Cinnamon and pepper "attack" if you aren't married when you turn 25/30.
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
March 8, 2013 9:25am CST
In my country we have two birthday traditions. If you aren't married when you turn 25 your friends will "attack" you with cinnamon. They will throw cinnamon on your clothes and on your body. If you aren't married when you turn 30 they will do the same thing, but this time they will use pepper instead of cinnamon.
The tradition with the pepper is based on something that took place in the past. Some men travelled from place to place and they sold pepper in the towns they passed. Those men weren't married and since that time the word "pebersvend" (= a person sells pepper) has become a symbol of a man who isn't married when he is 30. The origin of the cinnamon tradition is unknown and it is a relatively new tradition.
Do you have similar traditions in your country?
3 people like this
10 responses
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
8 Mar 13
When my friend turned 25 we threw the cinnamon at his back in order to protect his eyes. Some people make sure the person wears safety glasses before they start throwing the cinnamon or the pepper. Unfortunately it goes wrong sometimes and there are people who ended up in the emergy room because they got pepper in their eyes or because they were allergic to pepper and some of their friends didn't know that. Sometimes the friends don't throw pepper at the person, instead they give him or her a pepper mill as a present or place a huge homemade pepper mill in front of their house.
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
11 Mar 13
I think that the pepper mills are fun. When we pass a house where the person is 30 and not married we can see the huge pepper mill that the friends have placed in front of their house. They often use old barrels when they create the pepper mills, but it is also possible to make them out of other materials.
@prashu228 (37525)
• India
8 Mar 13
Hi
I never heard of this tradition too.sounds interesting though.
The safety measures taken shows that people are aware of the facts and they enjoy it too. presenting pepper mill is good one.
1 person likes this
@princess8881 (1630)
• South Korea
8 Mar 13
I never heard of this information before, very interesting 
Its just that I think its a waste, and It could be a little bit dangerous when it actually hits the eyes..or if the victim is not in a good mood, well I guess we all know what could be happening next.
We dont have this kind of traditions but I heard of throwing water on some area in my country. Specially during fiesta. (Im not sure though)
But those traditions are the one that makes each country unique! 
Love it or hate it. It will be our sort of trade mark 
Its just that I think its a waste, and It could be a little bit dangerous when it actually hits the eyes..or if the victim is not in a good mood, well I guess we all know what could be happening next.
We dont have this kind of traditions but I heard of throwing water on some area in my country. Specially during fiesta. (Im not sure though)
But those traditions are the one that makes each country unique! Love it or hate it. It will be our sort of trade mark
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
11 Mar 13
In most cases it isn't dangerous because the friends make sure that victim wears safety glasses or they throw the cinnamon on their back so that it doesn't get in contact with the eyes. But sometimes it goes wrong and the victim ends his/her day at the hospital because they got pepper in their eyes. Some people are allergic to pepper and if their friends aren't aware of that it can also cause problems, but fortunately those things don't happen very often, and in most cases people are careful and the tradition isn't dangerous. Yes, that kind of traditions make each country unique, and I think that it is really interesting to hear about the traditions that exists in other countries.
@princess8881 (1630)
• South Korea
12 Mar 13
atleast if I am in yOur country I wont even experience this, because I got married really really young, ahaha (I know crazy me, no regrets though)this could be stressing to those singles who might take it seriously.
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14916)
• Malaysia
9 Mar 13
The traditions are really interesting, I have not heard about those before. I don't think there are such traditions in my country for unmarried people. It's very common to be unmarried under age 25, and even 30 years old nowadays. I think if we have these traditions, most people will be attacked by cinnamon and peppers on their birthdays. I bet it'll be really fun! 
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
28 Mar 13
In my country it is like that, too. Many people aren't married when they turn 25 and some people aren't married when they turn 30 either. In the past people got married when they were relatively young, but today many people choose to finish their education before they get married, and some people live together for many years without getting married, because that is not seen as bad thing anymore. Some people get married a few months before their 30th birthday...and then their friends get really disappointed because they are going to miss out on all the fun
@34momma (13882)
• United States
8 Mar 13
that's very interesting. I have never heard of amything like this. We don't have any thing like that here in America. We throw rice at couples when they do get married. It's for good luck and to have lots of babies
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
8 Mar 13
Maybe the tradition only exists in my country, I am not sure. I have participated in both cinnamon and pepper "attacks" and it is usually fun. If the person tries to escape we chase him and when we catch him we start throwing the pepper. Sometimes his friends create a huge pepper mill and place it in front of the person's house so that everyone can see that he isn't married. It doesn't matter if he has a girlfriend or if he is engaged, if he is not married the day he turns 30 he will get pepper...
1 person likes this
@34momma (13882)
• United States
8 Mar 13
If it's done in good fun then I say go for it. Here in America it's not really a big deal if you are married at a certain. You get married when you find the person you want to spend your life with. Again, if it's done in good fun then there is no harm in having fun
1 person likes this
@MissPiggy (1748)
• Indonesia
8 Mar 13
Oh wow...in a few months you people would throw pepper on me! 
Thank God I don't live in your country!
There's no such tradition in my country, or at least in the place where I live. But it's very interesting, though.
Thank God I don't live in your country!
There's no such tradition in my country, or at least in the place where I live. But it's very interesting, though.1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
8 Mar 13
If you try to escape we would run after you and catch you Based on the responses so far it looks like this traditions only exist in my country. I have participated in this tradition when my friends turned 25 and 30. We often do it outside so that the the cinnamon and pepper don't make a mess inside the house. The friends usually think that it is a lot of fun. I not sure that the "victim" would agree
Based on the responses so far it looks like this traditions only exist in my country. I have participated in this tradition when my friends turned 25 and 30. We often do it outside so that the the cinnamon and pepper don't make a mess inside the house. The friends usually think that it is a lot of fun. I not sure that the "victim" would agree @MissPiggy (1748)
• Indonesia
8 Mar 13
Even if they disagree, I don't think they have any options. If in country we usually would throw water, eggs, flour, when someone turns 17 but maybe a lot of countries have the same tradition. 
If in country we usually would throw water, eggs, flour, when someone turns 17 but maybe a lot of countries have the same tradition. 1 person likes this
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
8 Mar 13
Here in mexico if you arent married by 25, everyone just calls you gay... h aha ha I like your way better.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
11 Mar 13
It is fun way to celebrate a 25th birthday. I am 36 and most my friends are in their 30's and 40's so I haven't participated in a "cinnamon attack" for a while, but we had a lot of fun in the past when a friend turned 25.
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
11 Mar 13
Sounds like fun to me, Im always up to something like that once.
1 person likes this
@Torunn (8609)
• Norway
10 Mar 13
We have about the same tradition with pepper, except they don't throw it at you, you're just given a lot of pepper. I still have a lot of pepper left from my 30. birthday, I think it'll last til I'm 50.
Some of my friends are turning 30 this year, for the last one, I decided not to do it. It's one of those traditions that are quite funny for the right people, but for her, it would be as if I defined her after her civil status and as she's trying to find a boy friend but haven't had any luck yet, it'd be a bit unpolite. I didn't mind really, although less pepper would have been good. I don't use a lot of pepper.
1 person likes this
@emerillus (467)
• Philippines
10 Mar 13
Haha! This is kind of funny and I haven't heard about this tradition until now. I'm sure this is just for fun so that the person you're throwing cinnamon at won't get pressured into marrying. Here, the one who is unmarried is always the butt of jokes.
1 person likes this
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
28 Mar 13
This is the first time that i have known something like this. I do not know any traditions in our country if a person is not married by 25 or 30.
This sure is interesting! Thanks for sharing!
1 person likes this
@Raine38 (12257)
• United States
8 Mar 13
Wow, I never heard of that tradition before. So interesting. I got married when I was 27 so I guess in your tradition, I should have been pelted with cinnamon on my 25th birthday. I don't mind it actually, I love the scent of cinnamon and most of my scented candles are cinnamon scented. But I will surely don't like being thrown with pepper. Good thing I told my husband then boyfriend that I don't want to wait until I am 30 before we get married. Good thing he also can't wait!
I don't mind it actually, I love the scent of cinnamon and most of my scented candles are cinnamon scented. But I will surely don't like being thrown with pepper. Good thing I told my husband then boyfriend that I don't want to wait until I am 30 before we get married. Good thing he also can't wait! 1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
11 Mar 13
I would also prefer cinnamon if I had to choose between cinnamon and pepper I like the smell of cinnamon and food with cinnamon. Many people in my country get married just before they turn 30 in order to avoid the pepper attack. Of course they don't married just to avoid it, but if they are already planning to get married, they choose to get married one month before their 30th birthday instead of one month after their birthday...and then their friends get very disappointed, because they are going to miss out on the fun
I like the smell of cinnamon and food with cinnamon. Many people in my country get married just before they turn 30 in order to avoid the pepper attack. Of course they don't married just to avoid it, but if they are already planning to get married, they choose to get married one month before their 30th birthday instead of one month after their birthday...and then their friends get very disappointed, because they are going to miss out on the fun 