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’s too old to wear that!”  or “She’s too young to wear that!”

Our birthdays are a validation of our 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 in our lifetime and so we should always celebrate them to the fullest.  Be sure to acknowledge those special people in your life when their birthday comes around each year.  A heartfelt card or a personal phone call is the best way to show someone that you are thinking about them on their special day.