To think the clue is in the name: it's a birth*day* not a bloody birthday week?

[pasturesgreen]

This is lighthearted, as I know it's nothing to do with me and everyone is entitled to the birthday celebrations they prefer and I should basically just ignore and each to their own etc., but...

My facebook and instagram feeds are currently almost taken over by dozens of posts from my cousin, who's celebrating her DP's "birthday week". They've had drinks, they've had an "activity", they went to the theatre, they went for a meal out, they had a photo session where a cringe-worthy poster-sized photo collage of the birthday boy was produced and they have more things planned for today and tomorrow.

Cousin's DP's actual birthday was yesterday. Cousin is in her 40s, her DP mid-50, so not exactly teenagers anymore. I'm all for making a fuss of people on their birthday, but AIBU and an old grump to think that it's your actual birth bloody day, not week?

Rant over.

My sister had her 50th Birthday - it involved a trip to New York with 10 friends, a trip to London and meal out to celebrate, trip to Ireland meal out to celebrate and then back home (not in Europe) for a massive party. I was more than a bit ...naturally I said nothing but really it's not a big deal to reach 50.

I gave my husband a birthday YEAR when he turned 40 He thoroughly deserved every last minute of it. Bless him.

YANBU - drives me up the fecking wall. BIL and SIL are great ones for a birthday weekend - so a party/group lunch out on the Saturday and then something just with family on the Sunday. For them and each of their 3 kids. We like going to the party to catch up with other friends too, but it then feels so unnecessary to do something the next day too.

Disclaimer - I may be a miserable old hag about birthday's as mine's Boxing Day so no-one ever wants to celebrate it

People having fun and doing things they like, for any reason they pick? Outrageous behaviour, down with that sort of thing.

We've had two big birthdays in my office this year and they're both having a year of celebration, involving foreign trips, UK city breaks, spa days, nights out and most ridiculous a stretch limo chauffeured shopping and cocktails trip.

My sil had a birthday YEAR when she hit 50. Mind you, she does like to be the centre of attention at the best of times.

I am planning to have a birthday year when I turn 40. It will involve lots of holidays. Well, two if I am lucky.

My friend had a birthday year when she hit 50. She did 50 things she had always wanted to do, for herself and for others. A lot of people benefited from her 50th!

She is a survivor of cancer and really wanted to celebrate being alive, being in love, having great friends and being able to give back a little (quite a lot actually!)

The thing is, she's quite a private person when it comes to her health, so only those very close to her would've known. Randomers on fb who only saw her posts because friends were tagged, may have thought her year long celebrations were ott.

Those who were celebrating with her most definitely didn't!

shockers
That sounds lovely.

Unless everything was notably posted with "my 5oth birthday year" then I would just assume it's somebody taking my approach of doing nice things because life is too short.

If everything was posted linked to a birthday year then yes, it does appear over the top.

But that's because I don't get the argument of 'there's so much misery/ life is too short' so I'll have massive birthday things. I'd rather just do nice things throught the yesr because they are nice to do and it's nice to see friends/family. No 'it's my birthday' fuss.

I am lucky if I even get a birthday let alone a week or month. I try to make a fuss of the kids as I never had it when I was a kid. We tend to celebrate the weekend closest to their birthday and that tends to be the weekend with something with their friends then something family based.