First Birthdays: Traditions, Party Tips and What to Buy

Congratulations: you have made it through the first year. Somewhere in a blur of nappies, night feeds and washing, your baby has turned into a small person with opinions, and it is nearly time for the first birthday.

We have been selling personalised gifts at Born Gifted since 2003, and first birthday presents are a steady part of what we do all year round, with a noticeable rush every September. There is a good reason for that. According to the Office for National Statistics, late September and early October are among the busiest times of year for births in England and Wales. Count back nine months and you land somewhere around the Christmas holidays. Make of that what you will.

This guide covers how first birthdays are celebrated around the world, some traditions worth starting at one, a few party tips we have picked up from customers over the years, and what to buy, including what to get the one-year-old who already has everything.

Is the day you were born your first birthday?

A surprising number of people ask this, so let us settle it. In the UK your first birthday is the day you turn one, twelve months after you were born. The day you were born is just that: your birth day, or your “zeroth birthday” if you want to be awkward about it.

It was not always so simple everywhere. In South Korea, babies were traditionally counted as one year old on the day they were born, and everybody gained a year together each New Year, so a child born in late December could be “two” within a week. South Korea switched to the international way of counting in June 2023, which made the whole country a year or two younger overnight. The first birthday there has always been a big occasion, though, which brings us neatly to the next bit.

First birthday traditions around the world

Here in the UK, a first birthday usually means cake, a few guests, a small pile of presents and a child who has no idea what all the fuss is about. Other countries do things rather differently.

Korea: the doljanchi

The Korean first birthday party, the doljanchi, is one of the big family occasions of the year, often held at a hired venue with the baby dressed in traditional costume. The highlight is the doljabi: objects are laid out on a table in front of the child, and whatever they grab first is said to foretell their future. A book or a pencil means a scholar, money means wealth, thread or noodles mean a long life, and modern families have added stethoscopes, microphones and even computer mice to the line-up.

China: zhuazhou

China has a similar first birthday tradition called zhuazhou, which has been around for centuries. The child is sat down among a selection of items such as a calligraphy brush, an abacus, a set of scales, money, jewellery, food and toys, and the first thing they reach for hints at their future career or interests. It makes for a good photograph.

Japan: a rice cake on the back

In Japan, many families mark the first birthday with issho mochi: a round rice cake weighing getting on for two kilograms, wrapped in a cloth and tied to the baby’s back. The child is encouraged to stand or walk with it, which is a lot to ask of someone who has only just worked out how feet work. The weight stands for a lifetime of having enough to eat, and in most regions falling over is considered perfectly fine, even lucky. Some families follow it with erabitori, Japan’s own version of the object-grabbing game, with a calculator for a future accountant and a ball for a sportsperson.

India: the first haircut

Many Hindu families mark a child’s first haircut with the mundan, when the head is shaved to leave behind any bad luck from a previous life and give the child a fresh start. It is not tied to the first birthday as such: depending on the family and the region it may happen in the first year or the third, and the shaved head is often anointed with a paste of sandalwood and turmeric.

Ukraine: another first haircut

A ceremonial first haircut is traditional in Ukraine too, often around the first birthday, a custom that goes back to pre-Christian times. The details vary a great deal from region to region, but the idea of marking the end of babyhood with a ceremonial snip is one that turns up in cultures all over the world, from Mongolia to the Pacific islands.

Traditions worth starting at one

You do not need to tie a rice cake to anybody. The nicest first birthday traditions are the ones you keep up every year. Here are a few ideas we particularly like, most of which cost next to nothing:

• The same photo every year. Same spot, same pose, same day. A doorway, the front step, the garden gate. By the time they are eighteen you will have a set that is worth more than any present.
• The birthday interview. Ask the same handful of questions every year: favourite food, best friend, what they want to be. At one you will have to write the answers down on their behalf, but it gets better every year.
• A book every birthday. One new book each year with a message written inside the cover. A personalised story book is a good one to start with, because their name is already in it.
• The birthday money box. A money box that gets topped up on every birthday, or a small amount paid into a savings account each year. By the time they are old enough to care, it adds up to something.
• A charm a year. Start a charm bracelet with a 1st birthday charm and add one each year. Keep it in the box until they are older; see our note on jewellery below.
• The height chart. A mark on the wall or a proper chart, dated, every birthday. The gap between one and two is usually the most dramatic.
• Letters for later. Ask guests at the first birthday to write the child a short note, then put them away in a keepsake box to be opened at eighteen or twenty-one. Grandparents in particular tend to write something worth keeping.

Planning the party

A first birthday party is really for the grown-ups. The guest of honour will not remember it, so plan it around what works for a one-year-old and the rest will look after itself.

• Work around the nap. Late morning or early afternoon suits most babies. An hour or two is plenty; past that point you are into overtired territory and nobody enjoys that.
• Keep the guest list short. Family and a few close friends is usually enough. If you invite the whole baby group, budget for some serious baby-proofing.
• Take the photos first. Do the posed pictures before guests arrive, while the outfit is clean and the mood is good. Cake comes last for a reason.
• Finger food, and one cake just for them. Cake smash photographs have become popular here in the UK too. If you are planning one, give the birthday child a small cake of their own, put something washable underneath and have the camera ready.
• Give older children a job. Cousins and friends’ children love being given a job: handing out party bags, leading the singing, keeping the little ones entertained.
• A theme is optional. Animals, rainbows, the seaside, their favourite picture-book character: it makes the shopping easier, but a one-year-old genuinely does not mind.

What to buy for a first birthday

This is the bit we know best. Over twenty years of first birthday orders, a few things come up again and again.

Who buys? Mostly parents and grandparents, with plenty of aunties, uncles and godparents too. Grandparents are usually the most generous, as they are for just about every occasion, and the first grandchild’s first birthday is a big deal for them as well.

Keepsake or something to play with? Honestly, about half and half. Some customers want something the child can enjoy straight away; others want something the child can keep for years to come. The nice thing is that quite a few gifts do both. Our Cubbies teddies are a good example: a proper cuddly toy, but with the child’s name embroidered on it, it becomes a keepsake as well.

What sells best? It is hard to pick one outright winner because the range is so varied. For girls, personalised rag dolls and name bracelets are particularly popular. For boys, an engraved money box is always a reliable choice and something they can keep long after their first birthday. None of that is a hard and fast rule, of course, and plenty of our first birthday gifts suit either.

Outfits. First birthday vests and T-shirts are bought for the photographs, which will be on Instagram before the cake has been cut, but they are practical too. One that simply says the child is one, rather than “I’m One Today”, can be worn again for as long as it fits.

What to have engraved or embroidered

The child’s name is the obvious starting point, and adding “1st Birthday” makes the occasion clear. The question we get asked most is which date to use: the date of birth or the date of the birthday. If the gift is to mark the occasion, we would use the first birthday date, including the year they are turning one. If it is a birth keepsake, such as a teddy embroidered with the birth weight and time, then it should obviously carry the actual date of birth.

If there is room, a short message from the giver is a lovely touch. “Lots of love from Grandma and Grandad” is often nicer than trying to squeeze a long message into a small engraving space. Our advice, as always, is to keep it simple.

What to get the one-year-old who has everything

By the first birthday, a lot of babies already own a mountain of toys, especially if they are the first grandchild. If the toy box is full, think about the presents they will appreciate later rather than now:

• A personalised money box, ideally with something already in it, and the promise of a top-up every birthday.
• Keepsake jewellery, such as a 1st birthday bracelet or charm, put away for when they are older.
• A keepsake box for the hospital band, the first shoes and the birthday cards. It is something the parents can use long after the birthday is over.
• A name print for the nursery wall.
• Something that is not a thing at all: a day out, a photo session, or paying into their savings.

And if in doubt, ask the parents.

A word on safety and sizes

The question customers ask us most is whether a particular toy is suitable for a one-year-old. It is a good question, because not every personalised soft toy or doll is suitable from birth, and some carry a minimum recommended age of three. We show the manufacturer’s age recommendation on every product page, so do check it before you order. Our toys have to meet the UK product safety requirements that apply to them, but that is not a substitute for following the age guidance and any safety instructions that come with the toy.

Jewellery needs a bit of common sense too. A personalised bracelet makes a lovely first birthday keepsake, but it is not a toy, and we would not recommend letting a one-year-old wear it. It is something to put away safely until they are older.

Leave enough time

Most of our personalised gifts take up to three working days to make, and delivery times vary from product to product, so check the delivery estimate on the product page rather than assuming they are all the same. If you have left it late, some products offer an expedited option with same-day production and next-working-day delivery, subject to the cut-off time and availability.

We do not tend to have many problems with first birthday orders, but it is always worth checking the spelling of names and any dates before ordering. Once something has been engraved or embroidered, mistakes are not easy to put right.

Our one tip

Let’s be honest: a first birthday is more about the family than the baby. At twelve months old they have no idea why everyone is making such a fuss, but it is a real milestone for parents and grandparents, who have made it through the first year too.

So do not worry about spending a fortune. Choose something thoughtful, take plenty of photographs and enjoy having everyone together. The child will not remember what anything cost, but you will have the pictures. And at that age, do not be surprised if the wrapping paper gets more attention than the present.

View our personalised first birthday gifts →