"Germans often decorate their house with a special wooden birthday wreath. It has small holes for candles and a holder in the middle for the lifecandle, which is taller than other candles and beautifully decorated. It is lit each year until the child's 12th birthday."

Birthday profile: Jutta Mannigels
Birthday: July 21
"My father plays the accordion, so every birthday in the morning when we had the present table, my father was standing there with his accordion and we sang the birthday song."

"Germans were the first people in Europe to celebrate children's birthdays"