Why do you get gifts on your birthdays?

Answer 1

Gifts are given as a way to celebrate the day a person was born and to show general appreciation and affection for him/her. Some birthdays are celebrated for religious reasons (a bar mitzvah) or for coming of age (turning 18 in the United States means you are now an adult and can be legally liable for your actions).

Answer 2

Birthday celebrations vary by culture and gender. As far back as ancient Rome birthdays were celebrated. Christianity introduced the calendar of saints that gave each day a saint or martyr. This calendar led to the custom of individuals taking for his or her confirmation name the name of the saint honored on his/her day of birth. Even today some Catholics celebrate the saint on his/her "name day" rather than celebrating a "birthday" and some Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays because of the pagan origin of the birthday celebration. Another theory about how birthday gifts started states that years ago in Europe people believed that evil spirits would seek out and haunt someone on his/her birthday. To protect the person people would gather together and bring with them good wishes. Eventually, this became the birthday party and the good wishes gifts.