I go to their grave with a chair and sit with them for an hour or so.

Anonymous wrote:We buy cupcakes. She loved her birthday and it was the last time we saw her. So we get cupcakes to celebrate her.

Im sorry OP, the anniversaries are hard.

Similar here. My dad loved cake, so I like to at least buy a slice and enjoy it in memory of him.

Anonymous wrote:I sing happy birthday to them when I am alone.

this made me tear up. my mom would always sing happy bd to me even in my 40s.

I eat her favorite things and drink a stiff margarita, which she loved.

My dad died when I was 14; I used to get a slice of cake from the grocery store on his birthday but his birthday is Sept 11 so I don't always think of it anymore. It's such a heavy day.

I haven’t been consistent, but I always like the idea of planting something, a tree, shrub or flowers.

Sending love. For my dad we eat one of his favorite foods and my siblings and I usually text a picture of our kids to each other eating them. For my mom I wear some of her jewelry and bake a pie with my kids.

Anonymous wrote:I love the idea of a big tip to a service worker.

+1, this is great.

OP, I hope something here resonates with you (my mom’s been gone 19 years, and her birthday is this week).

Holding you in the light.

Get together with siblings, eat their favorite foods, commemorate them by doing something nice and worthy in their name.

Maryland DNR has the tree-mendous program that allows you to sponsor memorial tree planting

https://dnr.maryland.gov/forests/Pages/treemendous/default.aspx

We pray at the family alter, light incense, give charity and feed the wildlife. Invite the family for a meal and reminiscence. My brother and SIL sponsor meals for needy people.
If you are in MD, you can sponsor a planting of trees in the memory of your loved ones.

Lots of people mention their loved one's birthday on their FB page and friends and family express their love and how much they are missed as well. I find this to be a nice way to share the love with others who knew them and miss them too.

I also find it a bit odd that some people actually address their posts to the loved one who is dead, as if they can communicate with the person through FB. Very odd.

I sing happy birthday to them when I am alone.

For my Mom, I do an Insta post, decorate her grave, and we used to go to Guapo's because it is on Cinco de Mayo. For my brother, I light a candle in his memory and have an online memorial site that I post to.

I love the idea of eating their favorite foods. My dad died 17 years ago and his birthday is in a few weeks. I’m going to bake an apple pie.
Hugs to you all.

My dad and his 9 siblings all cook my grandmothers favorite meal and wear her favorite color.