What I Don't Understand About...Birthdays!

Welcome to episode two of this series of mine where I rant about things that I don't understand or have twisted views on.  This 'episode' focuses on birthdays.

It's not that I don't understand the concept of a birthday. As we all know, it's the day when we exit our mother's womb with much crying, screaming and shouting (and that's not just the baby that is you).  Obviously, it is great to celebrate such a thing, much like when we celebrate wedding anniversaries and the like, I just don't think we celebrate them properly. The focus of the celebrations seem to centre around the person whose birthday it is and , in my opinion, that is slightly wrong.

It always amuses me when people say "Congratulations on being a year older" and then applaud you. I don't understand this for multiple reasons. Firstly, you aren't a year older. You're a day older, or even a second older. We get older all the time so why are we celebrating getting older just one day a year? Also, why are you congratulating the birthday person? All they've managed to do for this 'achievement' is survived another year.

My view is that the birthday person shouldn't be the one receiving presents or gifts, but the mother of the person for it is them that struggled with you inside them for nine months and then had to deal with all the actual giving birth stuff. They had to deal with buying larger, rather unflattering clothes, back pains, cravings for bizarre food combinations and all the stresses of gathering all the baby equipment and clothes that are necessary. If it wasn't for your mother, you wouldn't be here. Also, if it wasn't for the father although he has to deal with considerably less pain, about from the moans from a baby-carrying woman. Maybe have a "Happy Conception Day" for the father so he doesn't feel left out.

I doubt any of this will change anything, but I think a lot of it should be taken on board.  I know that it's nice to wish people a "Happy Birthday" but, to me, for that individual, there is no point in congratulating them... unless they're one of those extreme risk takes then, sure, congratulate them on surviving life!!!

Stay Strong
Michael