The End of Birthday Spankings

In the past, some children were “spanked” on their birthday. These spankings are usually based on superstition, and sometimes an extra one is given for good luck.

Here’s video by Nik Zula of a man giving a paddle to a young girl celebrating her birthday. The paddling technique is a bit rough.

Spankings are Good Luck

As far as luck goes, it seems to be good to receive a birthday spanking on your special day. This practice is still prevalent in some communities and places. Those who follow the tradition are usually given a number of spankings to correspond with their new age, with one extra for good luck.

For example, a young girl in rural mountainous East Europe who wanted to get married would be expected to follow the regional tradition of a good luck birthday spanking. This ritual was not a physical invasion of her personal space but rather a playful way for her parents, relatives, neighbors, and local bachelors to rub, pinch, and slap her bottom. She was encouraged to stay outside into the evening, where local wine flowed freely and the men took turns rubbing and slapping her tushie.

In the same region, a similar custom is also observed whereby the birthday person receives a key for their twenty-first. This is apparently based on the old belief that ghosts would steal family possessions and return them on their birthday if they were placated. In Russia, a similar, but less sexy legend suggests that it’s bad luck to wish someone happy birthday before the actual date. As an alternative, wishing someone a happy birthdate after their actual date is considered good luck.

Spankings for Discretion

Birthday spankings are a fun and playful tradition, often used to bring good luck. Children are usually spanked on their birthdays, one for every year they’ve lived. Sometimes, an extra spank is added for “one more to grow on” or for good measure. These spankings can be administered by a parent, a relative, or even a friend, and they are usually hard enough to hurt but not seriously injure the child’s buttocks.

As they read Little House in the Big Woods together, they were reminded about their special bond and love. They also remained close through the traditions that they held dear, including their birthday spankings.

She would squirm when her mother gave her the traditional spanking on her birthday, but she knew she was loved and understood that it was part of the family tradition. She looked forward to it each year, and cherished the bond that it created between her and her mother. Even when she grew older and moved away, she looked forward to her return each year so that her mother could continue this special tradition. A tradition that had started with a story, but had become so much more. A family tradition and a special bond that would last for generations.

Spankings as Punishment

When Timmy looked at his birthday on the calendar, he felt his heart beating faster. He knew that his class would be going to school on the day of his birthday, and that her teacher would have a special tradition for her students. She would gently tap the birthday boy or girls behind, one tap for every year they turned. Timmy was scared. The other children laughed, but Timmy was not. He avoided Mrs. Jenkins all day and skipped lunch.

Even though many adults believe that spanking children is cruel and unusual punishment, it’s very common for them to get birthday swats. This is particularly true in cultures where corporal punishment is usually forbidden, like in China and Mexico. It is also still widely practiced in parts of the world that are more receptive to corporal discipline, such as Poland, where the practice was brought from China by Marco Polo and then adopted by Aztecs for worship of their god Huitzilopochtli.

The videos of Polish boys bending down to receive their birthday whackings is quite amusing and appears to be taken in a good spirit. The oldest of the boys, at 18, gets several whacks over and above his 18. He swears and seems to be in pain, but he shakes his fellow spanker’s hand at the end.

Spankings as a form of self-discipline

A Texas school principal has ended a tradition that many parents agree is inappropriate — on their birthdays, students in Alvord Elementary School were called into the principal’s office and given a spanking. Each kid received a playful hit for each year they had been alive, plus a birthday pencil and a piece of candy. The principal, Bridget Williams, says she’s stopped the spankings after receiving complaints from parents. “It’s just not appropriate, even if it’s done in play,” she told KTVT. “I would rather see them getting a hug or a high five than being spanked.”

One thing is for sure, whether they get a love tap or a bare bottom spanking, they won’t be celebrating their birthdays with their parents. Many adults who were spanked as children say they turned out fine, but scientific research has found that corporal punishment decreases the gray matter in a child’s brain, making it less likely that they can make good decisions and practice self-discipline.

Birthday spankings continue to be common in some families, despite the controversy. Like pinatas, which originated in China and were brought to Mesoamerica by European explorers, they have lost much of their religious significance and are now mostly used for parties as a fun activity with candy or small toys. Many parents don’t want to hit their children for any reason.