'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?

YANBU. Birthday week or month seems to follow the trend of things such as Valentines weekend (no its a day), stag/hen weeks (not nights or weekends).

Unfollowing on social media will at least mean you hear less about it.

Isn't it just an extension of the "more of everything" culture these days?

Like stag/hen dos lasting more than one evening but instead including a foreign holiday, limos etc.

And weddings not just having a nice meal and maybe an evening party for people who they couldn't invite, but now including a special meal for the wedding rehearsal, weekend where everyone stays in a hotel, children's party entertainer, extra events, extras such as candy floss machine at the reception, etc.

And people having baby showers and gender reveal parties as well as a christening for the baby.

And children's parties having extra super big party bags and luxurious gifts, trips to expensive places just for an ordinary birthday, when we'd have had a nice tea, a few games, a balloon and a slice of cake to take home and thought ourselves lucky?

It seems like everyone is trying to top each other these days and it's a trend which has got out of hand.

Bit daft to go on about it on FB but does everyone celebrate their birthday in just one day?

By the time I've factored in teen DD, parents colleagues and friends, and the fact the DD's birthday is a week before mine so arrangements have to be made with XH to involve him we end up with a fortnight's Birthdayfest every year!

That said it's not necessarily extravagant and I don't make endless social media posts about it.

why do people always go into the "these days" argument?

Having big birthdays and making a huge fuss of them is nothing new, the only thing that happens these days is social media. Nothing else has changed.

@ImMeantToBeWorking that just isn't true. People in the 1970s did NOT make a huge celebration out of becoming, say, 45 instead of 44, for instance. It just wasn't a thing. Life was definitely much more low-key and many adults didn't celebrate their birthdays at all apart from possibly a cake and a few gifts from close family.

I do roll my eyes at it

It does seem to be worse this year - but I suspect it's because it's the year I and most of my school friends turn 40 - so it's a
'big' birthday

Some of it though is just because the dates of things worked out that way - for example someone asked me if we were doing anything for my birthday - we were going away a few weeks later so it seemed easier to say that was 'for my birthday' as technically I was looking for a trip away over my birthday but it was so much cheaper to go later (joys of a new year birthday) we didn't mention my actual birthday when we were there - but some people may have seen that as a 'birthday month'

sorry that comment was meant to be for @myDHhasahobbyanditsnotcycling - btw what is his hobby?

Cruelstepmother
I disagree, I have seen plenty of evidence that SOME people make a very big thing of their celebrations, going much earlier than the 70s!

btw what is his hobby?

You didn't realise that people celebrate certain ages more than others? That's quite surprising.

Well, that’s not remotely what I said. But you knew that.

Oh come on. As you get older birthdays aren’t as exciting. Let them have their week/month

YANBU.
I have a friend like this, she is STILL going on about her last birthday - every single conversation is bought back around to 'I did that for my b'day'. Her birthday is this month, I'm not too sure when the crossover will take place, but I'm sure there will be an announcement
Most annoyingly, everyone else's birthday is totally inconsequential.

So if I'm older than 30 I can't celebrate my birthday? By the time I've gone out with friends, had a family get together (don't live close by so meet up for birthdays) and had a day with dh and dc, I have a month of loveliness. Why can't we have fun again? Did I miss a memo?

If you're on sm but aren't posting about nice things you're doing then what do you post? Meaningless memes?

Its mumsnet if you post on social media it's stealth bragging not just sharing. I may only post occasionally usually to share photos/info of an occasion with friends and family ( my social media is private) but even that seems criticised these days.

But if people didn't post what would you be reading on these platforms? It's quite simple unfollow/friend those you don't like or post too often. There will always be people that annoy you in real life or online and always ways to avoid them!

cardibach - I removed my birthday a couple of years ago, but because of the "memories" thing anything anyone commented on (my birthday) pops up in their feed. That would be pretty crappy if I kept my birthday on there but didn't allow anyone that one day to message. Sorry for not being clearer, really tired today.

@LoubyLou1234

I think the thing is why you're posting on Social media. Are you posting because it's something that will be interesting/funny/nice for your friends to see or are you posting to project a certain image of yourself?

I have a friend who is definitely the latter. Every time she buys something expensive she has to share a photo on Facebook (she knows no one is going to be interested in it). She once posted photos of a day out she'd had at a local theme park. Lots of wonderful photos of smiley children #makingmemories. I asked her about it as I thought I might want to take DC there. She said it had been a horrible day. It rained for all but about 10 minutes the kids had moaned, the queues were huge.

I'm just jealous, my birthday is the end of December so I don't get to celebrate in style on social media because everyone else is having a Christmas month.