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Original poster

Mind. Blown.

113 replies

chunkyjumper · 14/12/2018 12:39

Lighthearted Post for fun!

Was having a conversation with my teenager yesterday who was talking about his friend who's birthday is 31st December.

He says it's weird as he can never say his birthday would be 'next year' as it would always be 'this year' and on the day itself it would be 'today'.

It has actually blown my mind and I can't stop thinking about it.

Promise I'll start getting out more 🤣

Does anyone have other similar things/stories that they can't get their head around?!

OP posts:
Ilikeknitting · 15/12/2018 18:59

I’m pretty sure EVERYONE has a birthday this year and next year, regardless of what date the birthday falls on. Your daughters friend will meet st certainly have a birthday next year. Think about it, how can anyone not have a birthday next year. Next year there will be another December.

DeltaDelta · 15/12/2018 19:44

@Cheee I'm totally with you. I don't get what's different abou this birthday at all. Dsis b'day is 31st of December and we've never had this light bolt moment. Why can't someone born on 31st of december say, "my birthday is today?" or next yr? they have 12months between each birthday like the whole planet.

PedroLostHisGlasses · 15/12/2018 19:48

What blew my mind recently was when the clocks changed, and someone pointed out that if you had twins born either side of the time change, Twin 1 would have a later time of birth than Twin 2... so Twin 1 could be born at 01.59, then at 02.00 the clocks go back to 01.00, then Twin 2 could be born a couple of minutes later at 01.02 (02.00 in the 'old' time but the clocks went back). So Twin 1 is actually older but was born 'later'...!

PedroLostHisGlasses · 15/12/2018 19:49

Bugger... "Twin 2 could be born a couple of minutes later at 01.02 (02.02 in the 'old' time but the clocks went back)." is what I meant!

DeltaDelta · 15/12/2018 19:50

Ilikeknitting 😂 Next year there will be another December.

Don't get it either, Their birthday is just like everyone else's.

wanderings · 15/12/2018 20:10

Here are two other calendar riddles.

The day before yesterday, Suzie was nine. Next year she will be twelve. How is this possible?

It is well-known that Christmas Day and New Year's Day are on the same day of the week. However, in 1939, the year of the outbreak of WW2, Christmas Day and New Year's Day were on different days. Why was this?

OnBail · 15/12/2018 20:21

My DD was born on New Year’s Day, never thought about it before that her birthday will always be today or next year, never this year

ShowOfHands · 15/12/2018 20:30

LOL at all the people who don't get it. It's a simple quirk of birthday statements that can only apply to a NYE birthday.

Good thing about being a new year's eve baby - there are loads of parties to go to! Everyone is celebrating

Or, as a NYE birthdayer, everybody has other plans, it's too expensive to go out and you get joint Christmas/birthday presents or in that post Christmas haze, people forget you.

TarquinGyrfalcon · 15/12/2018 21:38

The day before yesterday, Suzie was nine. Next year she will be twelve. How is this possible?

Today is Jan 1st, Suzie's birthday was on Dec 31st - so on Dec 30th she was 9, Dec 31st 10 it is now jan 1st so she will be 11 at the very end of this year and 12 next year

TarquinGyrfalcon · 15/12/2018 21:41

And for your other riddle Christmas Day and New Years Day are not on the same day of the week in the same year.
For example Dec 25th this year is on Tuesday - Jan 1st (nearly 12 months ago) was on a Monday.

wanderings · 15/12/2018 21:50

@TarquinGyrfalcon Got it in one!

Shootingstar20 · 15/12/2018 21:54

On the day of his birthday you could refer to the next birthday as next year.

Try being a leap year baby.

DeltaDelta · 15/12/2018 23:39

My DD was born on New Year’s Day, never thought about it before that her birthday will always be today or next year, never this year

Now that kind of makes sense' but the 31st of December example doesn’t.

Underconstruction · 16/12/2018 00:13

I never tire of adding two years to DH’s age on 1 Jan. Next year you’ll be ... One of the perks of a 31-Dec-born spouse.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 16/12/2018 01:44

The 31st December birthday does make sense if you're talking about their next birthday - because by the end of their birthday, it will be the next year, so their next birthday will always be "this year". However, they will also have another birthday the year after, which would be "next year" - they'd just be 2 years older than they currently are.

CaroloftheBalls · 16/12/2018 01:48

On the 31st December, of course he can talk about his birthday “next year.”

“Shall we go out for an Italian for my birthday next year?”

OP’s premise makes no sense.

TheChristmasBear · 16/12/2018 02:01

I get it. But it depends whether you have a conception of time which is composed of:

A. Past and future
Or
B. Past, present and future

thickgit · 16/12/2018 02:01

My birthday is new years eve. When everybody celebrates at midnight, my birthday is over!

Madhairday · 16/12/2018 07:34

It's just freaked me out a bit that on Jan 1st I can say '2 days ago I was 46, next year I'm 49'. That's just...ouch.

Turquoise123 · 16/12/2018 08:32

This is my birthday . I say this all the time . Because I can

Cheekyblinders · 16/12/2018 09:11

Plus...when your birthday is at the end of the year you very quickly arrive at the point when next year you will be x and that’s almost 2 years older than you actually are! This is great when you’re young... have your 16th birthday and a few days later you hit Jan 1 and you can legitimately say “Oh I’m 18 next year” - quite cool... not so cool when you hit 38 and within days your dear siblings/partner/friends can say “you’re 40 next year” before you’re even 11 months from being 39 🤬😫. Yet another downside to a Christmas birthday🙄

Craft1905 · 16/12/2018 10:21

Why can't someone born on 31st of december say, "my birthday is today?" or next yr?

On what day can they say "my birthday is next year?

On 30 Dec or before, it's this year. On 31 Dec it's today. On 1st Jan it's this year. Their birthday is never next year!

FFs, it's not rocket science.

Bluesheep8 · 16/12/2018 10:32

I don't get this. Birthday is on the last day of THIS year, next birthday is on the last day of NEXT year, ie one birthday per year like everyone else. I don't see what the issue is...

Craft1905 · 16/12/2018 10:45

I don't get this. Birthday is on the last day of THIS year, next birthday is on the last day of NEXT year, ie one birthday per year like everyone else. I don't see what the issue is...

When you ask someone when their next birthday is, there are usually 3 answers, later this year, next year, or today. If you're born 31 December, there are only 2 answers, later this year, or today.

That's all there is to get. There is nothing more to it than that.

Retired65 · 16/12/2018 13:04

Craft1905. On December 31st, your birthday will be today and next year. Two answers. Early in the year it will be later in the year and next year but it is the same for everyone once they have had their birthday.

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