I don't work on my birthday because it's during the summer and I'm an educator, but if I had a different job I could totally see taking it off. I make sure to do something small to celebrate, often just lunch with one friend or something (I'm single), but I do enjoy getting birthday messages.

I have a few friends in their 40s and 50s who make a big deal out of it. One posted on Facebook a few years back that people had been asking her what she wanted for her birthday (I really doubt they had) and that she wanted money to renovate her house, so here was her Venmo, Cashapp and Zelle information. So weird. Another one of those friends posted on social media that July is her birthday month and she'll accept invitations to be taken out to lunch or dinner throughout the whole month. Again, weird.

I always take the day off work for my birthday, but I've had several years where I've ended up home with a sick kid and this year I had the flu. I prefer to not work on my birthday and instead take myself out for a relaxing day. I also take advantage of the freebie birthday offers.

One of my kids has a Christmas birthday and we make time that day so he gets to celebrate his birthday with us (cake, presents, and decorations) and then with friends later in January.

Why do you care if someone takes a floating holiday for their birthday? PTO is yours to use when and you you see fit—if someone wants a spa day or a day to sleep in or go to a movie and be grateful for their health and life, then who cares?

I can see rolling your eyes at people who expect parties and week long celebrations and what not, but taking a day off…really?

It's exhausting.

I’m 45. I was never a big birthday person until I received a medical diagnosis that will certainly shorten my lifespan by decades. Now I do celebrate my bday - but it’s more a personal celebration in my head, like an accomplishment. I don’t post it on Facebook or throw a party. That’s ridiculous. And I couldn’t care less if people know and whether they wish me a happy birthday.

You don’t know how much time you have left. Nothing wrong with giving yourself a pat on the back and a hug for making it another year.

Anonymous wrote:Co-workers liked to make a big deal out of everyone's birthday including having a cake for everyone. It was like cake every other day. And buying gifts! People, we're not seven!

🎶Get well, get well soon🎶

Co-workers liked to make a big deal out of everyone's birthday including having a cake for everyone. It was like cake every other day. And buying gifts! People, we're not seven!

Birthdays for adults are boring. A regular day is more exiting than birthday 46.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know someone whose birthday is January 1, so it was never celebrated during her childhood. So she makes a big deal of it as an adult.

I don't understand why having a Jan. 1 birthday means it wasn't celebrated. Because they were busy celebrating New Year's Day?

I have a cousin born on Christmas. She makes a big deal out of it, but that's the last day I would want to be born. My sister, born on the 4th of July, also thinks she's a hotshot

7/4 is the BEST birthday! Always off work / school and fireworks for it. (Mine’s then too. )

How nice! President Trump will celebrate with you!! Enjoy the fireworks tonight.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know someone whose birthday is January 1, so it was never celebrated during her childhood. So she makes a big deal of it as an adult.

I don't understand why having a Jan. 1 birthday means it wasn't celebrated. Because they were busy celebrating New Year's Day?

I have a cousin born on Christmas. She makes a big deal out of it, but that's the last day I would want to be born. My sister, born on the 4th of July, also thinks she's a hotshot

7/4 is the BEST birthday! Always off work / school and fireworks for it. (Mine’s then too. )

Happy birthday!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know someone whose birthday is January 1, so it was never celebrated during her childhood. So she makes a big deal of it as an adult.

I don't understand why having a Jan. 1 birthday means it wasn't celebrated. Because they were busy celebrating New Year's Day?

I have a cousin born on Christmas. She makes a big deal out of it, but that's the last day I would want to be born. My sister, born on the 4th of July, also thinks she's a hotshot

7/4 is the BEST birthday! Always off work / school and fireworks for it. (Mine’s then too. )

I have a friend who makes a big deal out of her birthday but she pays for the party and isn't obnoxious about it or anything. She also had an extremely rough childhood and said she was lucky if her parents even remembered her birthday.

So now she's in a spot in her life when she can celebrate herself (and her kids and other loved ones) and so she does.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My SIL. Assume her parents didn't do much for her birthdays when she was young. Even though she's in her 70s, she celebrates for an entire month.

Celebrating is fun, but at some point so many gifts and cakes for adults all month become narcissistic.

Bingo. And the constant sharing of pictures on social media - "Look at me me me me!"

Yep.

It's one thing to have a nice birthday celebration, it's another to have 3-4 celebrations for one bday AND share multiple pics of every single one on social media.

I always make a point to my family of having a birthday month. It's because I have four kids, and all kids - plus my husband - have birthdays within a month. I'd always spend a ton of time and energy on celebrating them, so then when October came around, it was a sorta-kinda joke that now it was my time to shine. Even though my kids are all grown up now, they still refer to October as my month. It's all in good fun.

Anonymous wrote:I know a couple people like this and one makes a thing of her whole "birthday month." I think it's ridiculous.

These people are so nuts! I once started a new job and someone on my team asked when my birthday was. When they found out it was the same month as their they said something like "Just so you know that is MY birthday month and we will be celebrating me." I was like ok, weirdo.