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Not sure why such a trivial thing bothers you. But it's probably so everyone can sing in unison. In most Asian cultures, based on your relationship, one might need to call you with something else and it's awkward for them to call the celebrant with their first name or without adding any polite prefix. For Americans, it's probably just "dad" and "mom", for Filipinos, it extends to "kuya" (older brother), "ate" (older sister, pronounced ah-teh), "Sir" or "Maam" (to anyone who has higher authority, including one's boss or supervisor, etc.), "uncle" or "aunt" or "tito" or "tita" (added to parents' friends who are not really even real uncles or aunts), "ninong" or "ninang" (godparents). And depending on your relationship with the celebrant, some who know the celebrant since childhood days will still call them by their childhood nicknames and never change it as well.
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Originally Posted by GoldenTiger
Not sure why such a trivial thing bothers you. But it's probably so everyone can sing in unison. In most Asian cultures, based on your relationship, one might need to call you with something else and it's awkward for them to call the celebrant with their first name or without adding any polite prefix. For Americans, it's probably just "dad" and "mom", for Filipinos, it extends to "kuya" (older brother), "ate" (older sister, pronounced ah-teh), "Sir" or "Maam" (to anyone who has higher authority, including one's boss or supervisor, etc.), "uncle" or "aunt" or "tito" or "tita" (added to parents' friends who are not really even real uncles or aunts), "ninong" or "ninang" (godparents). And depending on your relationship with the celebrant, some who know the celebrant since childhood days will still call them by their childhood nicknames and never change it as well.
Okay, then how about, "Happy birthday, dear kuya, happy birthday to you,"
Okay, then how about, "Happy birthday, dear kuya, happy birthday to you,"
In a typical birthday, the celebrant is not "kuya" to everyone... in a big family celebration, the celebrant may be "dad" to someone, "kuya" to another, "tito" to yet another, or "John" to the others. I am not 100% sure if this is the reason, but many Asians find it awkward to call or even sing "dear John" when they normally call him "Uncle John".
Remember that, with two exceptions, The Philippines have seventeen distinct tribal groups, sixteen languages, and sixteen versions of their national anthem -- might have something to do with this.
The American birthday song was protected by copy writes until a couple of years ago thus never showed up in popular entertainment to be spread worldwide, least the movie/TV producer paid for that privilege. Now that the Happy Birthday song is in public domain you are starting to see it in TV and movie depictions of birthday parties.
I remember seeing a video of 70's pop star Christopher Cross in Manila trying to lead the audience in a "happy birthday to you" chorus to his co lead Angela Bofill with the odd confusion resulting.
Filipinos most of the time insert the name of the person at one of the stanzas of the birthday song(and I mean the birthday song that we are used to not the other birthday songs) only, usually at the last, instead of repeating the name several times throughout the song. But yes we do, contrary to what you are saying that we don't. And that is if the people singing are older or the same age as you are.
In the Phils we don't call a person older than us with their first name as it would be a no-no and considered disrespectable unlike in the US. So if the one in the audience singing are probably younger than you, they really wont call you with your first name. Not even with the last name(we dont practice that at our homes only in offices). Add to that, if you are a foreigner, they would prefer to sing without the name on it unless you want to be called "kuya" or "ate" etcetera. This can include also people who really dont know you personally regardless of age bracket.
Remember that, with two exceptions, The Philippines have seventeen distinct tribal groups, sixteen languages, and sixteen versions of their national anthem -- might have something to do with this.
Filipinos most of the time insert the name of the person at one of the stanzas of the birthday song(and I mean the birthday song that we are used to not the other birthday songs) only, usually at the last, instead of repeating the name several times throughout the song. But yes we do, contrary to what you are saying that we don't. And that is if the people singing are older or the same age as you are.
In the Phils we don't call a person older than us with their first name as it would be a no-no and considered disrespectable unlike in the US. So if the one in the audience singing are probably younger than you, they really wont call you with your first name. Not even with the last name(we dont practice that at our homes only in offices). Add to that, if you are a foreigner, they would prefer to sing without the name on it unless you want to be called "kuya" or "ate" etcetera. This can include also people who really dont know you personally regardless of age bracket.
But then in the American birthday song which the OP came in with the prejudice was universal there is only one chorus to give dear Taiko. I do wonder if the party was in the Philippines or among Filipinos living abroad?
Now while saying the name once the continual repeating of happy birthday,New Year's etc at times seems excessive. You want to be like a military officer saying just salute once a day.
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