Eggs

[dotinthesky]

Primeira ovada, a photo by MariBiasutti on Flickr.

In Brasil, we celebrate our friends' birthdays with eggs and flour. Secrecy is of the utmost importance. Those with the know-how prick holes in the eggs a few days before and bury them so that they rot in time for the celebration. The flour is hidden behind a bush or wall near the place the birthday celebrant will unsuspectingly walk by. By some invisible sign, everyone pounces on them at the same time. Tough boys sometimes fight back and get some of the goo on their assailants. If there's a swimming pool in the vicinity, the egging ends in there - regardless of new shoes or clothes.

This was a ritual in my pre-pubescent and teen years. Maybe some continued to celebrate in this fashion in their 20s, but not my gang. It's all just a memory now, alongside everything else from the 80s.

Comments

[millionreasons.livejournal.com]

I remember people getting the birthday bumps when I was a kid, but not being made into a pancake.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

What are birthday bumps? Is it a northern thing?

[millionreasons.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it's Northern. I just asked David and he was aware of it, although he's from the Midlands. Basically, the birthday boy or girl is picked up at each corner (4 people on legs and arms) and they are flung up and down the same number of times as their age, so 9 bumps for 9 years old etc. It's not very pleasant, but then again the egging doesn't sound so great, either.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

It sounds more dangerous, especially if you are a frail elder and the crowd is jolly.

[standardfeature.livejournal.com]

Is so neat how different places have different customs. I still think I'd rather take paddiwacks than a rotten egg to the head though

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

What are paddiwacks? Is that like someone wacking your bum with a cricket bat?

[standardfeature.livejournal.com]

Paddiwacks are just smacks on the bum - no cricket bat needed. When you're young, your classmates/friends stand in line with their legs apart and you have to crawl through their legs and every person gets to smack you on the bum once. There's usually as many people in line as years you are old.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

Sounds very protestant!

[standardfeature.livejournal.com]

LOL very true! When you get older they become simply "The Birthday Beats" where you friends playfully beat the shit out of you. Girls tend not to be included in this "evolution"