In most legal systems, a person becomes an adult on the date of his or her birth (usually between the ages of 12 and 21), and reaching key age milestones confers specific rights and responsibilities. A person may be eligible to leave full-time education, be conscripted or enlist in the military, consent to sexual intercourse, marry with parental consent, marry without parental consent, vote, run for elected office, legally purchase (or consume) alcohol and tobacco products, purchase lottery tickets, or obtain a driver’s license at certain ages.
The symbolic or literal anniversary of a person’s or institution’s birth is known as a birthday. Birthday presents, cards, a celebration, or a rite of passage are used to honor people’s birthdays across cultures. Christmas, Mawlid, Buddha’s Birthday, and Krishna Janmashtami are just a few examples of religious holidays that honor the birth of their founders or holy figures. A birthday differs from a birthdate in that the former happens once a year (for example, January 15), whereas the latter is the precise date of a person’s birth (except on February 29). (For example, January 15, 2001).
