to be happy on.
If a child didn’t get a birthday spanking, people thought he or she might have bad luck. But now the spanking is more like a joke or fun.
If you go to America one day, maybe you’ll be hit on your birthday, too!
