Traditions

"Do you know how many women would have been here?", "Do you know how much money you would have gotten?", "We could have had a huge party!", "This is your special day!", were the most heard comments after people at clubs and bars found out that it was my birthday. My 'special day'?
But I am special everyday.
I already get too much attention - and I'm embarrassed by it.

But the tackiest tradition here is the one of pinning money on a person for his birthday.
This just seems like begging to me.
"It's my birthday - please give me some money.", this seems to say.
I hate this practice but it seems so common that they even make t-shirts.
I never heard of this or saw this back in the suburbs of Cali - is this tradition practiced everywhere?
Do you beg for money on your birthday?