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Why Birthdays are Important?
Are you happy when it’s your birthday? Why do we celebrate Birthdays and why is it so important to us?
Birthdays are celebrated everyday and everywhere. From China to North America, birthdays are milestones that are celebrated in everyone’s life. While the festivities are different, the events and reasons to celebrate them are the same across all cultures. A birthday carries many unspoken societal norms.
For example, in the U.S. when you turn 18, there is an expectation to start living on your own or go to college. In contrast, in Hispanic cultures 18th birthdays are not a big deal. If you are a Hispanic female at 15, you celebrate “Quinceanera”, and in the U.S. you have to wait one more year to celebrate your “Sweet Sixteen”.
Birthdays are the beginning and the end of personal rights and privileges. As you get older you gain the right to vote, to enlist in the military, to consume alcohol or to smoke. But as we continue to age, we start losing opportunities as well.
IN THE PUBLIC EYE
Birthdays are a public declaration of a new phase in your life. From childhood to adulthood, every time we reach one of the milestones, the expected behavior from that individual changes. With age comes new roles and norms. These changes include how to behave in public, how to dress, and how to talk. How many times have you heard someone say, “She is too old to wear that?”
Our birthdays are a validation of identity and existence. Directly or indirectly, we evaluate ourselves against our life plan. How many times have you said to yourself, “At this age I will be married” or “at this age I will be ready for retirement”. Birthdays make us think, who are we? and where am I in my life?
We only have a limited number of birthdays and we always celebrate them to the fullest so my question is:
Why you think we celebrate birthdays?
By the way if today is your birthday, Happy Birthday!
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Personally, I feel birthdays are important because it is considered “your special day”, regardless of whether it’s shared by other individuals. It marks the celebration of when you were born into this world. It’s the gift of life… a blessing…a time to feel joyous. As a parent (especially for a mother), it’s a miracle like no other.
I believe that not only your birthday is important, for what ever reasons you decide to celebrate. But the birthday of a son or daughter is celebrating the greatest gift God could have ever given you. The best birthday celebration is when your children understand that their birthday is more important to mothers than our own. I know were I am in my life by my birthday’s sometimes but it does not work like we would like it to be but…..
I know how important they are because the 26 of December is the most important day of my life.
Birthdays are not important. They are nothing more than another day and an excuse for someone to expext an undeserved present. They are important mainly to women for some unknown reason. One great thing about Islam is that they shun such stupid celebrations which makes their followers stronger than weak minded Christians.
On my birthday when people ask me what I want, I tell them to be left alone. Humbug.
To yourself, birthdays may not be significant. But to others who feel your importance, your birthday is such a blessed day for them. It is a day to celebrate the day when they were blessed to have someone like you in their lives.
I love birthdays! They are a fantastic celebration of the persons life and all that they mean to you. It’s a way of letting people know how important they are to you.
Too much attention to birthdays and not enough on maturity. 18-21 to consume alcohol? Some are obviously not ready for this at any age. Responsibility comes with maturity,not age and the maturational process if different for all of us.
Birthdays are personal and special but should not be general bench marks for responsibility.
@Ben -
I feel sorry for you. You sound bitter, sad, and lonely. Happy Birthday
No, I’m not bitter just befuddled at how many women seem to believe that birthdays are some kind of personal requirement for people to celebrate and make a big deal out of. To me it’s just another day reminding me that I’m older; women seem to think that the world is supposed to stop for it and everyone else shares their “enthusiasm”.