NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    More
    In the news
    Joe Biden
    United States of America
    COVID-19
    Russia-Ukraine crisis
    NewsBytes
    Hindi Tamil Telugu
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout


    India Business World Politics Sports Technology Entertainment Auto Lifestyle Inspirational Career Bengaluru Delhi Mumbai Visual Stories Find Cricket Statistics Phones Reviews Fitness Bands Reviews Speakers Reviews

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
     
    Home / News / World News / Why do so many Afghans have birthdays on January 1?
    World

    Why do so many Afghans have birthdays on January 1?

    Why do so many Afghans have birthdays on January 1?
    Written by Gogona Saikia
    Jan 01, 2018, 03:29 pm 3 min read
    Why do so many Afghans have birthdays on January 1?

    What happens when generations of a country, born during a war, have no knowledge of their birth date? In Afghanistan, such circumstances led to an interesting phenomenon. After the war, people needed an official birthday to make use of various opportunities. A surprisingly high number ended up choosing January 1. January 1 has now become for Afghans a commemoration of years of strife.

    How did generations lose out on official birth records?

    In the 1980-90s, Afghanistan was struggling to cope with protracted wars. During that period, the government had no system to register births. ID cards and drivers' licenses were a rarity in the impoverished nation. The Tazkiras, Afghanistan's IDs, doesn't have a space for date of birth either; age on it is "determined based on physical appearance".

    Lack of official records had serious consequences

    Birth registration is of utmost importance: such records help reunite families after crises, help children get refugee status, and is 'proof' of someone's existence. After the war, there were visas and jobs to apply for, which required birthdays. Social media penetration also increased, which also needed people's birthdays. The UN ranked Afghanistan among the 10 countries with the largest number of unregistered children.

    So how did the January 1 trend come about?

    Faced with a choice, it was easy to choose January 1 for many, many Afghans. Those who know their actual birthday in the Islamic Hijri calendar also often end up using January 1 to avoid the hassle of having to convert it. In many cases, the US State Department chose the date themselves for refugees of war-ravaged countries other than Afghanistan too.

    A sober commemoration rather than boisterous "birthday" celebrations

    For Afghans, the January 1 mass birthdays are more a memory of the war than an occasion to celebrate. "Though I celebrate my birthday on January 1, I always feel it's not my real date of birth and I don't feel well," says 26-year-old Ihsanullah.

    Afghan officials are now trying to correct the situation

    Now the authorities are trying to change things. In recent years, many Afghan hospitals have started issuing birth certificates for newborns. The government has been planning to issue e-Tazkiras which would include birth date, but it has been on hold. For now, famous actor Basir Mujahid, cricketer Hasti Gul Abid, and politician Mohammad Daud Daud celebrate their birthdays on January 1.

    Lakhs of people in other countries have Jan1 birth dates

    It's one case when people don't know their actual birth date, but another when they know it but can't produce documents when they are enlisting as refugees. In all such cases, it is common practice for the UNHCR to assign January 1 as the birth date. Today, lakhs of people in Vietnam, Sudan and Somalia, and refugees from Syria etc share the birth date.

    Share this timeline
    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Afghanistan
    US State Department
    Happy Birthday

    Afghanistan

    Kabul: Suicide blast targeting Shia center, news office kills 40 Kabul
    China seeks to promote Pakistan-Afghanistan talks through CPEC Pakistan News
    NATO to scale up troop presence in Afghanistan Donald Trump
    India ships first wheat consignment to Afghanistan via Chabahar India

    US State Department

    Trump accuses China of allowing oil transfers to North Korea North Korea
    Terrorism: US tells citizens to defer non-essential travel to Pakistan Pakistan News
    In major win, forces wipe out group behind Amarnath attack Indian Army
    US hopes India will do more to pressurize North Korea North Korea

    Happy Birthday

    Twinkle Khanna's Birthday: Reasons why she's the sassiest starwife Akshay Kumar
    Happy Birthday Salman: Reasons why he is the ultimate superstar Bollywood
    Chronicling Atal Bihari Vajpayee's journey on his 93rd birthday! India
    National Mathematics Day: Know how to deal with math anxiety India

    Love World News?

    Subscribe to stay updated.

    World Thumbnail
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2023