Happy Birthday to you

I love a birthday, I love presents, I love parties, I love all of that. 'It's better to give than receive' is always said when talking about presents, and I do enjoy the careful selection process when it comes to getting someone a present. How long have I known them, is what I'm thinking of something they may already have, will they like it, how much money do I have to spend on them, would they rather just have a gift card to a shop they really like?

I'm rather against just giving people money for their birthdays, because it seems impersonal. Saying that, I did just give my brother a fiver and some Maltesers for his last birthday - but that's because I know he'd rather have just had the money to go out with his girlfriend.

But I'm not writing this post to talk about birthday presents.

I like birthday parties as much as the next person. At my age they're an excuse to get drunk, have a dance and have a lot of fun. But at the same time I'm struggling to understand why we celebrate birthdays and don't just have these parties when we need the fun.

I had a party for my 18th birthday, which was tons of fun (and about the same amount of money) and I really enjoyed getting spoilt for my big day. But when you really think about it, it's just a day. All that happened was that I survived another trip around the sun.

Which I'm not complaining about, I know some people don't get to live this long.

Very young children don't understand their birthday, they just think it is another day until they are presented with presents and cake and I genuinely believe that the purpose of most birthday parties for 1 year-olds is so that the parents can have all of their friends over and have a bit of a break (which I'm not blaming them for). But as we get older we learn to expect presents and cakes and want to plan parties for the anniversary of the day of our birth.

I didn't feel any different on the 27th June 2010 to the 26th June 2010 (well, except a little hungover), but I had suddenly gained a year on my age and was showered with gifts and money - it just seems a little odd.

Following on from this, I struggle with the idea of putting ads in the paper or posters up in public places proclaiming that someone has reached a certain age. My mum asked me if I would like them to put something in the paper saying that I had turned 18 and I said that I didn't see the point. My parents turned 18, my flatmates turned 18, my tutors turned 18, all of my friends turned 18 (except the ones that aren't 18 yet of course), I don't see why it is something that we should announce in public and have a huge celebration about. It is something that most people do at some point in their lives.

I have a completely different view of posters containing baby pictures saying 'Look who's turned (insert age here)' - those are endless fun.

I did say to her that I'd like something put in the paper when I graduate, because then I have achieved something. I will have worked hard and spent a lot of money on completing a degree and should be celebrated - as opposed to me just living for 6574 days. I bet my graduation party won't be as big as my birthday party (and I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with this), even though there is probably something more worth celebrating there.

I will have been too young to remember the first time I actually enjoyed my birthday as a special occasion and when I learned that birthdays meant presents. And I also don't remember when I realised that you would have to buy other people presents for their birthdays.

Looking at gift exchange, presents aren't really presents when you think about it. You buy each person a present on their birthday and then they'll buy you one back on your birthday. You haven't gained or lost anything (well unless you have really cheap friends). I did mention about the sense of pleasure I get when trying to select gifts and seeing the persons' reaction, so there is some gain involved with the process of gift exchange - but again its another concept I just don't seem to get.

I'm not saying we shouldn't celebrate birthdays. I love birthdays. It was the birthday of one of my flatmates yesterday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUNNY) and we sang to him and gave him a card and ate cake and all had fun. I just don't think that they should be such a big deal. We all have them, once a year each to be exact, whereas things that only occur once in a lifetime don't get as much attention. I just don't think it makes that much sense.

HOWEVER: Reaching ages like 100 should warrant a huge celebration. That's something not many people do and it is worth celebrating every year after that because it's difficult to keep going that long.