birthdays

Bollywood Birthday Bummers

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In the birthday news updates I receive daily, there were recently two different Indian film superstars waxing unenthusiastic about birthdays.

Rehka, who turned 62 on October 10, doesn’t celebrate life on Diwali, Eid, Christmas or birthdays. The actress [pictured above] told Bollywood News, “For me every single day is a blessing and a boon. And I want to squeeze every drop of life out of every single day.”

Me, I squeeze extra life out of every single birthday.

However, I agree with her other thoughts on birthdays: “If anything birthdays should be a reminder that there’s so much more in life to explore, and so much magic waiting to happen. I’d rather spend each day of my life trying to correct the mistakes and improving the quality of my existence rather than cutting a cake, and whooping it up.”

Also, in the counter-cake-cutting camp is Amitabh Bachchan. The Bollywood megastar turned 74 telling India TV how he really feels about cake cutting. The station translated his remarks as:

“I have asked to stop the tradition of cake cutting because I do not know why a cake is bought. Why a candle is lit? And after lighting it up, why is it blown off. Then comes a big knife!…After all the ‘theatrics’ another trend is followed…cake is smeared all over the face.”

OK, I see the not wanting cake smeared on your face. Especially at 74 when you wear glasses and have fine facial hair! Yet, his questions about why candle blowing have been answered already in this blog — and the ceremony of smashing a cake at age one has been addressed too.

I’d argue the cake cutting and whooping it up these two stars deride is a lovely tradition. Some traditions are celebrated for you and for others too. After all, even my co-workers who are currently on a sugar fast saved some of my office birthday cake for later. Cake cutting is a tradition that brings people together in song and the excitement of wishing someone well. Even despite the opinions of a few famous Bollywood stars.

 

10 Reasons not to work on a birthday

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Jumping for joy in sunset

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October 6 marked the second anniversary of this blog. Yippee.

It also marked the who knows how many anniversary of me not working on my birthday.

As a freelancer, I used to make sure I had no interviews or articles to write on my special day.

When I taught, I would always make sure that my classes had a paper to revise or research that day. Or perhaps I’d assign an online scavenger hunt. But I didn’t go to class and teach.

Now, with a regular office job, I took the day off. Unpaid even as I’m out of vacation days. Even still — it’s worth it.

Why? Here are my 10 ten reasons:

  1. Sleeping in. Even now that I have a kid to get on the bus in the morning, I can still go back to bed afterwards and snooze a little longer.
  2. Getting to read in bed before starting the day in earnest. Always a treat.
  3. No time limit on birthday lunch. It can take as long as I want and be wherever I want. I would love for it to be at Pompeii, my favorite Italian sandwich shop in Chicago, but living in North Carolina makes that more difficult these days.
  4. Flexibility on movie matinee. By going to a movie in the middle of a weekday on my birthday, I can see whatever movie I want without worrying whether or not the person accompanying me will also enjoy it.
  5. Time for a leisurely chai. With a book, outside on a sunny Fall day is even better.
  6. Ability to shop without a child in tow (and parent who enjoys retail therapy gets me there). Plus, there’s the added benefit that buying things on your birthday is really just getting yourself presents and therefore totally legit.
  7. Exercise without a deadline. Since I don’t have to go to the office, I can go on a hike or go for a run or go to a Zumba class (if I am so motivated) without the pressure of getting home and showered and back out again in time for work.
  8. Dinner reservations made easier. Simply book a table at a favorite restaurant without worrying about finishing up a task at work before the appointed time.
  9. Luxury to decide not to do any of the above things and simply hang out on the sofa all day watching HGTV.
  10. Me time. Everyone needs a mental health day every once in a while. I make my birthday a day to do whatever I want to do, without guilt. The only mandate is that I relax and enjoy myself. To me, even as I move into my mid-40s, that is what birthdays are all about.

Well, that and cake…always cake.

melted birthday candles

Photo credit: kevin dooley via Foter.com / CC BY

 

Totally Reliable Survey Data on Birthdays

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Photo credit: Dan4th via Foter.com/CC BY

 

I hate drive time radio. I am not a morning person. I do not want to listen to vapid chatter as I drag myself to work each day.

Nevertheless, I did follow the link when a brief post by an Indiana radio station discussed a “new recent study on birthdays” that “had some interesting results.”

Furthering my annoyance with radio talk show hosts, there was no citing of the source of the study. Only the giphys were remotely sourced (as being “via Giphy”).

But with that vent out of the way, I’m not going to let the lack of authority of the source get in the way of my blogging a response to Jayson’s summary of the findings. After all, I simply must weigh in with my full distress to learn that “most people stop celebrating their birthday at age 31.”
Apparently, Jayson reports, after 31:

  • “People don’t want to be the center of attention and don’t like the idea of thinking about getting old.”
  • “In fact, only one in five people never have another birthday party after age 30.” OK, that one I shouldn’t have quoted since it’s so grammatically glaring. Presumably he is saying that only 1 in 5 people will have another birthday party after 30.

Oh, and most shocking to me? “Those with August and March birthdays go all out to celebrate while September, October and June birthdays are less likely to celebrate their b-days at all.”

Here’s an October birthday girl blogging exclusively about birthdays. You can bet I like to celebrate despite what other birthday shirkers want to do.

The study further found:

  • People on average receive eight cards, 10 well wishes on social media and five presents
  • Two out of three people get a cake on their b-day.
  • Weekend getaways with a spouse, dinner with the family, and a movie night at home with take-out food are the most common ways to celebrate.

These researchers sound like my kind of peeps! I only wish the blogger had offered even a few details about the study source for me to be able to track it down.

In the meantime, I am conducting my own informal research. Click this six-question survey to help me out.

 

 

 

 

 

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Photo credit: Jimee, Jackie, Tom & Asha via Foter.com / CC BY-SA

 

Birthdays — You Only Get One

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Birthdays Matter

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“I don’t celebrate birthdays. So that stops me from counting days, so that stops me from counting time which allows me to still look the same as I did 10 years ago.” — Prince

Prince made this comment to a Dutch TV host in 1999. It’s worth watching the clip to enjoy the sass with which he says it:

Nevertheless, I don’t agree with this age-defying solution. Despite Prince’s great ability to keep his youthfulness, I am not one to accept ignorance is bliss.

Those who know me well know that my unwillingness to “stop counting” extends beyond birthdays. I am not someone who will ignore a problem. I’d much rather worry it to death, trying to anticipate every possible angle and be prepared for any worst-case scenario.

Acknowledging this, I do think that perhaps Prince was on to something bigger. It’s not whether or not we pay heed to birthdays, but rather whether or not we’re willing to live each day without worrying about what happens next or what came before. That’s what I think he was getting at anyway. That point of view does make sense to me.

Of course, just because something makes sense doesn’t mean it is any easier to put it into practice. If I could just stop worrying because I said to myself “stop worrying” everyone around me would likely be happier too.

Still, I can take this little moment of Prince nostalgia, and the ruminations (a.k.a. ramblings) of this particular blog as a reminder to take it a little easier on me. After all, ironically, it is on my birthday when I am best able to let things go…(well, except for people forgetting my birthday — I notice that!). So, the one day of the year when I am closest to the state of being Prince embraced is the same day of the year he shrugged off. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

In the meantime, yes, I am still going to count down to my birthday — it is now less than 4 months away!

Prince Rogers Nelson, died in 2016, at the age of 57. I’ll wrap this up with one of my favorites from him:

Birthday Busters

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When you’re a kid, the worst thing you might imagine happening on your birthday is getting sick. Once you’re a little older, the tragedy is the right person not coming to your party or you doing something that will never be forgotten by your pre-teen/teen guests.

Birthday disasters

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When you’re an adult, though, what are some of the worst things that might happen on your birthday?

  • Dying. com provides a list of celebs who died on their birthdays including:
    • Actress Ingrid Bergman
    • Feminist author Betty Friedan
    • Jazz musician Sidney Bechet
    • Renaissance painter Raphael

Apparently, your chance of dying on your birthday is 6.7 percent higher, according to analysis from University of Chicago economics researcher Pablo Pena.

  • Someone you love dies on your birthday. I can’t find any stats on that one, but that would be horrid. At least here are some suggestions for how to mark the anniversary of the individual’s death.
  • Even just having a horrendous allergy attack on your birthday because there are nuts in the cupcakes or some other awfulness would be pretty bad.
  • Being asked for a divorce or served divorce papers. Huffington Post has two different articles related to birthdays for divorced women (at 25 and at 30).
  • Getting fired. In Wisconsin, a company settled out of court with two employees both fired on their 62nd birthdays.
  • Setting fire to your home. The Daily Mail shares images of a birthday cake candle catching a balloon on fire and turning into a ball of flame.

Plus, I’ve written already about birthday honorees causing a riot, or being fined for celebrating their birthday, or ending up in jail.

Yeah, it’s not so upbeat. So, to end this consideration of birthday busts on a brighter note, enjoy a little schadenfreude around birthdays and check out this Awkward Family Photos’ gallery of birthday disasters.

Seeking a Trendy Party? Try Retro!

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When I think Retro, I think 80’s. I google searched “retro party ideas” and was treated to soda shop props and other ideas from the 50’s and 60’s. This too fits with my idea of retro.

Yet, it turns out Retro can also mean going back to the basics of birthdays. Canadian Family offers a slideshow for its “Perfectly Retro Birthday Party” involving “Old-school games like Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Pass the Parcel” and a cake made with love for a “relaxed homemade vibe.” They also suggest using colorful plates and cups to “dress up simple party foods.”

This was when I started laughing. Yes, I’m all in favor of lowering expectations on parents for the birthday party bash. However, I find it funny that we have to label a low-key party “Retro” to make it socially acceptable.

Yippee! Now parents only need to say they’re going retro to play some familiar and low-budget games, take an easier route to decorating, and accept that the homemade cake may not be as glamorous as the fondant concoction from a bakery.

What else could one do to remain on theme:

  • Have a dance contest – I’d suggest freeze dance, the kiddos get a kick out of trying to stay still the longest. If you really must invest in the birthday you could get a phone docking station that looks like a vintage radio.
  • A piñata, of course, would be in keeping with how birthdays were celebrated “back in the day” before indoor trampoline parks were invented. Personally, I’d go for one that looks like Pacman.

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    Image source: CoolPartyblog.com

  • There are many more “Old School” party games suggested by Red Tricycle. The ones I remember playing are the clothespin drop and bobbing for apples.
  • The Retro party also suggested loot bags with a few things in them and a nametag decorated by the birthday honoree. I’ve bought plain paper bags and lots of stickers and crayons and let the kids decorate their own. I’m a trendsetter. What can I say?

Fictional Birthday Fun

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“HIPY PAPY BTHETHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY”

Don’t worry. This entire blog is not in gibberish. The above is a quote from winnie-pooh.org regarding Eeyore’s birthday wherein Owl writes a birthday message on the (now empty) honey pot Pooh plans to gift his gloomy friend.

“I’m just saying ‘A Happy Birthday’,” said Owl carelessly.

“It’s a nice long one,” said Pooh, very much impressed by it.

This blog has previously featured messaging to kids regarding their birthdays and the positive character traits they should manifest on this oh-so-exciting day. More recently, though, I was thinking of famous fictional birthdays.

  • Eeyore’s regrettably forgotten birthday was one that came to mind.
  • Harry Potter, too, at age 11, suffers the overlooked birthday fate. Until Hagrid shows up — with a cake no less — although he admits it may have been squashed a bit. “I mighta sat on it at some point, but it’ll taste all right.”
  • Bilbo Baggins Eleventy First Birthday is featured on a Huffington Post list of the 10 Best Parties in Literature. After all, he invites the entire shire for feasting and Gandalf’s fireworks.
  • One more that I came across cried out to be included. Per The Telegraph’s Five Best Fictional Birthdays: “Teddy Robinson, at his own birthday party in Teddy Robinson Stories (1952), loses his head completely and sings to his guests: ‘I’m glad you came/But all the same/The party’s really for me.’”

Yet I struggled to remember or find more examples of fictional birthday parties. There were many, many suggestions made for how to host a party in the vein of a various beloved fictional character. Here’s a great round-up of book party ideas.

Still, I found little on fictional representations of characters’ actual birthdays.

Nevertheless, some sites shared the fictional birthdays of familiar characters. You might want to check out Flavorwire’s Infographic (featuring TV and movie characters — I share my birthday with Kitty of That ’70s Show and Peggy from King of the Hill) or Fictional History’s (a more literary version, although not every day of the calendar is full).

In the meantime, help me out. You’re readers. What other birthdays in fiction can you recall?

Bad at Sports? Blame Your Birthday

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I was voted most accident prone in my graduating high school class. Although I’ve played soccer most of my life, and did play basketball on my middle school team, I’m not the best athlete. I had always thought my lack of grace was to blame.

However, it may just be my birthday!

 

Turns out those of us born September – December are at a disadvantage when it comes to playing sports.

Sports Birthday

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In a New York magazine article about Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers) and his views on success, I learned about “what academics call the relative-age effect, by which an initial advantage attributable to age gets turned into a more profound advantage over time.”

He makes the case with hockey players, but I’ve also seen it argued with Australian Premiere League rugby players. The idea is that those with a January 1 eligibility cutoff in sports, those that have a birthday earlier in the month are more likely to reap the benefits of higher-level play.

For instance, a hockey player born in February will be playing alongside kids born in April and August. Well, the earlier born kid is likely to have more maturity (Gladwell mentions physical, but emotional could help too). So the January baby gets recruited  for an all-star team which leads to more practice, better coaching, and tougher games. By the time the kids are older, the January baby has an advantage over the October kid who was less mature when those choices were made.

Gladwell suggests, according to the same article, “elementary and middle schools put students with January through April birthdays in one class, the May through August birthdays in another, and those with September through December in a third, in order ‘to level the playing field for those who—through no fault of their own—have been dealt a big disadvantage.’”

That would mean a lot more shared class birthday parties — in those schools at least that allow birthday parties these days.

Birthday Sports

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Furry Friend Birthdays No Folly

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Do you fete your dog or cat for their birthday? The pet friendly industry is booming (Americans spent $58 Billion on their pets in 2014), so I was wondering if and how you mark the passing of a birthday for your beloved furry friend.

birthday dog

Photo credit: SimonWhitaker / Foter / CC BY-NC

My parents used to give their dog a pound of raw ground beef that I would decorate with doggie bones. My own dog would love the cake pictured here:

canine cake

Photo credit: TheGiantVermin / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

I tend instead to give her an extra rawhide that day and maybe a squeaky toy with seventeen squeakers to try and excavate from the poor stuffed animal by day’s end.

Feline fun

Photo credit: jfiess / Foter / CC BY

Cats strike me as harder to encourage to embrace any festivities. But this plate would likely help!

Birthday feline

Photo credit: Finn Frode (DK) / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

These birthday treats are not as tasty as ours, but we can still let our furry friends feel the love, right?

Let me know how you celebrate a pet’s birthday. I can’t even think what an iguana owner would do. Does a hamster get an extra special exercise wheel? Do goldfish get extra food? Or do you think marking an animal’s birthday is a crazy idea? Tell me why.

Bonne fête to me and my blog!

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Birthday Blog

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Yes, it is a year since I launched this blog…which completely and uncoincidentally I started on my own birthday. Yes, I too am another year older, but you’ll have to go back to the first blog and do the math to know how old I am today.

Since this is my birthday blog, I can write whatever I want to. Because you can tell that I’ve been feeling inhibited other days!

First, thank you to all those who have followed this blog. It is terribly rewarding to see other people share my interest in this special day.

OK, followers, I thanked you. Can you comment more in the coming year? I’m often asking questions and inviting you to share your experience but it’s like my virtual hand is up there for a high five and you’re leaving me hanging. Not cool.

Second, follow me on twitter too. You’ll get scrumptious recipe ideas #yummybday and keep up with famous folks who share your birthday via #bdaywishes. Intrigued? There’s a link letting you connect to me on twitter just over here <—.

Still, the best birthday present you could give me is responding and offering feedback, so I can make this blog better. Here’s a few possible questions you might answer for me since I’m being such a birthday diva and making demands:

  • What’s something you have always wondered about birthdays?
  • What’s the worst or best birthday present you have received or given?
  • What is the best or worst thing about birthdays in your mind?
  • What year was your favorite birthday age (and why)?
  • What else do you want me to write or do to make this a better blog (other than dancing or playing volleyball — I am not talented at either).

Answer one of these questions. Answer all of them. Write something else in the comment box below. It’s my birthday request of you.