Half birthdays

[ridiculousridiculousness]

Settle a disagreement for me:

Half birthdays...for or against?

Today has been our ds 3 and a half birthday. He's had cake and a day of choosing what he wants to do, eat etc.

One of us was all for this. The other against it (but still enjoyed the cake!) and claim it's a fad that will disappear soon.

catch yourself on...

Never done this. However DS was born early Jan. I really didn't want to do an indoors whole class party becuase if the cost so we are delaying until summer where I can just set up a couple of blankets in the park with snacks and they can run wild for free. We'll have cake etc to make it a birthday party. But this is in lieu of a jan party, not in addition too. (Though he did have a cake in Jan)

Only for the first 6 months, or if you have a Christmas birthday or another reason why you can't celebrate having your birthday on the day.
Dd1 did have a 3.6yo party because dd2 was born the day before her 3rd birthday so planning (and having) a party wasn't really on the agenda.

Doing both is definitely overkill.

DS2 will be getting a half birthday of sorts this year. His birthday is just before Christmas and he asked to do a particular outdoor activity with some friends instead of a party. There’s not a cat in hells chance of being able to do this activity properly in December, so agreed we’d do it in April to get better weather (so I’m not freezing my arse off supervising a bunch of hyper 5 year olds!). I made it clear this was to be instead of a birthday party and we just had a small family celebration on the day.

palomapear Only half birthdays? We like to celebrate the arrival of our darling child every 10 days. We usually have a small champagne reception.

YABU! Only every 10 days?

I celebrate my birthday every single day; and additionally have a half-birthday town crier announcement every lunchtime.

(I do it while I am boil washing my MN bedsheets and towels, used or not. )

Only if you're one of the unhinged people who has bought into that sort of nonsense.

There are quite a few on mumsnet who have bought into it.

Nope. My child has a winter birthday quite close to Christmas. We do not celebrate or make a "thing" of their half birthday, other than a possible noticing it in passing as another family member has a birthday almost 6 months to the day later in the year.

Having said that, we don't mind buying our child something in the summer - eg a paddling pool, outdoor games etc, but we certainly don't link it to any notion of a half birthday.

A half birthday? This can't be serious

DD and DS both have a birthday in the last week of December, although not actually Christmas day. We've always had a little party at the end of the summer term to replace the party we never bother doing for their birthday because let's face it nobody turns up to a Christmas birthday party
But if they were born any other time of the year then no, we wouldn't. We call it a summer holiday party, usually a bbq, bouncy castle and pool when they were little, but now bbq and music outside. We have a massive cake, but no candles, nobody sings happy half birthday and the only presents have ever been from us to DCs, which is always something for the party (new outfit, water gun etc)

As a child I was obsessed with Alice in wonderland and tried to convince my parents we needed to have Happy Un-Birthday parties, which they entertained for exactly 2 days. Maybe that's something you could get on board with OP?

@Boobiliboobiliboo I’m saying I’ve never took the time to consider it

Oh, OP. Did you not know that MN would do a collective sniff and harrumph?

Well I think if it brings a bit of joy to a February day, what harm! Who doesn't love a bit of silliness and a bit of cake.

My birthday is Dec 22nd which is often the Winter equinox so I have tried celebrating on June 22nd, the Summer equinox or Midsummer's day, which was quite nice but I decided I still prefered my birthday to be near Christmas.

Marathons have half way markers.
Yes, and every mile as well as every 5km, but I've never stopped to have a cake.

I have a Christmas child and another winter child. I have considered the half birthday thing, particularly for the Christmas child, but worry it could get completely out of hand, requests for birthday, half birthday and Christmas.
I kind of see the logic when kids are young winter is a duff time for outdoor toys. But they won't always want or need new outdoor stuff. Once you start this kind of thing it's hard to stop it.

I'll admit that there's been the odd year we have purchased outdoor toys at start of spring / Easter just because we saw a need.

I once went to a neighbours greet the new cooker gathering, any excuse to celebrate if you want it 😂

I do it for my kids when I remember..... But all it is, is a cake after tea and a bit of oohing and ahhhing.. oooh 10 and a half, I can't believe it etc etc . Nothing more.
Don't know why we started it. Just a bit of fun.

No not for me

My sister is exactly two and a half years younger than me, so one of us always says "Happy half birthday". We're in our 40s and have always done that, but nothing more.

We do for my brother but his birthday is Xmas day

Never heard of this.as long as people outwith your immediate family aren't expected to get involved it's up to you.

Never heard of it and I think it's a bit silly.

It is of course circumstance dependant though and I'd be sympathetic if someone had a birthday on e.g. Christmas, or some other specific reason for doing it.

This is bonkers

Ridiculous! And I have children with November and December birthdays

Stop the world, I want to get off.

I might for my kids if their birthdays were at Christmas time. Otherwise nah.