Birthday Party....

Today at church we received an invitation for a birthday party that was happening at 4:00 today! Invitations to nearly any event are handed out mere days (or hours in this case) beforehand. Not having a present handy, I decided to put some money in the card and hope that that wasn't weird...
The party began at 4:00 and we were there at 4:00 and we were the first to arrive (most of the invitees were neighbours...) and the birthday girl had just gotten up from her nap and was changing her clothes. Pretty soon other folks started trickling in. The birthday girl and her mom and some cousins sat on a couch with a lovely cake sitting on the coffee table in front of them. As each guest arrived they shook the hand of the birthday girl (who turned the ripe old age of 2...) and gave her a present or and envelope with money (making me feel so much better...). She gave all the gifts/envelopes to her mom. Everyone oohed and ahhed over the cake. Then the festivities began. There was a sort of "MC" who led us in singing a few songs and then a family friend prayed for the birthday girl. After that we sang a song about blowing out the candles during which the little girl, Zipora, blew out her candle. Then we sang a song about cutting the cake while she, with the help of her mother, cut a small sliver of cake. After cutting the small sliver of cake, she was then instructed to give each of her parents a bite, which she did. Very cute! Then her older cousins handed out goodie bags and her mom handed out little plastic containers with rice, noodles and a little piece of chicken and the party was over. What?? No cake??? Nope, the cake was not for the guests to eat, for viewing pleasure only.... That's just the way it is here....