'Birthday week/month' - is this the ultimate in CFery?

[SisyphusHadItEasy]

I have several friends who I follow on FB (and we are friends in the real world, too).

These are grown adults(mostly women, but not all) who are in their 40s/50s, so definitely not youngsters any more.

On the first day of the month their birthdays fall, it begins. Posts about "birthday month", fancy trips, purchases, a shit ton of "me, me".

I know that the first solution is delete FB, but I associate with them in person.

So, is it ridiculous, or am I just a grumpy fart?

I'm having my own personal birthday summer but I am not sharing it on social media.

I've hit a big milestone so I am indulging myself.

it wasn’t until I started reading Mumsnet that I discovered there is something called a milestone birthday

You didn't realise that people celebrate certain ages more than others? That's quite surprising. Even as a young child I remember going to random relatives' 21st, 40th, 50th birthdays etc. who never normally had parties. It's extremely common, I would say.

I has a birthtwoday this year as my birthday was on a Monday so we had a family get together on Sunday and DH insisted on doing something special on the day.

I did not post it all over Facebook though

I had a friend like this. Albums of X’a bday meal etc (usually multiple events) and she definitely had a birthday week. 40s as well. She needed to be celebrated all the time

I have a FB friend who posts photos of birthday outings wearing a birthday badge and/or sash. That's a little cringey for an adult.

There have always been milestone birthdays, it's not a new thing to celebrate big-o birthdays and 18/21!

I'm not big on birthday but it's a big one this year, so I might have a birthday month, thanks for the idea!

I’ve had a birthday weekend before now which is basically just to make sure I celebrate with everyone. A birthday week or month is completely self absorbed though.

I'm off to an 80th birthday later in the month.

Isn't that a bit of a milestone?

I don't care how often people celebrate their birthday but I do cringe at showing off posts on Facebook. I'm lucky enough to be in a good financial position but wouldn't post about expensive purchases because it isn't going to make anyone who sees the post feel happy.

I agree with nuno and Chic - there have always been 'milestone birthdays' and people have always celebrated them (well, in the last 50 years, I can't speak before that ). I'm all for hearing of different ways of living our lives, on MN, but you are being deliberately obtuse to try to claim you've never heard of an adult celebrating their big birthdays.

Nothing wrong with spreading your birthday out over a month. It isn't about "me, me, me" for me, it is about making sure I get round to meeting up with people I've been friends with for years, but that sometimes life gets in the way of us arranging a meet up without a 'hook' to hang it on.

I have a friend who celebrated her 50th by doing 50 significant things with her friend who was also turning 50. She knew people who hadn't made it that far and wanted to celebrate that they had. Good for them I say.
Because she was - you know, my friend - then I was pleased to see the pictures and posts of her having a great year.

I don't understand people resenting people they are friends with having a nice time. If you don't want them to enjoy themselves, then what is your relationship exactly ?

I think the first solution is just unfollow that person.

And if that doesn’t work there’s always the final solution. No more birthdays. 💀 🎂

They're not CFs if they treat themselves to a birthday week or month, but they are CFs if they start expecting others to celebrate with them.

I enjoy the week leading up to my birthday, but once it's passed, it's over for me. I'd find it a bit depressing to try to prolong the birthday feeling for the rest of the month.

Yes I agree...it does seem disproportionate and self-involved. I’d never comment negatively to anyone having a birthday month but I’d think it. What a Me-fest.

Yay! It's my birthday month! I have forgotten to celebrate for the past 4 days. Must do better.

But I'm going to be 46, so I think this may be the reason why I'm not celebrating for the whole of June. Partly too old to care and partly too old to have been brought up in the self obsessed Insta world.

I celebrate my birthday over a few days/a week because I have multiple friendship groups so different groups of friends want to celebrate with me. I don't post much on social media though - just one this year on my actual birthday of me grinning having received a free birthday ice cream

My friend has a birthday month, and announces it on Facebook. She doesn't expect anyone to do anything particular though. She is by no means rich, she just loves birthdays, her own or anyone else's and always makes such a fuss of people to make them feel special. Why shouldn't she do it for herself too? She is an utterly wonderful person who deserves every second of joy that her birthday month brings her and I smile when her "announcement" appears. If you don't like it, just scroll on by and leave others to their fun...

People can celebrate how they choose, it's when it's accompanied by bragging or a sense of entitlement that it gets annoying.

I worked with someone who had a birthday year for her 50th. She took unpaid leave from work and went all over the world - climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, toured most of Asia and Australia, drove across the USA etc, etc. She had an amazing time. She also got a Mercedes from her husband and he treated them both to a new mobile home.

The only bit that annoyed me was being asked to contribute £25 for a present - because she'd chosen a sapphire bracelet - her birthstone. Really?! I don't think so. Who gets to choose their own present from work colleagues? Entitled much! I put a fiver in.

I have a close friend that is turning 40 this year and for various reasons (deaths, operations etc) she has never celebrated any of her big birthdays and she is having many celebrations from June to November this year. In the 5 years I’ve none her she’s never even made a peep about her birthday so on this occasion I don’t mind.
You don’t know circumstances behind why people do what they do so I say just let them do them and you do you

A friend of mine is 40 in November. Since last January we've had monthly, weekly and now daily updates on: 'X more days until I is a big girl, tee-hee'

I only wish I was joking.

Tbh I think any kind of big birthday celebrations are a bit odd beyond your teens.

I think any kind of big birthday celebrations are a bit odd beyond your teens

that's a bit sad, I love gifts and parties and I specially like my holidays so the bigger the better! It's only a bit of harmless fun.

I do agree with above, requesting a certain gift from your colleagues is just rude!

Consumerism has made raging narcissists of us all.

I don’t get it myself as a birthday hater but whatever floats their boat. As long as you aren’t expected to finance said birthday month.
I’m quite happily go to bed on my birthday eve and wake up on birthday Boxing Day. Just give the whole thing a miss