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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel my childhood was a lie: Do YOU know the Birthday Bunny?

115 replies

GeekyWombat · 29/03/2017 19:16

DD's birthday is looming and we're in the process of sorting out what we might get her as a gift.

There's one thing that she's particularly excited by, and we've just had a conversation about it in front of DH, at the end of which I said 'well maybe we'll have a word with the Birthday Bunny and see what happens for your birthday.'

My DH is now looking at me like I'm a lunatic.

In our house growing up the Birthday Bunny was like Father Christmas. When it was time for presents he was the one who got the memo (although we didn't write to him, just mentioned what we'd like to Mum who then passed the details on, I always assumed by phone).

I don't remember when I realised my parents were buying the gifts but it wasn't a big reveal or surprise. But the Birthday Bunny was still referred to.

Except DH has never heard of him, and now I've Googled it turns out apart from a slightly racy Urban Dictionary listing he doesn't exist.

Is this a geographical thing? Or did my Mum totally make it up and I never realised? I'm almost 40 and I won't lie, I feel like my life has been a lie. I'm also now thinking I might have to dial back the Birthday Bunny chat before everyone starts looking at DD like she's a loon too...

Have YOU heard of the Birthday Bunny?!

OP posts:
Hassled · 29/03/2017 20:51

Gus Honeybun! I loved him. There was a little kids train thing in a park in Plymouth which had Gus Honeybun on the front of it - wonder if that's still there?

Hassled · 29/03/2017 20:51

Yes - it was a young and very pretty Fern Brittan.

CoffeeAndEnnui · 29/03/2017 20:53

We talk about The Birthday Bunny (and did so before DD, oddly) but neither of us grew up with the notion. (And I have never heard of the television bunny man) For us it was just something which evolved over the years. Probably to do with the alliteration? I'm not sure.

HLBug · 29/03/2017 21:21

Birthday Fairy here!

It's DS's birthday soon and he keeps asking for things - standard response is "well, we'll just need to see what the Birthday fairy will bring".

I get this from my DM. DH thinks I'm a crazy person.

Original poster
GeekyWombat · 29/03/2017 21:23

Crikey, four pages? I only went away to cook dinner! :D

To answer a few posts:

  • I grew up in London so it's not Gus Honeybun and Fern (although he sounds awesome)
  • I've not got a brother so Jakadaal's DH is clearly another Birthday Bunny afficionado. It seems there are a few of us about :)
  • The Birthday Beaver actually made me guffaw out loud.
  • HecateAntaia please can you do a video of the troll song with jazz hands? Please? If you're worried about being identified, maybe just wear a balaclava with it it would just make it funnier

I'm actually quite impressed I have got a pretty much unanimous AIBU - I didn't think such a thing was possible. For what it's worth, I was being a bit tongue in cheek about thinking my life (or my childhood) was a lie, although I am genuinely agog that my mum came up with something like that and I never really clocked for the best part of four decades. I'll be giving her an extra squeeze when I next see her - it's the kind of randomly quirky thing she'd do but I just didn't realise it wasn't a childhood staple for everyone. I feel a bit bad I haven't appreciated it up to this point!

So many lovely family traditions on this thread (and my fab mad mum) have got me inspired. Time for us to make our own mythology I think. I'm totally going to carry on the Birthday Bunny for DC, I'm nicking TheProblemOfSusan's idea that we're blessed by Cthulhu though - I think the Birthday Bunny might be one of Cthylhu's acolytes. And I'm also stealing Slydiad's Treasure Fairy too as it just sounds like a lovely thing to do.

This thread has made me smile a lot so thanks for the replies. It's nice to know there are some other Birthday Bunnies out there amongst the fairies, trolls and long-suffering parents who never get to take credit for actually paying for the gifts!

OP posts:
NotTheMrMenAgain · 29/03/2017 21:44

No, I think your mom totally made this up. We did for a time have the poo fairy though, when DD was toilet training. When she pooed on the toilet (hallelujah!) DH had to put on his special brown dressing gown and a pair of fairy wings and enter the bathroom strumming my ukulele and singing a song about the joy of pooing on the toilet. Then DD would be given a special 'poo pound'.

It just sort of evolved. When DH was working away the poo fairy didn't visit, unless another man was in the house. Then they had to step into the breech and be the poo fairy. My dad is very laid back and never turned a hair. Great uncle Ian is a small, very dapper, Northern man and it was a pure joy when he unquestioningly got into the role Grin

Ilovetea33 · 29/03/2017 21:51

The poo fairy! I'm dying with laughter here!

JumpingJellybeanz · 29/03/2017 21:57

We had the birthday bunny in the north-west.

Crumbs1 · 29/03/2017 21:58

It's an Easter bunny. Birthday presents are from parents who,want to celebrate having each child.

Vacant101 · 29/03/2017 21:59

Birthday bunny here in the north west too Grin

SteamTrainsRealAleandOpenFires · 29/03/2017 22:03

Yep I used to watch "Gus Honeybun" in S.Wales too. Grin

JumpingJellybeanz · 29/03/2017 22:14

Could there be an Irish connection? My parents are Irish, although I was born in England. My entire childhood is full of mythical creatures which kept us on the straight and narrow. The Blackhole Man who lived in a hole at the bottom of the garden and came out to get you if didn't eat your dinner. The Bog Man who roamed the bog we went to back in Ireland. Riprap who haunted Grandad's cellar. Banshees, trolls, goblins, sprites and pixies, our house was full of the feckers. The birthday bunny was a welcome relief.

ClaryBeanHorshAndMe · 29/03/2017 22:23

Banshees, trolls, goblins, sprites and pixies, our house was full of the feckers

Sounds a bit like going to a Waldorf school (which I did... I'm mentally dancing a "sigh" Wink ). Dryads, fauns, nymphs, fire spirits, talking frogs, talking mosquitos, talking flowers, the talking sea, dwarves, Lucifer, angels etc... Grin Plenty of feckers on offer as well... Wink

ClaryBeanHorshAndMe · 29/03/2017 22:25

Oh, and Pan ;)

sum1killthepawpatrollers · 29/03/2017 22:30

we have a birthday fairy, she tells us wether the kids can have certain toys loom bands, bindees and hatchimals have all had a firm no from her and she also reports to santa about behaviour and vice versa

Dragonglass · 29/03/2017 22:31

Hassled - yes the train is still at West Hoe park Smile

BusyBeez99 · 29/03/2017 22:31

I say birthday bunny to my DS but I don't know why!

Ethylred · 29/03/2017 22:31

Your mother was totally gaslighting you.

Totally.

Lapinlapin · 29/03/2017 22:51

We didn't have a birthday bunny either - but your family sounds fab!
And Gus Hunneybun! How could I have forgotten all about him?!

ilovepixie · 29/03/2017 22:52

We only had Father Christmas and the tooth fairy. No easter bunny, birthday fairy or anything like that. I feel deprived! 😢😢

Katedotness1963 · 29/03/2017 22:58

Never heard of the birthday bunny, but then again, I thought Christmas stockings were a made up thing till I was in my 20's. The Easter bunny is another thing I never heard of till I was over 20.

edwinbear · 29/03/2017 23:02

We have the Birthday Bunny in our house - but I'm pretty sure I made him up, I didn't have him as a child.

MyWhatICallNameChange · 29/03/2017 23:06

Never heard of the birthday bunny but I have sometimes said Mother Birthday brings birthday presents, like Father Christmas brings Christmas presents. Don't think my kids took much notice though!

DedicationToSparkleMotion · 29/03/2017 23:12

Never heard of it!

I do talk about fairies a lot.

Oh look the Cleaning Fairy has been

Where is the Chocolate/Wine Fairy when you need her
I'm sure the Taxi Fairy will be happy to help

Etc etc

KittyConCarne · 29/03/2017 23:22

We have the birthday fairy here, which I also had in my own childhood- I thought everyone had one, but DP says he'd never heard of it before meeting me.

DSD2's birthday is Xmas day, so when she was little we would have the family Xmas presents early morning, then breakfast, and then DP or I would suddenly shhh the children and say "Can you hear that?! Can you hear wings flapping?!"

This was the cue for DSC & us to run upstairs to their bedroom and wait for 5 minutes with much giggling and listening out for noises, before creeping downstairs with DSD2 taking the lead to push open the living room door and discover her birthday presents which had magically appeared from nowhere- her amazement every time was wonderful!

I remember the speed at which I or DP would have to whip out presents from multiple living room hiding places as the DSC ran upstairs, so that one of us would only be a few seconds behind them to hide in their room. DSD2 is 15 now and we dedicate boxing day for her whole birthday- so can leisurely put her gifts out the night before- but she still suggests ideas to us for the birthday fairy Smile