They feel unique among themselves. The important things in life are usually more than a day of … My blood type is B Negative! Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest! Anne. This seems like a good time to tell my worst parent moment ever story. They pretend like they do not like birthdays. . Birthdays are never spoken of well in scripture. These guys do not pretend nor they settle. Doing this could be counterproductive. You've seen the seasons come and go. When we were younger, birthday parties were where we decided who the great friends are; you know, the ones who would give you that birthday … Many religions celebrate the birth of their founders or religious figures with special holidays (e.g. With that being said, why do birthdays feel less and less important as we get older? These guys love the Time. Most people just have fun on their birthday, like a little acknowledgement, maybe a party, and then move on with their lives, like we all should. Birthdays are an arbitrary convention which gives people an annual excuse to have a little celebration and an opening for the people who love them to remind them of that fact. It's widely socially recognized and doesn't require any extra vacation days, so it's pretty great. It sucks for the rest of the world if you act entitled, but it's understandable if you really think about how awesome it is that each individual is not only lucky merely to exist, but only gets to exist for a brief moment in our universe. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest! You're right - birthdays aren't intrinsically any different than any other day. When birthdays are mentioned in scripture, the celebrations were typically done by Kings or Pharaohs and not talked about in necessarily a positive way. There is nothing important about the day before your birthday, the day of and the day after, as all three are just another set of arbitrary 24hour days. Some people use them as perfectly reasonable excuses to get mind-bendingly drunk, others use them as stepping stones and points to focus on change. They do not like to waste one day on thinking about how to celebrate, another day for preparations, and one more beautiful day to execute the plan. Therefore, View partially changed. We get to party, go to the movies, and eat cake. If you ask them why they don’t celebrate Birthdays then with no surprise they will reply nothing, and they stand mute. It lets you know that you've got friends that still like you enough to find a reason to take you out and get some drinks on 'your' day. I was born on 23rd January. Infact, there's a state wide holiday in West Bengal on my birthday. Birthdays celebrate a whole new year in this amazing place we call life. But I've often seen people act irrational and entitled on their birthdays, and have a high expectation of those around them, simply because they feel they "deserve it.". Those children often feel devalued evaluate they haven't had a birthday party and never had their lives celebrated in such a manner. From the beginning of our lives we start dressing up as little princesses, and putting crowns on our heads. Most people seem to have a sense of entitlement on their birthdays, and use that against everyone around them. Around the 4th century, Christians changed their minds and began to celebrate the birthday of Jesus as the holiday of Christmas. Other than these very few dates, your birthday is just another day of the year. Those people are going to be feel entitled no matter what day of the year it is. For my 21st birthday, I think I had five different celebrations. Why? But there are also parents who prefer to save all the expenses involved in throwing a birthday party and decide not to hold a celebration at all. Believe it or not, but the entire city gathers to celebrate my birthday. When we are older, birthdays are, for some, ehhh. I used to get excited, when my mind capacity was smaller - I would think that it was just my birthday. Not to be mean, but this isn't exactly a view that needs changing, you just need to focus on the better people. We celebrate the birthdays of people important to us because of the joy and well-being they bring to our life. It signifies an important stage in life when one is mature and responsible to make noteworthy life decisions. It is just another day after all. Birthday greetings and wishes for happiness are an intrinsic part of this holiday. "Not everyone wants to have a big party or be the centre of attention, but we do think it's important to mark your birthday in a way that's enjoyable to you." No matter how things went yesterday or last year, you always have the capacity to try again. Because I put so much value into birthdays. And I didn’t like telling anyone because to me, surely, if I was important to any extent, I and my birthday would be remembered without question. The moment you entered the world of business. But what is the significance of 18 or 21? I would like to point you towards foster children. … Everything else you have an issue with is just people you know being snobby. Of celebrations, family, presents and cake. Nonetheless, I think I'm going to try and use the day to step back from the internet, from school, and from all the useless buzz in my head and simply take a look at where I am and where I want to be. Why should I be obligated to spend the day with someone when it’s supposedly ‘my day’ and I can do whatever I want? Birthday Birthday Definition: The day of one's birth or the anniversary of that day. I use them as review points in my life these days, "How did I do last year against the previous, how to improve" and already working on stuff for this year. … I reflect on those who came before me, and of my children whose births I witnessed, and on whose lives I will continue to make a meaningful, positive impact until I am no longer celebrating any further birthdays. Everyone wants to wish the birthday boy or girl, all are eager to know the plans of the day. UNITED STATES—Birthdays, they come around once a year people, and with that assertion, they should be celebrated if you ask me. My 21st is coming up in two days, and I have absolutely nothing planned. Wow, you've made it another year on this clusterfuck of a world, cheers. To me, this seems like a primitive act, and imposes on others, whereas, people should just accept that the day they were born has no real meaning outside of the day they were actually born. I mean they are uncommon people. Age is not important unless you're a cheese.Helen Hayes. You're celebrating the fact that you are alive. . I thought it would be great to let you in on why birthdays are important, at least in my eyes. If a Christian celebrates a birthday as a special day, that’s all right; if a believer does not celebrate birthdays, that’s all right, too. And yet there are very few people, if any, who appreciate the extraordinary importance of a birthday. Birthdays are contrary to this feeling as they bring people in sudden attention. It can also be nothing at all. Money makes the things possible. My argument was that birthdays aren't important, but that argument would really only exist when people take them too far (which so many often do.) When a child’s birthday approaches, some parents often get excited and prepare in advance to celebrate the occasion. They do not like to blow off the candles in contrast they like en-light adding more wax (knowledge). I understand the argument of "if you don't celebrate yourself, who will?" To someone on a different schedule, the weekend might have a very different meaning. You may feel stunned about this nature but they like to remain as part of the crowd. They are just as arbitrary as any other period of earth's orbit around the sun. Some idiots may take this too far, but usually not. These guys search for the truth as they don’t believe in blind statements. So, they maintain the nature and stature. I also reminded my dad that my birthday is not that important as much as celebrating the one that matters to me the most. I used to feel exactly the same way, and I still do personally about my own birthday. Let each be “fully convinced in his own mind.” Of greater importance than whether or not a Christian celebrates birthdays is how he or she glorifies the Lord in all activities (1 Corinthians 10:31). But, it is the first anniversary of 29 th year and more stylish in saying instead of “I am 30 now”. It shouldn't necessarily mean all that much to most people, but it seems it's pretty expected that it be recognized by your parents and/or children and anyone you're in a relationship with. We're the ones who decided there should be seven days in a week, and we should have Saturday and Sunday off of work, making Friday evening one of the best times of the week. It’s not even about age so much as it’s about the pressure. I 'be worked with theming many of them have never had a birthday celebration. Some people do not like to come in notice of others due to any possible reason on this earth. They are the people who respect money & its importance of where to spend love and care. I don’t like Celebrating. Celebrating Birthdays are like favoring people with your hard work, i.e money. They are mentally disordered ones to keep the things in order. ...people should just accept that the day they were born has no real meaning outside of the day they were actually born. Strictly speaking, the weekend has no relevance to anything but human society. Cookies help us deliver our Services. The problem is not with the concept of birthdays, but with these people. In the US, I’d say the following birthdays are important… 1 – because it’s the first 18 – because it’s when you’re officially an adult 21 – because it’s when you can legally drink alcohol (i.e. Let me rephrase OP's question into something a little more awesome: I don't think the number of times you've traveled around the sun is that important. As soon as I sent it I knew. That's a valid point, and I do agree with you. Also Check Out: 1/365: Let’s celebrate Womanhood on Pseudo Women’s day! Doing this could be counterproductive. But my girlfriend, my family and some good friends were rather unhappy about it. Thirty is a time when one has started settling down in their occupation or relationships. It's my birthday and I can hate it if I want to. Birthdays celebrate a whole new year in this amazing place we call life. I appreciate Phiroz’s emphasis on the significance of birth and birthdays. The birthday candles are thus an honor and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune. So I think if you have other people who really want to, there is nothing selfish to let them celebrate that they met you, like you and want to have intertwined paths in the future. My kids birthday is today not tomorrow. Some people are entitled, you'll realise that they probably have that in other areas of their life as well... New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the changemyview community. Let me rephrase OP's question a little better: Birthdays are unnecessary hallmarks of a person's physical age. For some reason they've been codified into law as meaning certain things, but the law itself is as arbitrary as the dates are. Why Some Are Against It. When a child’s birthday approaches, some parents often get excited and prepare in advance to celebrate the occasion. Holidays aren't "important" either, they're just some days that people have agreed have meaning for one reason or another. For me, on the whole, it's just another day - you know? … I spend most of my days working or doing things for other people...I don't get vacations, I really don't get days off, so for me, my birthday is a day where I can, guilt free, just do what I want and what makes me happy. I get it, people forget things, but my mum made a list of all my old primary school “friends” (it’s complicated) and their birthdays so we made sure I didn’t forget them. 8, 18-20. A birthday is not only a time to think about your birth but also a time to think about your rebirth. If today is my birthday, then the statement time never returns is false. Nothing is important unless you make it important. To them, Birthdays are like normal days in a week. You can see their body language hesitate too. They look like a miser but they are not. It shouldn't be something you impose, it should be everyone respects. I've often seen people act irrational and entitled on their birthdays, and have a high expectation of those around them, simply because they feel they "deserve it.". The energy can affect who and what you are, the intrinsic nature of the individual you recognize as yourself. You made a hell of a round trip through space. They prefer to remain silent and follow the normal routine of daily life. For me it's an excuse to do something with my family, go to someone's house for dinner and drinks, have a good time together. ... and who learned that it is important to feel cared about, appreciated, and even celebrated. Not a Biblical practice. There are a few reasons why: Of course, there’s the most sinister of reasons. Why Your Birthday Matters Your birthday is a lot more than you think it is. We're the ones who attach significance to days. Personally I had birthdays in other countries where noone knew, and it didn't bother me. If you don't then that is perfectly fine, and you don't have to celebrate anything. The dates do not express the intelligence and responsibility of a person as someone who is 16 could, despite age, vote more intelligently, think more rationally and be able to drink more responsibly than someone who is 30. Happy to roll the dice on just another day with out the number reminder of a … I used to feel the same as you, OP, that the only birthdays that I would care about would be the 'big' ones (16, 18, 21, 25, then probably only every 10th birthday after 30). It is not something required, nor something condemned. Do Bible references to birthday celebrations put them in a favorable light? I thought it would be great to let you in on why birthdays are important, at least in my eyes. But somewhere between then and now, birthdays became something I just wanted to forget. I think of my father, may he rest in peace, on my birthday, as well as others who have influenced my life but are no longer around to witness the man that I have become. Secondly, I treat my day of birth as a reflection. It was her birthday not her older sister, and mom is an idiot sometimes. In fact, it's not about you at all. When birthdays are mentioned in scripture, the celebrations were typically done by Kings or Pharaohs and not talked about in necessarily a positive way. You can experience a lot in a year, and an entire revolution around the sun is, IMO, worth celebrating. I’d rather not spend my birthday with anyone at all. You've seen the holidays come and go. I believe the only days your birthday should matter are on milestone dates, like when you turn 18 or 21. It's one day out of the year to wave away your obligations and do something for yourself, maybe even something memorable. Please do not ask them again as you get nothing in return. Forget about the past, you can't change it, forget about the future, you can't predict it, forget about the present, I didn't get you one!Anon. You are an inspiration to yourself no doubt. Less excitement. We're very social animals. Due to its belief that humans are born with "original sin" and the fact that early birthdays were tied to "pagan" gods, the Christian Church considered birthday celebrations evil for the first few hundred years of its existence. For many people, birthdays, especially the big ones, make you think about how your life is progressing — or not going as well as you hoped. A fancy household appliance would be an ideal birthday gift for someone turning 30 years. Daughters are adults and Irish twins (less then eleven months apart). If so, how can one say that today is my birthday. There is nothing important about the day before your birthday, the day of and the day after, as all three are just another set of arbitrary 24hour days. Setting aside one day of the year is a convenient excuse to get together and celebrate life itself - we all get birthdays so in the end, it's fair. Take 18 or 21 -- people absolutely get entitled on their 21st birthday. It does have one advantage over all of the above: It's always recorded (you have a birth certificate), and it applies to everyone (everyone alive was once born). Why it’s important to celebrate kids’ birthdays during a pandemic — and how to do it (iStock) By Lia Picard. I thought 17 was such a nice age. Birthdays are never spoken of well in scripture. People who are feel themselves as unique aren’t in real life. They always think before stepping in. But as humans, we assign value to certain days of the year, not because those days are special, but because of something special we want to celebrate or remember. And it lets you know that your children are appreciative of you and, even though they don't have much by way of money, that they have a lot of heart and creativity when they make you those wonderfully cheesy 'Happy Birthday, Daddy' cards with you and mommy and them all holding hands. You could outlaw birthdays tomorrow and they would find an excuse to act similarly. For three hour pleasure, we waste three days of our time which results in wastage of your money. Using anything against everyone around you is a pretty shitty way to be. At least, it saves time and money. Everyone is contacting you and making sure that you are having THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER. By relegating age as important, birthdays become an intrinsically selfish event in which the date expresses no change in maturity of a person although a the number indicative of age apparently is. If you are NOT particularly well-liked and your birthday is ignored, it's a pretty good sign that you're either doing something wrong or that you're too insular as of late. I hate people and for one day they respect my wishes and stop bombarding me with their bullshit. I know my youngest daughters bd is tomorrow while texting with my oldest all morning. People will have more individuality and pride as a tag. My blood type is B Negative! Tomorrow, you may not. It does not need to be handled at all… After all, you do not need to handle anyone. Hope, you already know the words love and care stands for. I believe the only days your birthday should matter are on milestone dates, like when you turn 18 or 21. It’s Your Birth-day. Celebrations need Victories. But there are also parents who prefer to save all the expenses involved in throwing a birthday party and decide not to hold a celebration at all. A place to post an opinion you accept may be flawed, in an effort to understand other perspectives on the issue. Why do you disagree with it? Simple but truth “another year closer to death” perfect. However, the older I get, the more I realize my mortality and that every day on this earth is a day that I wasn't guaranteed, the more I come to cherish the day of my birth as a celebration of not only my life, but the lives of the other people that make and have made my life a life worth living. My youngest is so awesome, before I finished the I am an idiot send she was already laughing. Similarly, they're also a good way of showing your affection to those you love. However I like to celebrate the birthday of good friends, and if someone really wants to I do not want to steal their opportunity. As we get older, the idea of death becomes more imminent – not to rain on your parade, but it is something that people start to think about. That's the day you started a living and the amount of times you make it to that day is how people will measure your life. That is the only day you were born not on every day of the every year. That's just my take on it. It's the only day I will request off from both my jobs and make the day about celebrating my life. The Lore of Birthdays (New York, 1952), Ralph and Adelin Linton, pp. How My Wife & I Got On The Same Page About Money, Sovereignty: The Key to a Great Relationship, How To Tell If You’re In a Toxic Relationship, 5 Traits of a Great Friend (And How to Attract Them), The Single Best Way to Know if Your Relationship is Toxic. Like some wines past a certain age; numbers become raw and rotten which makes them harder for some of us to digest. A good way to stay connected, whether the story behind the day is meaningful or not. Let them to live in the same feel. For many people, birthdays, especially the big ones, make you think about how your life is progressing — or not going as well as you hoped. So is giving gifts and singing songs and telling stories. To me, this seems like a primitive act, and imposes on others... How does it impose on anyone? It makes more sense not to focus on myself that much, but to embrace my mom’s legacy. It's pretty awesome. Birthdays aren't about you celebrating yourself, they're about your friends and family letting you know that they're glad you have survived another rotation around the sun. Yes, 9/11, but we’ll leave that for another time. This feels more like an argument against certain people being assholes than against birthdays. As someone who just turned 31 on Friday, I just want to say that the reason I feel birthdays are important is two-fold: First, it lets you know that other people care about you. He/She has to celebrate on the day of first breath on their own. Don't want others to come to your party, don't throw a party. These are things that we have been doing for tens... perhaps hundreds of thousands of years. The first part may seem depressing, but it's really not. Inspires others. But people are born every day, and we certainly don’t celebrate strangers’ birthdays. When we are kids, birthdays are awesome. A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution.Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage.. In a world of over 5000 million people, there are on average 14 million birthdays each day of the year. Christmas, Mawlid, Buddha's Birthday, and Krishna Janmashtami). It lets you know that your Grandmother that you haven't called or seen since Mother's Day is still alive and thinking about you. My friend Ray Lee from Hong Kong told me that 60 is an important birthday in the Chinese culture. On my birthday I lock my door and play dota (and now dota 2) until it's over. As far as entitlement goes, I don't think it really should necessarily come with entitlement, but it kind of does to a limited degree. Our attitude towards birthdays tends to shift in the wrong direction and we actually start to become upset when the date looms. Your existence built relationships. They just don’t like it. I myself eschew birthdays and instead look forward to just a nice meal with family. My day. Because I put so much value into birthdays. I know for me, birthdays are a day where I just get to relax and do exactly what I want to do. The dates do not express the intelligence and responsibility of a person as someone who is 16 could, despite age, vote more intelligently, think more rationally and be able to drink more responsibly than someone who is 30. Two people turned … If I were an asshole and convinced people to give me gifts, it would be the same on Christmas or what have you. In some places the anniversary of one's birth, especially that of a child, is celebrated with a party and the giving of gifts. Milestone birthdays. Trust me, birthdays are not the root cause. You don't want to go to a party, don't go to a party. I guess you're right - they're really not "important", but I think life is way too short to take everything seriously. It’s the day you were born. Why is the 30th birthday a milestone? Why Some Are Against It. Sometimes it extends to friends, but not as a general rule. But those who do not like all this celebration thing find it nothing but chaos. All told, birthdays are no more or less arbitrary than any other celebratory date. If you are particularly well-liked and your birthday is noticed by many, it's a wonderful rush to your self-esteem. They do not want to introduce themselves as 30 Years of old. What I want to explain here is why for most of my life I found birthdays and most occasions for celebration meaningless and maddening, and why that’s no longer true. We all know that, time never returns. 25895. Why are birthday's good for you? The fact that some can become entitled on their birthday shouldn't invalidate that. But when you become the inspiration for … . By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. But with my birthday fast approaching it seemed like a great time to get it published. When we were younger, most of us knew that having a birthday meant having a birthday party, getting treated special, not getting in trouble and getting presents and cupcakes. It's arbitrary, sure -- may as well celebrate the day you started walking, or the day you spoke your first word, or the first day you were left to supervise yourself for an entire day (without a babysitter), or the day of your first kiss, or any other day. The whole universe is at work, not only our parents, producing each one of us. Each year is a milestone, you can't reach 18 or 21 without being 6 or 15. Today, you have these people. To recall your birth is to call in a new beginning. 18th Birthday Quotes. They're not inherently important, but they are annual days that are easily remembered, and so can be useful for planning major events around, whether that's a party for yourself or something else. They are just one of the little ceremonial nice things in life that have no real function or logic, but serve to make people smile. And I didn’t like telling anyone because to me, surely, if I was important to any extent, I and my birthday would be remembered without question. Christians initially considered birthdays to be a pagan ritual. For the first time in a while I'm actually working on my birthday, so I guess this year isn't as special as it usually is (I teach voice and my students have a recital so they're my priority :) ) but I am celebrating by doing whatever spontaneously makes me happy on Tuesday :). I believe the only celebration of trips around the sun that should matter are on milestone trips, like when you've traveled around the sun 18 or 21 times. There is no “Today is my Birthday”. As long as you don't go overboard, there's nothing especially wrong with them--and the fact that some people do go overboard isn't a strong case against the concept as a whole. Enter with a mindset for conversation, not debate. In short, birthdays are whatever you make of them. People who are feel themselves as unique aren’t in real life. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Abilene Christian University. So is sex. So if we agree that it's useful to have at least one day to celebrate you, why not your birthday? When our adult birthdays aren’t as exciting as our kid birthdays, that mismatch can cause the birthday blues. I cried on my 18th birthday. But the thing is, it’s not that I don’t want to spend my birthday with someone else. Due to its belief that humans are born … We were raised as little princesses- Every little girl had a princess themed party or 10 at one point or another. Most of us live a life of mediocrity, as another cog in the wheel.