Americans love parties and there is hardly an event which goes without a celebration. One of the most popular of all parties is the birthday celebration. This can be an elaborate ordeal in a catered restaurant or a simple affair in a private home but one which is always a celebration of life. At times it is planned with the full knowledge of the person who is being honored but in many cases it is a surprise.

The center of any birthday party is a frosted cake decorated with whipped cream, fresh fruit and the person's name written upon the surface of the frosting. Whether it is home-made or store-bought doesn't really matter but the festive decorations signal that this is not a regular cake for just any occasion. When the cake is ready for presentation it is crowned with lighted candles. For children one candle represents every year of life, but once a person's age has gone into double digits one candle can be used to represent a decade. Therefore, a woman who is in her forties will have only four candles on her cake, thus respecting her privacy by not revealing her exact age. Before blowing out all the candles a simple wish for good health or good fortune is made. For the wish to come true, the candles are to be blown out in one breath. This is no problem for the young but as the number of candles increases with the passing years, this feat becomes more difficult. However, when this auspicious moment occurs, all the lights in the room are turned off and all who are present sing, "Happy Birthday."

Such is the importance of birthdays that to let one pass without a remembrance would be considered an oversight. A frosted cake with lighted candles is the least that is expected among friends. For family it might be an obligation.
The extent of the celebration may vary according to the situation. For children it may involve party hats, balloons, games, songs and prizes. Every guest brings a present for the birthday child in exchange for the honor of being invited.
For high school students classmates may bring in a cake to be shared at lunch time and the girls are sure to get flowers. In some schools a girl student's locker may be decorated by her classmates with colorful wrapping paper, streamers and balloons and close friends may buy her a gift.
For adults at the office the birthday would also involve some kind of attention. Perhaps a stop at a local pub after work for a brief toast or several colleagues may treat their coworker earlier in the day to a luncheon. Regardless of one's age, a birthday is always a special occasion on.

If birthday parties can occur only once a year, then potluck parties, another American favorite, can occur almost every weekend or whenever friends decide to come together. At such a party everybody brings one dish to serve the group and friendly conversation takes care of the rest. One person may bring a salad, another person may bring the dessert and the main dishes including beverages are divided among the others who attend. The advantage of such a party is that cost is kept to a minimum and responsibility for the event is shared.