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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

'half' birthdays?

35 replies

wowmummy · 17/09/2022 06:56

Ok I'm all for a party BUT I find these 'half way to 1 year old' and '3 and half' etc parties/celebrations a bit weird.

What happened to waiting till you were a whole year older?

We have been invited to a '4 and a half party' and I've said that I will save his present until he's actually 5. I don't know if mum took offence at that. I think they expect two presents when they throw parties like that but I just think it's silly??

What's everyone else's thoughts?

OP posts:

Violettaa · 17/09/2022 06:58

I’ve literally never heard of that, except perhaps for people with a Christmas Day birthday.

It’s nuts! Fully with you on no presents.

Thegrassaintgreener · 17/09/2022 06:58

I've never heard of them.

But assuming they aren't having a birthday when it's their actual birthdays, yabu. As someone who had their birthday in the dead of winter near Christmas, I would do this for my child.

trevthecat · 17/09/2022 06:59

Nah, this isn't a thing! Surely!

CrystalCoco · 17/09/2022 07:02

If they're throwing two celebration parties per year and expecting gifts and a fuss twice then yanbu

If they have a birthday sometime around Christmas and decide to throw one celebration at a less busy time of year then yabu - I know technically you can't change your birthday but if you want to throw your party another time it's up to you?

Lemonlemon88 · 17/09/2022 07:07

I have wondered about doing this for my almost Christmas baby. But I wouldn’t be expecting two lots of presents, I don’t mind if he doesn’t get any presents from friends, just want kids to be able to come to his party!

carefullycourageous · 17/09/2022 07:07

Is this real? Of course my kids used to talk about their half birthdays but I've never heard an adult take it seriously.

A half birthday party is embarrassing.

carefullycourageous · 17/09/2022 07:08

Lemonlemon88 · 17/09/2022 07:07

I think this is quite weird actually, just do it a couple of weeks earlier. A whole half year is odd.

amylou8 · 17/09/2022 07:11

I could get celebrating the 24/25/26 June for a Christmas baby, but given its now then end of September that's obviously not the case here. Very odd.

neighboursmustliveon · 17/09/2022 07:20

This is something I've not come across. My brother has started celebrating his wife's Christmas birthday again in June but it's just between their family. She doesn't expect presents from others.

Persons op, I would be finding I'm busy at the time of this party.

Aprilx · 17/09/2022 07:22

Lemonlemon88 · 17/09/2022 07:07

Really don’t do that, move the party date by a couple of weeks if it is very close to Christmas but not a whole half year.

Andromachehadabadday · 17/09/2022 07:23

never heard of this.

People who celebrate their birthday at a different time because their actual birthday is near Christmas, are doing a half birthday. They are moving their celebrations. Most wouldn’t then have a big celebration for their actual birthday.

Half Birthdays don’t exist and I would be buying a present or card for a child because a parent wanted to do their birthday twice a year

HeadacheEarthquake · 17/09/2022 07:25

My mum and her friends do this, a group of 4 women, just between themselves, as a bit of a hoot and an excuse to buy each other presents and get a takeaway and a load of wine. They're mental and it's quite sweet really.

But yeah not publicly, for kids. That's weird and grabby.

georgarina · 17/09/2022 07:37

If they want to throw a party, I'd say go for it. My kids love going to parties. Why not?

Hesma · 17/09/2022 07:38

The only person I’ve ever known to do this is DDs friend because her birthday is in Christmas Day. Otherwise this is odd

theexceliconisgreen · 17/09/2022 07:39

My partner's brother was born on Christmas day so when he was a child his parents used to celebrate his half birthday around June time to allow him to have his own special day and have parties. He had always been upset because my partner got his own birthday then also got to have presents on Christmas so giving the brother a half birthday worked out well. However they stopped this once DP's brother was in high school as he wasn't fussed anymore going into his teenage years!

Sceptre86 · 17/09/2022 07:43

I had one for my current baby, we did a half way to one party just us as a nuclear family. I made a cake and got her a little outfit and celebrated her turning 6 months old.We didn't invite anyone else and it was a fun waybof celebrating a little milestone.

I think what bothers people is the expectation of presents and the cost involved we personally didn't incur much if a cost and as we didn't invite anyone I didn't expect presents. I don't begtudhee people wanting to celebrate whatever but then I probably would choose not to attend.

Sceptre86 · 17/09/2022 07:44

littered with typos but you get the gist.

AlwaysLatte · 17/09/2022 07:46

Surely they're just having their one party at a different time? Ask them!

AlwaysLatte · 17/09/2022 07:47

(Maybe they have a relative visiting who will miss their actual birthday?)

girlmom21 · 17/09/2022 07:49

Have the done a half birthday all the other years?

Latenightreader · 17/09/2022 07:51

I had a friend whose parents, siblings and themself (lost the grammar there somewhere) all had birthdays within the same fortnight in March so they also celebrated a mass half birthday in September. Very much just in the immidiate family though.

Hellodarknessmyoldpal · 17/09/2022 08:27

From your OP it sounds like this is happening regularly and not just this once off? Very strange! I could sort of understand if this is a 'they never get parties because their birthday is at Christmas' type of thing but not just because they fancy 2 parties and sets if presents in a year.

pictish · 17/09/2022 08:29

Never been invited to a half birthday. Is it not just an excuse for a get together? Presents won’t be anticipated.

Youdoyoutoday · 17/09/2022 08:31

I have a Christmas baby so I have done his birthday parties for school friends in early July. The first year I tried to organise a party in December, a lot of people couldn't make it so that's why I did this. DS's actual birthday is just a small family thing though. We don't have 2 parties expecting 2 lots of gifts, that's ridiculous.

BCBird · 17/09/2022 08:33

Waaaaaat? Never heard of that 😫mind you I think it nonsense for the other sibling to receive a gift when the birthday sibling is celebrating. I'm in my 50s and it never happened to us. Im one of 5 so I would have seen plenty of other birthdays throughout the year- did me no harm🙂

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