The clip begins with a shot of a little boy named Hudson, dressed in a traditional Korean outfit known as a hanbok. The text on-screen explains that “it’s a first birthday tradition to lay out six items; whichever your child chooses will be their destiny.”
This family shared a Korean tradition for a child’s first birthday on TikTok, and viewers from around the world were able to relate!
First birthdays are a special occasion, and different cultures around the world all have special ways to mark the celebration. A TikToker who goes by the username @itsmehudsonbee posted a video of a Korean first birthday tradition, and viewers from all over the world were struck by how their cultures share similar customs.
When it’s time for Hudson to choose from the collection of items, which includes a mini basketball, money, a microscope, and a marker, he walks towards the options and picks up the toy microscope.
Hudson’s relatives cheer in excitement as the wide-eyed toddler holds up the microscope and sticks it in his mouth. As per tradition, Hudson’s choice of the microscope symbolizes that science will be his destiny.
Viewers from all over the world were excited to learn that this Korean birthday tradition is reminiscent of their own culture’s birthday celebrations.
“Omg, we have a similar tradition in Bulgaria, but when the child takes their first steps! So cool,” shared one user.
“Same in Romania, I chose a pen and gold necklace. My Ph.D. thesis is about gold in the economy. My mom hoped I would be rich,” one TikToker mentioned with a string of laughing emojis.
“I ran off to the kitchen when my parents did this. I’m in my first year of culinary school now,” relayed one viewer.
“I didn’t know that this is also the case in other cultures. We Turks do that when the baby gets [their] first tooth,” said one TikToker from Turkey.
Regardless of what Hudson decides to do with his life, seeing parallel birthday traditions across cultures is pretty cool!
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