'half' birthdays?

[wowmummy]

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?

I did this one year for my DD with a Christmas birthday, but we just called it a summer party and set up the paddling pool in the garden, and decided the date as exactly 6 months after her birthday because it was high summer and good weather. Some people assumed it was a birthday party but no gifts were expected.

She's late teens now and isn't interested in doing it again, she hides from the sun these days!

My birthday is Christmas Eve, I get that.

No I've noticed it all over Instagram and everything. I'm so surprised people haven't seen 'half' birthdays?!

They have balloons, cakes, presents, everything!

Maybe is it the gram content but I'm not getting involved in the such I won't be taking presents. My children and I enjoy a party but I just find it a bit weird myself

We’re doing it for our daughter as she’s a Christmas baby so want her to have a proper celebration that’s just all about her and not overshadowed by Christmas.

I’ve only heard of families celebrating half birthdays with the same kind of enthusiasm as they would celebrate a real birthday, including cakes and parties etc, when the child has a life limiting illness or disability which means they’re unlikely to have a lot of birthdays. In those cases I think throwing a big birthday celebration for a half birthday is completely reasonable in terms of making memories for the family and giving the child as much joy as possible in what will be a short life.

I can also see that in the case of a birthday on or next to Christmas Day chances are that child won’t be able to have a party with friends etc that isn’t overshadowed so I also think having the party on another date is fine, although I think in most cases in that case it’s about celebrating on the half birthday instead of the real birthday, not as well as. No healthy child needs two parties or two lots of presents etc! In the case of healthy children I think to celebrate twice in a year it is completely self-indulgent and ridiculous, if the family want to quietly mark it themselves I guess that is fine but to be throwing a big party and expecting presents etc is madness.

@CrystalCoco

'I know technically you can't change your birthday but if you want to throw your party another time it's up to you?'

The Queen (Gawd Bless 'er) had an Official Birthday as well as her own, but I think she only got one present.

My son,s birthday is on Boxing day and we have never done this .

Are these the offspring of Influencers?

Never heard of this. Must be something in your area that has snowballed. I have had summer parties for dc with winter birthdays so they can do a certain activity not available or practical in winter but that's instead of not as well as the normal party: Apart from anything else parties are expensive and a hassle so you must be mad to start having more. A few presents wouldn't make up for that:

Several children in our family hall Christmas birthdays so I always give them a mid year gift instead. But I’ve never heard of 2 birthdays a year.
YANBU.

Never heard of it.

But I doubt people expect presents or cards surely - is it not just an excuse for a party? I guess if you have a winter birthday I can see a summer party would be nice.