Birthday punches

Birthday punches or (Birthday beats in Canada and the UK) is a North American based tradition in which the friends of a person, on his/her birthday, administer punches to the arms.

The Act

Usually each person administers the number of punches corresponding to the birthdays age +1 (n years +1), with the punches getting progressively harder, and with the final punch (for good luck) being the hardest. The punches may be followed by a "pinch for an inch" for growth . These punches are not intended as a punishment, but rather as a male rite of passage as the receiver becomes another year older. The Punches may only be administered on the receivers birthday, after that, the deal only turns into one hard punch. The person receiving the birthday punches MUST be standing up. If the receiver is sitting down his friends may pick him up if he refuses to stand and then administer the birthday punches.

In the UK, the birthday beats tend to be administered by students in the same secondary school, and is therefore sometimes done on the first school day after the victims birthday if the birthday falls on a bank holiday or weekend.
Although this tradition is not necessarily done to hurt the individual, it involves punching them and therefore may be seen as assault or battery if taken to the police.

Many UK schools have banned the tradition from happening due to the suspection of bullying.

A common practice is that if the punches are avoided or denied, one punch is added for each day that the punches are put off in this manner. If the male still does not accept his punches after two weeks, his status of man can be put up to popular vote by those desiring to administer the punches.