Half birthdays??

[Sofiegiraffe]

Is this a thing now? I'm seeing it more and more on my social media - people celebrating their babies turning 6 months old and marking the occasion with cake and presents as though it's an actual birthday. A quick Google reveals lots of "half birthday" cakes and banners etc.

Am I missing something? My baby turns 6 months shortly so I'm just wondering if I'd be a terrible mother to not celebrate her "half birthday"?!

No, it just seem like another thing to get presents from people and fill SM with imo.

Oh I am doing this on Sunday. We only do it once at 7 and a half because DC are learning about halves in school.

I'm going to have the table laid with party food and a cake when DS comes back from football. And a banner up saying party's Here!

No friends, no photos, no present.

Also, he has pretty much had a boring birthday the last two years so a little spoil for him. Aw...

I get my son a half-birthday present because his birthday is really close to Christmas so it breaks up the year and this year he made me some cupcakes for mine but we don’t publicly celebrate it! I’ve recently been alarmed to find out that I’m expected to make a fuss about my daughter turning 16 - I thought 18 was the big one! Seems it’s all getting a bit out of hand. But each to their own I guess.

My baby is nearly 6 months and not a chance at I am getting into this half birthday nonsense. It's just a show off post on Instagram for people by the sounds of it.

It’s bullshit- one more thing for the Mother to remember.

It’s certainly not done in our house.

I remember noting to myself when my first baby was 9 months and that he had now been out longer than in.

The only reason for half birthdays is if a child is born on Xmas or New Year or another day you can't really celebrate in the normal day.

My best mate celebrates her half birthday as she was born on Christmas Day. We are in our fifties.
But seriously, I think that insta suggests this stuff to people.

@JapanJetplane

I’ve never seen presents and banners. I’ve seen people have a ‘half cake’ for a half birthday, which I think is sweet and harmless.

You’ve presumably attained adulthood if you have a 6mo so you ought to know that this isn’t a thing for which you will be judged if you don’t do it. You can relax on that front.

😳 how unnecessarily patronising

@LeonoraFlorence

We don’t celebrate half birthdays but I remember when DD1 turned 6 months taking her to a lovely park and acknowledging in my head it was a special day. Has forgotten it until now but I can still take myself back to pushing her pram through the woods and thinking how lucky I was to have ger :)

Ah this is so lovely

The only way I can see this not being total wankery is in the case of a winter birthday. Winter birthdays are pretty crap because you can't have an outdoor party and it can be present overload with a very barren rest of the year. Celebrating six months earlier or later seems practical then. Otherwise, daft.

@Rosehip10

People who celebrate these are vulgar.

😂🤦🏼‍♀️

I think they're a lovely thing for people who's birthdays are around Christmas.

@JapanJetplane

Here's a selection of banners. So now you have seen them.

@Rosehip10

People who celebrate these are vulgar.

Thanks. I'll be celebrating when my sons 6 months old, because we didn't get to celebrate, nor were we sure he would make it to 6 months, when he was born 3 months early.

I remember dc being invited to a birthday party and then the party mum sent a message saying that it was her other child's half birthday and "please don't make a difference between the two". The general consensus was that we had to get a present for the half birthday child too, AND it was requested that we bring a dish to share to the party. We suddenly got sick that weekend.

@herculesoffline

I'm sorry. Ignore that poster. Their comments says a lot more about them than it does anyone else.

We had cake for DS2 and DD when they turned 6 months (6 years apart). It was just an excuse for cake and I don't suppose we told anyone except grandparents.
We also celebrated things like cinco de mayo during lockdown (despite never having been to Mexico) mostly break up the days.
I'm not really sure how eating homemade cake can be described as vulgar

I don’t get some of the extreme judgement. I wouldn’t do it myself but it’s hurting no one and it makes them happy. Some people need to calm the fuck down over a cake.

I'm not really sure how eating homemade cake can be described as vulgar

If it can then I am most definitely vulgar as I love a good homemade cake 🍰

I think if you’re very close to Christmas and new year, so people can never come to your party, then it’s fair enough to throw a party in summer. Otherwise I can’t see the point, but it’s just people wasting their own time and money so I’d not think much of it really.

@BrilliantBulb agreed 100%

We did for ours - a cupcake with a candle, a card from us to DC and a photo of the 3 of us (then 4 of us). Not for social media, didn’t share with friends, it was just for us.
(I ate the cupcake)

If we remember, we still buy a cupcake for DC’s half birthday - I think that’s perhaps happened twice in the past decade and they never ask or expect it.

Not something anyone in my area does. Never heard of half birthdays until I saw your post.