You know that moment when you enthusiastically shout 'Hip hip!' at a birthday party, expecting a rousing chorus of 'Hooray!' - only to be met with blank stares and awkward silence?
Welcome to the uniquely Australian embarrassment that's been making rounds on social media, where our beloved birthday tradition has become the source of endless confusion and, frankly, a fair bit of cultural cringe.
Social media user Chris Zou posted a video where he talked about his confusion about why Australians do the 'hip-hip-hooray' part of the song, sparking a conversation about one of our most distinctly Australian quirks.
The video struck a nerve with Aussies worldwide who've found themselves in similar situations—that moment when you realise not everyone shares our post-birthday song tradition.
A tradition older than Federation
What many Australians don't realise is that our beloved 'hip hip hooray' has roots stretching back over two centuries.
The cheer, as we know it today, dates to the early nineteenth century, with the Oxford English Dictionary citing the London and Provincial Sunday Gazette of 6 June 1819 for one of the earliest recorded uses.
The earliest reference shows that 'hip, hip, hip' was used preparatory to cheers a decade earlier than previously known, with the second reference revealing that three hips before a cheer was an 'old and long established' tradition by 1818.
The evolution is fascinating: the use of the standalone hip as a cry to attract attention is recorded by 1735 and as a cheer by 1811.
Source: @storiesofcz / Tiktok.
The hip is probably just an echoic term, a sharp sound to attract attention with no other underlying meaning. Meanwhile, the hurrah portion is even older, recorded as early as 1686, with even earlier versions like 'huzza' recorded by 1573.
The antisemitic origin myth
You might have heard claims that 'hip hip hooray' derives from antisemitic German riots or Latin phrases.
However, the German cry is unrelated to the English language cheer, which predates the German riots.
Acronymic word origins were almost nonexistent prior to the twentieth century.
Most scholars have thoroughly debunked these theories.
The exclusive club of 'hip hip hooray' nations
Australia isn't alone in this tradition, but we're part of a surprisingly small global club. In Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom, the cheer is usually expressed after the singing of 'Happy Birthday to You'.
In Canada and the United Kingdom, the cheer has been used to greet and salute the monarch at public events.
This colonial connection explains everything. The call was recorded in England in the beginning of the 19th century in connection with making a toast, and spread throughout the British Empire. It's precisely why the tradition never took hold in America—by the time it emerged in Britain, the US had already charted its own cultural course.
How the rest of the world celebrates birthdays
While we're shouting 'hooray,' the rest of the world has developed their own delightfully quirky birthday traditions that might make our chant seem positively normal by comparison.
In both Brazil and Jamaica, there are traditions that involve getting flour thrown at you, with Jamaicans sometimes being 'antiqued,' or covered in flour, on their birthday, while Brazilian kids throw not just flour, but also eggs at the birthday child.
Canadians often get 'greased' on their birthdays, which means their friends and relatives ambush them and smear butter on their noses, apparently for warding off bad luck. In Spain, birthdays come with ear pulling—according to the tradition known as 'los tirones de oreja', the birthday person receives one gentle tug on the earlobe for each year of their age.
In Italy, Germany and other European countries, it's the birthday boy or girl who pays for events and buys drinks for their friends, with the birthday celebrant also baking the cake for friends and colleagues in Germany.
In Danish culture, your 25th and 30th birthdays can get spicy—on your 25th birthday, if you're unmarried, your friends and family are allowed to douse you in cinnamon, and at 30, if you're unmarried, you receive a lot of pepper.
The rising moment of cultural awareness
The recent social media phenomenon has highlighted something fascinating about cultural identity. One Australian commented: 'I'd rather never attend a birthday party ever again than 'hip-hip' in front of a room full of confused people who've never heard this little add-on'.
'The day I learned Americans don't say hip hip hooray, a traumatic experience to say the least'
But perhaps the most amusing aspect is the social dynamics surrounding who gets to lead the chant. As TikToker Chris Zou asked: 'It's not the birthday person and only one person gets to say hip-hip… Do you guys decide beforehand who says 'hip-hip'? Or do you guys instinctively know based on pheromones? How do you decide who has that honour of being the 'hip-hip' person?'
The comments on the popularised video revealed there's no true answer: 'The hip-hip person is selected by the vibe; it's the constitution,' one person said, while another added, 'The hip-hip is yelled by the Alpha Australian of the group at the time'.
The unspoken rules of Australian 'hip hip hooray'
- Someone must step up to lead the 'hip hip' call
- It's never the birthday person themselves
- The choice seems to happen by social instinct
- Those standing closest must respond with the most enthusiasm
- There's a certain courage required to be the 'hip hipper'
A marker of Australian identity abroad
What started as an embarrassing cultural moment has become something of a point of pride for many Australians. The tradition stems from when people would say 'hip-hip' after a toast in the olden days, but somehow we kept it and only did it for birthdays.
The popular videos have inadvertently created a moment of cultural solidarity among Australians worldwide. Many have shared stories of similar experiences—that moment of realisation that this thing we've always done isn't actually universal.
It's worth noting that while some see it as antiquated, in Great Britain, it remains common for party guests to finish 'Happy Birthday to You' and then say 'Hip Hip Hooray' three times. We're maintaining a tradition that connects us to our colonial heritage while making it distinctly our own.
Embracing our cultural quirks
Perhaps the most heartening response to the popular videos has been the defence of the tradition by Australians who see no reason to abandon something that brings joy, even if it confuses the rest of the world. As one commenter put it: 'We have our traditions so why poo poo on them?'
In a globalised world where cultural differences are increasingly flattened, there's something wonderfully stubborn about maintaining a tradition that serves no purpose other than collective celebration. Yes, it might cause awkward moments at international birthday parties, but it's also a reminder that cultural identity isn't always about the big, obvious things—sometimes it's about the small rituals that bind us together.
What This Means For You
The next time you find yourself at a birthday party overseas and feel the urge to shout 'Hip hip!' - go ahead. You're not just participating in a silly tradition; you're carrying forward a piece of cultural history that connects you to centuries of celebration and community. And if people look at you strangely, well, that's their loss. After all, what's a birthday without a good old-fashioned 'Hooray!'?
Have you ever found yourself in an awkward 'hip hip hooray' situation overseas? Or do you have fond memories of this uniquely Australian tradition? We'd love to hear your stories in the comments below!
Original Article
https://honey.nine.com.au/latest/hi...es-do-it/86964036-4570-4df6-9410-ebb1bd16a2ee
Why Australians say 'hip hip hooray' after Happy Birthday.
Cited text: Tiktoker Chris Zou posted a video where he talked about his confusion about why Australians do the "hip-hip-hooray" part of the song.
Excerpt: TikToker Chris Zou posted a video where he talked about his confusion about why Australians do the 'hip-hip-hooray' part of the song
https://www.mamamia.com.au/how-australians-sing-happy-birthday/
Why Australians say 'hip hip hooray' after Happy Birthday.
Cited text: Tiktoker Chris Zou posted a video where he talked about his confusion about why Australians do the 'hip-hip-hooray' part of the song.
Excerpt: TikToker Chris Zou posted a video where he talked about his confusion about why Australians do the 'hip-hip-hooray' part of the song
https://www.mamamia.com.au/how-australians-sing-happy-birthday/
hip hip hooray / hurrah — Wordorigins.org
Cited text: The cheer, also commonly hip hip hurray/hurrah, as we know it today, dates to the early nineteenth century, but its components go back further.
Excerpt: The cheer, as we know it today, dates to the early nineteenth century, with the Oxford English Dictionary citing the London and Provincial Sunday Gazette of 6 June 1819
https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/hip-hip-hooray
hip hip hooray / hurrah — Wordorigins.org
Cited text: The Oxford English Dictionary has a citation from the London and Provincial Sunday Gazette of 6 June 1819 that reads: Down with Popery—Pitt for ever—h...
Excerpt: The cheer, as we know it today, dates to the early nineteenth century, with the Oxford English Dictionary citing the London and Provincial Sunday Gazette of 6 June 1819
https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/hip-hip-hooray
Early Sports and Pop Culture History Blog: Three Cheers, Hip-Hip-Hurrah, and Tom and Jerry, a Cheer-ful etymology
Cited text: The earliest of the references (1794) shows that 'hip, hip, hip' was used preparatory to cheers a decade earlier than previously known. The second ref...
Excerpt: The earliest reference shows that 'hip, hip, hip' was used preparatory to cheers a decade earlier than previously known, with the second reference revealing that three hips before a cheer was an 'old and long established' tradition by 1818
https://esnpc.blogspot.com/2014/05/three-cheers-hip-hip-hurrah-and-tom-and.html
hip hip hooray / hurrah — Wordorigins.org
Cited text: But the use of the standalone hip as a cry to attract attention is recorded by 1735 and as a cheer by 1811. The hip is probably just an echoic term, a...
Excerpt: the use of the standalone hip as a cry to attract attention is recorded by 1735 and as a cheer by 1811.
https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/hip-hip-hooray
hip hip hooray / hurrah — Wordorigins.org
Cited text: The hurrah portion is even older, recorded as early as 1686. Even earlier is the cry of huzza, which is recorded by 1573.
Excerpt: the hurrah portion is even older, recorded as early as 1686, with even earlier versions like 'huzza' recorded by 1573
https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/hip-hip-hooray
hip hip hooray / hurrah — Wordorigins.org
Cited text: But the German cry is unrelated to the English language cheer, which as we have seen predates the German riots.
Excerpt: However, the German cry is unrelated to the English language cheer, which predates the German riots, and acronymic word origins were almost nonexistent prior to the twentieth century
https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/hip-hip-hooray
hip hip hooray / hurrah — Wordorigins.org
Cited text: This is certainly not true as acronymic word origins were almost nonexistent prior to the twentieth century and there is no evidence that the Latin ph...
Excerpt: However, the German cry is unrelated to the English language cheer, which predates the German riots, and acronymic word origins were almost nonexistent prior to the twentieth century
https://www.wordorigins.org/big-list-entries/hip-hip-hooray
Hip hip hooray—Wikipedia
Cited text: In Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom, the cheer is usually expressed after the singing of 'Happy Birthda...
Excerpt: In Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and to a lesser extent the United Kingdom, the cheer is usually expressed after the singing of 'Happy Birthday to You'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hip_hooray
Hip hip hooray—Wikipedia
Cited text: In Canada and the United Kingdom, the cheer has been used to greet and salute the monarch at public events.
Excerpt: In Canada and the United Kingdom, the cheer has been used to greet and salute the monarch at public events
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hip_hooray
Hip hip hooray—Wikipedia
Cited text: The call was recorded in England in the beginning of the 19th century in connection with making a toast.
Excerpt: The call was recorded in England in the beginning of the 19th century in connection with making a toast
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hip_hooray
16 Birthday Traditions Around The World That Might Surprise You
Cited text: In both Brazil and Jamaica, there are traditions that involve getting flour thrown at you. Jamaicans will sometimes be “antiqued,” or covered in flour...
Excerpt: In both Brazil and Jamaica, there are traditions that involve getting flour thrown at you, with Jamaicans sometimes being 'antiqued,' or covered in flour, on their birthday, while Brazilian kids throw not just flour, but also eggs at the…
https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/birthday-traditions-around-the-world
16 Birthday Traditions Around The World That Might Surprise You
Cited text: In a similar vein, Canadians often get “greased” on their birthdays, which means their friends and relatives ambush them and smear butter on their nos...
Excerpt: Canadians often get 'greased' on their birthdays, which means their friends and relatives ambush them and smear butter on their noses, apparently for warding off bad luck
https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/birthday-traditions-around-the-world
8 unique birthday traditions from around the world ‹ EF GO Blog | EF Global Site (English)
Cited text: As well as cake, singing, and presents, birthdays in Spain come with a curious ritual: ear pulling.
Excerpt: In Spain, birthdays come with ear pulling—according to the tradition known as 'los tirones de oreja', the birthday person receives one gentle tug on the earlobe for each year of their age
https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/language/birthday-traditions-around-the-world/
8 unique birthday traditions from around the world ‹ EF GO Blog | EF Global Site (English)
Cited text: According to this tradition, known as “los tirones de oreja”, the birthday person receives one gentle tug on the earlobe for each year of their age. W...
Excerpt: In Spain, birthdays come with ear pulling—according to the tradition known as 'los tirones de oreja', the birthday person receives one gentle tug on the earlobe for each year of their age
https://www.ef.com/wwen/blog/language/birthday-traditions-around-the-world/
16 Birthday Traditions Around The World That Might Surprise You
Cited text: Unlike in the United States, it’s the birthday boy or girl who pays for events and buys drinks for their friends in Italy, Germany and other European ...
Excerpt: In Italy, Germany and other European countries, it's the birthday boy or girl who pays for events and buys drinks for their friends, with the birthday celebrant also baking the cake for friends and colleagues in Germany
https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/birthday-traditions-around-the-world
16 Birthday Traditions Around The World That Might Surprise You
Cited text: Along the same lines, the birthday celebrant will bake the cake for friends and colleagues in Germany, rather than the other way around.
Excerpt: In Italy, Germany and other European countries, it's the birthday boy or girl who pays for events and buys drinks for their friends, with the birthday celebrant also baking the cake for friends and colleagues in Germany
https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/birthday-traditions-around-the-world
Birthday Traditions Around the World
Cited text: In Danish culture, your 25th and 30th birthdays can get a little, well, *spicy*. On your 25th birthday, if you’re unmarried, your friends and family a...
Excerpt: In Danish culture, your 25th and 30th birthdays can get spicy—on your 25th birthday, if you're unmarried, your friends and family are allowed to douse you in cinnamon, and at 30, if you're unmarried, you receive a lot of pepper
https://blog.duolingo.com/happy-birthday-around-the-world/
Birthday Traditions Around the World
Cited text: And at 30, if you’re unmarried, you receive a lot of pepper—not doused like you were five years ago, but you might get a few pepper shakers as a prese...
Excerpt: In Danish culture, your 25th and 30th birthdays can get spicy—on your 25th birthday, if you're unmarried, your friends and family are allowed to douse you in cinnamon, and at 30, if you're unmarried, you receive a lot of pepper
https://blog.duolingo.com/happy-birthday-around-the-world/
Why Australians say 'hip hip hooray' after Happy Birthday.
Cited text: In fact, I'm glad Chris posted this TikTok because I'd rather never attend a birthday party ever again than 'hip-hip' in front of a room full of confu...
Excerpt: One Australian commented: 'I'd rather never attend a birthday party ever again than 'hip-hip' in front of a room full of confused people who've never heard this little add-on'
https://www.mamamia.com.au/how-australians-sing-happy-birthday/
Why Australians say 'hip hip hooray' after Happy Birthday.
Cited text: ... 'It's not the birthday person and only one person gets to say hip-hip… Do you guys decide beforehand who says 'hip-hip'? Or do you guys instinctiv...
Excerpt: As TikToker Chris Zou asked: 'It's not the birthday person and only one person gets to say hip-hip… Do you guys decide beforehand who says 'hip-hip'?
https://www.mamamia.com.au/how-australians-sing-happy-birthday/
Why Australians say 'hip hip hooray' after Happy Birthday.
Cited text: 'The hip-hip person is selected by the vibe; it's the constitution,' one person said. 'The hip-hip is yelled by the Alpha Australian of the group at t...
Excerpt: The comments on the viral video revealed there's no true answer: 'The hip-hip person is selected by the vibe; it's the constitution,' one person said, while another added, 'The hip-hip is yelled by the Alpha Australian of the group at the…
https://www.mamamia.com.au/how-australians-sing-happy-birthday/
Why Australians say 'hip hip hooray' after Happy Birthday.
Cited text: Back in the olden days, people would say 'hip-hip' after a toast (apologies if you still do this), which is where the hip-hip-hooray stemmed from. So ...
Excerpt: The tradition stems from when people would say 'hip-hip' after a toast in the olden days, but somehow we kept it and only did it for birthdays
https://www.mamamia.com.au/how-australians-sing-happy-birthday/
Birthday Traditions Around the World: Celebrations of a Lifetime | LoveToKnow
Cited text: It is common for party guests to finish 'Happy Birthday to You' and then say 'Hip Hip Hooray' three times.
Excerpt: in Great Britain, it remains common for party guests to finish 'Happy Birthday to You' and then say 'Hip Hip Hooray' three times
https://family.lovetoknow.com/cultural-heritage-symbols/birthday-traditions-around-world
Why Australians say 'hip hip hooray' after Happy Birthday.
Cited text: We have our traditions so why poo poo on them?
Excerpt: As one commenter put it: 'We have our traditions so why poo poo on them?'
https://www.mamamia.com.au/how-australians-sing-happy-birthday/
Seniors Discount Club
Latest Articles
-
-
The $9 Bunnings secret that's been hiding in the paint aisle for decades
- Started by Gian T
- Replies: 0
-
Sydney once produced its own food – but urban development has devoured the city’s food bowl
- Started by The Conversation
- Replies: 0
-
Cash or card? Why those extra fees are hitting your wallet harder than ever
- Started by Gian T
- Replies: 0
-
Only in Australia! How a runaway sheep was safely strapped into a car seat
- Started by Maan
- Replies: 0
.png){kind=icon}
