Regardless of whether you’re turning 12 or 29, your birthday should be an exciting day. It’s an excuse to indulge in your favorite sweets, invite loved ones over to celebrate and spend a day doing something special thatyouenjoy!
This woman decided to throw a unique birthday party this year
Image credits:Kelsey Chance (not the actual photo)
But after thinking the party was a success, she learned that her friends didn’t enjoy the event as much as she did
Image credits:SteSolysium
Image credits:Fausto Sandoval (not the actual photo)
Later, the woman provided readers with a few more details about the situation
You’re never too old to celebrate your birthday
Birthdays might not be quite as exciting for adults as they are for children, but that doesn’t mean that there’s any less reason to celebrate. In fact, one2015 studyfound that 89% of Americans believe it is important to celebrate becoming a year older, and 62% even make a wish when they blow out their birthday candles.
As far as how Americans choose to celebrate their birthdays, 50% say they spend time with their families nearly every year, and 40% enjoy having a special meal almost every year as well,YouGovreports. 60% say they’ll throw a party or have a get-together at least some years, and 82% enjoy a delicious slice of cake some or most years as well.
Compared to the major holidays celebrated in the US, 58% of Americans prefer Christmas to their birthday, and 48% enjoy Thanksgiving more than their special day as well. But aside from those two, birthdays trump every other holiday. We tend to make children’s birthdays a much bigger deal than our own though, as a third of parents admit that they probably puttoo mucheffort into celebrating their little ones’ special days.
Image credits:Jon Tyson (not the actual photo)
Many adults today feel pressure to throw extravagant birthday parties
But according to a recent article fromVox, lots of adults are now opting to spend a weekend or even a whole week throwing a huge birthday bash. And one of the reasons why people might be feeling pressured to have more extravagant celebrations is, you guessed it, social media.
Similarly to how lavish weddings plastered all over Instagram and TikTok make brides and grooms-to-be want to do even more for their big days, birthdays are beginning to transform in the same way. “When social feeds are populated with images and videos of birthday vacations and ornate balloon backdrops, people begin to take these over-the-top gestures as commonplace,” Allie Volpe at Vox explains.
Unsurprisingly, these events are often extremely expensive as well. In fact, Credit Karma shared with Vox that nearly a third of Gen X cite birthday parties as one of the reasons they overspend, and36% of Gen Z and Millennialssay they have a friend who encourages them to live beyond their financial means.
Image credits:Angelina Yan (not the actual photo)
There’s never a valid reason for bad-mouthing a friend behind their back
And as hard as it can be to find out that those who you considered close have been talking about you behind your back, it’s better to know this information and be able to end the friendships than get hurt even later down the line. According to Barrie Davenport atLive Bold and Bloom, there are a few reasons why people might be talking about you behind your back.
They might be used to gossiping and continue to take part in this bad habit; they might be upset with you but not ready to confront you about it yet; they might be jealous or insecure and feel superior when saying rude things about you; or they might be unwilling to self-reflect and project their issues onto others. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, it’s never acceptable to treat your friends with disrespect or say cruel things about them.
Readers assured the birthday girl that she did nothing wrong, noting that she deserves better friends
346Kviews346Kviews
You May LikeWoman Flips Out When Friend Can’t Come To Her Birthday Because Of A Chemotherapy SessionMantas Kačerauskas“AITA For Banning My Husband From All Doctor Appointments After He Repeatedly Messes With Me?”Viktorija OšikaitėMom Thinks Friend’s “Child-Free” Rule Doesn’t Apply To Her, Is Asked To LeaveDominyka
Mantas Kačerauskas
Viktorija Ošikaitė
Dominyka
Relationships
