"Birthday Suits"
Ancient Egyptians were among the earliest to celebrate birthdays, but they weren't celebrating a human's birth—they were celebrating the day a Pharaoh was crowned and transformed into one of these.
What is a god?
In Mexico and parts of Latin America, a girl's 15th birthday milestone is celebrated with this lavish party and coming-of-age tradition.
What is a Quinceañera?
Turning this age in Brazil legally grants you full access to bars and drinking alcohol.
What is 18?
As you age, your metabolism slows down primarily because you naturally lose this type of body tissue if you don't strength train.
What is muscle mass?
What is Shannen's favorite color?
What is Pink?
In Ancient Rome, common men were the first to celebrate personal birthdays, using this beverage to pour libations to their guardian spirits.
What is wine?
In Jamaica, it is a fun birthday tradition to throw this baking ingredient all over the guest of honor to "season" them for the coming year.
What is flour?
A cliché symbol of a midlife crisis, this type of high-performance two-seater vehicle is often purchased right around a 40th or 50th birthday.
What is a sports car (or Corvette / convertible)?
This compound responsible for skin elasticity decreases by about 1% every year after age 20, leading to wrinkles.
What is collagen?
What is Shannen's favorite animal?
What is a cow?
In ancient Rome, people offered sacrifices to their "Genius"—a guardian spirit believed to inhabit a person from the day of their birth, tied directly to this personality trait system used today.
What is Astrology/the zodiac
In Germany, if you reach your 30th birthday and are still single, tradition dictates you must publicly sweep the steps of this civic building until someone kisses you.
What is the City Hall (Rathaus)?
Turning 50 is traditionally associated with this precious metal, often featured on party decor and anniversary gifts.
What is silver (or gold)? (Note: 25th is silver, 50th is gold—accept gold).
Located at the tips of your chromosomes, these protective caps shorten every time a cell divides and are considered one of the primary biological clocks of aging.
What are telomeres?
Name three sports Shannen plays/does at least once a week (lately). (2X bonus if you can correctly guess all 6!)
Acceptable answers:
Running, Walking, Weightlifting, Swimming, Tennis, Ice Skating
During the Middle Ages, the Christian Church discouraged birthday celebrations, viewing them as pagan customs, and urged people to celebrate this alternative holy day instead.
What is Saints Day?
In South Korea, a baby’s first birthday is called Doljanchi, where the child picks up objects placed on a tray to predict their future career or this desirable trait.
What is wealth (or longevity / fortune)?
The term "Over the Hill" historically became a popular dark-humor theme for adult birthday parties starting at this decade milestone.
What is 40?
Scientifically known as presbyopia, this visual change usually forces adults in their early 40s to start buying these at the drugstore.
What are reading glasses ("readers")?
In which city and year was Shannen born?
What is Miami in 1994?
Originating in 15th-century Germany, the tradition of Kinderfest introduced birthday cake and candles, where one candle was lit for each year of life plus one extra called the "Light of..." this.
What is Life (or the "Hope" candle)?
If you were born on the International Date Line near this Pacific island nation, you could technically celebrate your actual birthday for nearly 48 hours straight by crossing the line.
What is Samoa (or Kiribati)?
This organization sends you a membership invitation in the mail the moment you turn 50, offering discounts on travel and insurance.
What is AARP?
According to probability math, in a room of just this many adults, there is a 50% chance two people share the exact same birthday.
What is 23 people? (The Birthday Paradox)
What is Shannen's favorite dessert? (2X bonus if you can guess Shannen's favorite flavor)