<P> It is traditional, among English - speakers, that at a birthday party, the song "Happy Birthday to You" be sung to the birthday person by the other guests celebrating the birthday . More specifically, the birthday person is traditionally presented with a birthday cake with lit candles, with the number of candles sometimes corresponding to the age of the person . After the song is sung (usually just once), party guests sometimes add wishes like "and many more!" expressing the hope that the birthday person will enjoy a long life . The birthday person may be asked to make a wish ("Make a wish!")--which he or she does silently--and then is supposed to blow out the candles . Traditionally, blowing out the candles is believed (or is considered a lighthearted superstition) to ensure that the wish will come true . Once the candles have been blown out, people may applaud, after which the cake may be served, often with the first piece being served to the person whose birthday it is . </P> <P> In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, immediately after "Happy Birthday" has been sung, it is traditional for one of the guests to enthusiastically lead with "Hip hip ..." and then for all of the other guests to join in and say "...hooray!" This is normally repeated three times . In Canada, especially at young children's birthdays, immediately after "Happy Birthday" has been sung, the singers segue into "How old are you now? How old are you now? How old are you now - ow, how old are you now?" and then count up: "Are you one? Are you two? Are you ..." until they reach the right age, at which the celebrant says "yes", and everybody else, who presumably know the right number, all cheer . </P> <P> Both the music and lyrics are in public domain in both the European Union and United States . The copyright expired in the European Union on January 1, 2017 . In the United States, a federal court ruled in 2016 that Warner / Chappell's copyright claim was invalid and there was no other claim to copyright . </P> <P> The origins of "Happy Birthday to You" date back to at least the late 19th century, when two sisters, Patty and Mildred J. Hill, introduced the song "Good Morning to All" to Patty's kindergarten class in Kentucky . Years later, in 1893, they published the tune in their songbook Song Stories for the Kindergarten . Kembrew McLeod stated that the Hill sisters likely copied the tune and lyrical idea from other popular and similar nineteenth - century songs that predated theirs, including Horace Waters' "Happy Greetings to All", "Good Night to You All" also from 1858, "A Happy New Year to All" from 1875, and "A Happy Greeting to All", published 1885 . However, American law professor Robert Brauneis disputes this, noting that these earlier songs had quite different melodies . </P>

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