The local garden center opens its winter wonderland/holiday show during my birthday week, so I attend the opening as a special treat. I rarely buy anything, but I enjoy seeing the displays. We usually have a restaurant dinner for each of our birthdays, although the dinner might not occur on the actual day. I still receive birthday cards from friends and family members, so I like to open them at breakfast on my birthday.

I used to really celebrate my birthday. Take it as a complete "me" day, same with mother's day. Do what I want, eat what I want, etc.

But now I've got 4 kids, ages 6, 8, 10 and 12 so every day is chores, necessities, activities, etc.

If I'm lucky, I will grab a cup of coffee from my local coffee house and have 20 minutes to myself.

Otherwise, it's just another normal day. I honestly look forward to the point in time when I'm able to have MY day again.

Happy Birthday!!!

It varies year to year. Some years I am working that day, so nothing special. If I am off, I dont really DO anything special but SO does make an effort to make me feel special. This year we spent the whole day going around getting gifts. A remote start for my car, a new phone and case, some shoes, a bunch of little things, then a big fat cheeseburger and fries. And yes, cake. Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I get one every year. Most of it goes to waste so next year maybe I'll go to Krispy Kreme and treat myself to a double dark chocolate doughnut instead. My moms birthday is the day after mine and we used to share our cake when I was growing up. But now, I hog all my birthday treats to myself!

I don't usually. I love birthday cake and sometimes I would buy myself a birthday cake....often when it wasn't my birthday, I would buy a b/d cake. Haven't done that in awhile. Hmmm. Might order one soon.

We like to take major trips - my brother's birthday is exactly three weeks after mine, and so we go either for his or for mine. This year we went to Cabo San Lucas, last year we went to Fiji, one year we went to Maui, but often we just go to the desert, since our birthdays are in February and March, and those are good months to go to Death Valley, Anza Borrego, or Joshua Tree. For Kevin's 50th, we went to Mexico City and Taxco.

We don't do much. On the weekend closest, we usually go out for sushi. And at some point we get together with another couple and get Mexican and margaritas. FriendDH and my birthdays are 5 days apart so we combine those. FriendDW and my DH get their own celebration.

Never any cake. Possibly a cupcake, but not usually.

This year I did not celebrate, too tired. But in past years I cooked a family dinner and as time went on would do most of the cooking but would go to a daughter's house. Always have birthday cake but did not this year.

Sue

My birthday is just four days after Christmas and I have other family birthdays Dec 7, 10 and 15 so between bdays and Christmas everyone is about finished. My daughter usually fixes a nice bday dinner and we get together at her house. Marilyn, miss seeing your posts. Hope you are well.

When Mom was around, I'd get the meal of my request including dessert...and I'd do the same for her on her birthday, including one year when she requested beef wellington! And for me one year I requested baked alaska. It was great fun.

Now we go out to dinner to the restaurant of choice...this past bday we went to an ultra-fancy place for lunch, then met up with my cousins for a nice hike. Made for a wonderful day.

yeonassky, check out line dancing. I go once a week and it's a lot of fun. I've met a lot of nice people and no partner required, tho they do have partner dancing as well. Good for the body, the brain and the soul.

Satine, my family feels your pain. My siblings were born on December 3, 16, and 31. And a nephew on the 29th. I don't know how Mom handled them, but they all got separate celebrations.

Yesterday was my birthday. DH is out of town for a couple of weeks. I'm not a huge birthday person, but I had the house to myself, did whatever I wanted, and had a steak and chocolate cake for dessert. It was great!

We always going to a favorite restaurant. For the milestones, we sometimes go on a nice vacation.

Although I am having a special birthday in June, we are too involved with projects to get away. I am going to save it for next year.

Nicole, for the past many years we have been in Costa Rica during DH's birthday. I always get myself a gift, which is now a running joke. It's usually jewelry.

We usually go out to a out-of-the-ordinary restaurant, more so for my husband than for me, but still a nicer than usual place for me. Our son will drive us so I can also have a cocktail and some wine, that's his present to us.

Usually drinks and dinner somewhere with a few friends. They always surprise me!

My sons birthday is 3 weeks before Christmas and mine is 3 weeks after Christmas. We have always made sure to celebrate his and by the time mine comes around we're tired of eating and being busy. So I just make something simple for dinner. Our local grocery store sells dessert cakes by the piece so I'll get a piece of lemon cake or tuxedo cake and share it.

Every year is a little bit different but family always makes a big deal out of any birthdays so there is always something to look forward to.....at the very least, a family dinner :-) My sister sometimes takes me on a weekend road trip, which is always good fun. Last year was a landmark birthday for both my brother and I (birthdays only 3 weeks apart but 10 years between us age-wise) so we had a big family gathering at a local BBQ joint. Beer and barbeque and a shared cake....what could be better??

He and I also have a birthday lunch tradition we have kept up for many years but seldom on the exact date.

Like the ring, Nicole and your spirit. Peridot is my birthstone. Not fond of it but that's a pretty one. Like you, I buy whatever I want and then thank DH. When the kids were younger and living at home, they got to pick their dinner and I made it. We go out to our restaurant of choice on our birthday. I also have a birthday group. There's 7 of us. The birthday girl gets to pick her restaurant and we pay for her lunch. On special birthdays we treat for dinner. We have a special birthday coming up next month. My friend will be 85, so dinner it is.

I don't. I always acknowlege everyones birthdays in my family. My kids get $$ and a card. My husband gets a card. I'm lucky if I get a card. I no longer expect anything because if I do I'll be disappointed. Last time I was happy was over 10 years ago. My 50th was the biggest disappointment of my life. My two older sisters got huge gift cards for a full day spa when they turned 50. I got a lawn full of pink flamingos. I was furious and now don't care to celebrate birthdays at all.

Growing up, neither my family nor my mate's made too big a deal of birthdays, and neither did we with our kid. I concede, though, that I do like when my son sends a card. Cake is welcome, too. We don't have cake otherwise, so that does set a birthday apart.

When I was younger, I didn't celebrate it at all, as much as I could avoid it. Now that I'm older, I like to celebrate for a week, which is morphing into a month! I'm always off on the day of, and go out to dinner with at least one or two family members night of. Other than that I go to lunch, take out a co-worker whose birthday is the day after mine, all kinds of things I can think of! There's even someone on this forum I go out and celebrate with, because it's their birthday too, ALMOST.

My birthday comes right around Memorial Day. It’s kind of a nuisance because other celebrations are going on and most nicer restaurants are closed. My son’s birthday comes right after mine. If we celebrate mine, his feels like afterthought plus we still have cake around. i also take a trip overseas right after my birthday and am busy preparing for that when friends want to take me out for lunch. I usually beg off and say let’s do it when I get back.

id rather skip the whole thing, not that I have bad feelings about aging. I’m glad to be here.

I don't and no one else does. pretty sad.

Sometimes I take the kids out with me for dinner and a movie but nothing more and sometimes not on my birthday.

I usually buy myself something big. For my 50th, I got a new top of the line Ford F150. One year got a new BMW. I think I'll try to get my new kitchen cabinets ordered this year.

Edited: I'm single with no kids. However, we as a family try to go out for all the birthdays.

I'm at the back of the birthday bus for my birthday - friends or family decide what happens, I just need be ready. It's dinner if out of town with kids, a dinner party if in town.

Thanks everyone :-).

Annie I would love to learn line dancing. I don't even know if there is line dancing gere in Vancouver but I'll find out. Do you think they would accept somebody who has two left feet when it comes to learning the steps at first. It takes me quite a while to learn a dance. Always has.

Thank you for the birthday greetings Texas Gem. I call this my birthday month but tomorrow is my actual birthday. We have done all of our celebrating so tomorrow will be a nice quiet day for me. I will turn on the music while I dance through and vacuum everywhere. :-)

I'm glad so many of you enjoy your birthdays. I love the mixture of ways that you celebrate. Jewelry and home-cooked or restaurant meals sound good :-).

Sorry that some of your birthdays aren't as special as they should be. Sorry for the disappointments that led to that if that's what did it. I truly wish I could make it all better. if you have the power to make it better in some way I hope you are able to do that and move forward.

In general if I really want something I save up for it so I won't be disappointed. Not everybody has the same realization that they are supposed to help you to feel special unfortunately so I have to take that in my own hands under certain circumstances.

Thanks again for your replies. :-)

Happy Birthday, Yeonassky!

We always go out for prime rib at our favorite restaurant; the kids send cards and gifts and call me.

Happy Birthday, Yeonassky!

I honestly would love to do nothing for my birthday. Or just take a sandwich, wander around the nature park a bit and eat it at the lake there. I might take my husband. But since I got married more than 26 years ago, his family comes over (it’s mine by now, but birthdays were not that big a deal with my other one). It’s just 10 people, but they are a lot. And with my husband’s birthday not even a week before mine, I am still recovering at that time. I just don’t like the hoopla of the happy birthday singing, the reminder how to blow out the candles to not have germs on the cake and that the cream on the cake is too rich. Not to mention this year we are still renovating the bedroom. So there are all kinds of boxes standing around. I might just finally do my nature park one :)

I pretty much ignore it these days, but I do get to choose what I want for dinner (hubby too). Sometimes it's a home made meal prepared by hubby and other years we go out to a restaurant of the birthday person's choosing.

Not to go all Pollyanna, but I'm fortunate that life is good and I count my blessings every day. I've never understood the hoopla over birthdays.

Happy Birthday Yeonassky!

we have 3 birthdays between Thanksgiving and Christmas. so we celebrate them all in January. its just too hectic between Holidays. We go to a really nice restaurant, always try to go to a new one with great reviews.

if anyone is ever in Philly go to Suraya, it is AMAZING!!

we have 2 other b-days in Feb and April. the celebrant gets to choose the restaurant. if time is crunched, i will cook for them but my preference is to go out:)

when kids were younger, i would make or buy whatever birthday dinner & cake they wanted. always bought mylar balloons and made a big deal out of it. they loved it and looked forward to it!! still buy them a balloon and tie it to their chair at the table. its a special day and i am all about making memories and traditions however large or small....

DS for about 2 years wanted McDonalds - yuck but it was his day, thank God he outgrew that!!

DD1: chicken parm with pasta

DD2: requested my homemade banana bread :)

nothing was off limits, its their day!!

I am a savory person, I seriously don't care if I never eat cake again.

A couple years at work I did take my birthday off from it, but the only thing I really like on my birthday is to get phone calls, or e-mails from friends remembering it.

Landmark birthdays, I'm happy to plan something special for. Had a super awesome party for my 40th, which is when I had a strange sensation that I was headed "over the hill". A premature notion... My 60th, four friends and I had a great dinner in NYC in a very expensive restaurant.

I'm wanting something quite awesome for the 70th, frankly. But until then... just say happy birthday and I'm good.

***

When we were kids, we could select our home-cooked birthday dinner and desserts as decided. Since both my parents were excellent cooks, there was never any angst over it. My brother picked both lobster and hot dogs one year in his youth! It happened.

My birthday and anniversary are on the same day. We got married on my 20th birthday, I was 20 on the 20th so it was my grand birthday.

We try to do something special. We had been spending a week at the beach till that got derailed by all the floods and moving etc.

I really want to do a vow renewal this year but hubby doesn't understand the need for that.

I have no idea what we are going to do this year but it's coming up soon in june. I am having a new ring made since mine were lost in the flood. Just something very special but simple. The jewelry store is hoping to have it ready for me by my special day. It will be my gift from hubby. Since he has had to buy me 2 gifts every year, birthday and anniversary, he started a tradition of buying me a rose for every year we have been married as the anniversary gift. It's getting expensive these days! Lol And it take a few vases for all those roses!

HAPPY birthday to those who are having birthdays!

And if no one is celebrating it with you, just create your own special day and be happy! You are allowed to create your own happiness! Celebrate YOU!

Growing up if my mother remembered my birthday it was several months later when she presented me with a birthday cake so now I try to do something for myself on my birthday. It may be making a cake, having dinner somewhere, or once even eating half of a sinful half gallon of ice cream.

Growing up my birthday was the day before my mother's. Since my mother was a total Diva my birthday got lost in the shuffle. When I was just out of college I had the inspiration to create for myself a Me Day. I buy myself a present, something I want but would not normally buy. My first self gift was of all things a Pepper grinder. they were a new sort of thing at the time. cost $10($47.50 corrected for inflation) A squander for a frugal person like me. My day is March 9th. I still keep it. I suggest everyone look out a time in the year, a sort of dead zone, and pick a day. And you make the rules. These days DH and I are two days apart. We celebrate together. We lean away from gifts these days

Thanks again everyone :-).

Loving my quiet day. DH made breakfast of omelettes, my favorite, with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, spicy salsa and vegetables in it. Then we went for a walk with the dogs for a couple of hours. I think we will run to the store at some point this afternoon and I will pick out some kind of a plant. It's always a surprise to me which one I pick :-).

Raven my DH also does not understand why renewal of vows is necessary. I asked him for our 10th and he was not interested. I guess that he just figures he doesn't need to renew what he's still doing now. :-). maybe I'll see what he says for our 40th in a couple of years and after that for our 50th when that comes in 12 years. I'd like to do that and invite as many guests from our wedding as I can.

You have to explain why vow renewal is important rather than it being a trend. If it is "just because"????

Happy Birthday Yeonosky! I’m glad you having an enjoyable day. Sometimes it’s the simple thing in life that really matter.

Thank you Kool it really was a great day. I got a hydrangea and a part of annuals to hang on my balcony as the topper. :-).

I'm not sure what you mean Maifleur. I think you mean that I have to explain it to DH why is it important to reiterate my love to him in a formal way. Which of course I have explained to him.

For me it's because the first time was beautiful and moving and it meant the world to me. That's a feeling that I don't mind repeating plus sharing again with my family and friends. I didn't know it's been a trend for the last 28 years.

Happy birthday, Yeonassky! To answer your question, I usually don't celebrate much but it depends on the year. My 60th birthday is Friday and DH asked what I wanted to do so I said let's go camping. My niece and nephew will be joining us as kids are living in Europe. So we will go biking, hiking, and sitting around the campfire. I made DH promise me that there would be no extra kerfuffle because I am turning 60. After all, I still feel like I'm 40!

yeo until fairly recently there might be a vow renewal at 40/50 but seldom did you hear of them beyond that. Probably because it was much too expensive for both the ceremony, party, and travel of those who are invited. Just as weddings are expensive so are vow renewals.

Yes, I meant that you really did need to explain why it is so important to you. It may also mean to him, although it may be what you are thinking of, that you will wear a long white wedding dress with all of the stuff that goes with it. I have attended two which that happened.

He may be only seeing thousands of dollars being spent for something that in his heart happened many years ago. Perhaps calling it a re-confirmation rather than a renewal of wedding vows will allow him to agree. Sometimes it is the words used that persuade.

I don't want any of that big wedding stuff. I just want us and a few close friends, a small get together and reception. I never had a wedding or honeymoon. We were married by a priest at a small chapel with two friends as witnesses. We were young and just starting our lives both in college and it was all we could do. So that's why I would like to do a renewal.

My best birthday ever was my 11th, and my mother bought me a horse. I say my mother, because my dad was overly protective of me, and tho I had been promised a horse, if left up to him, I never would have got one. The rest of my childhood and teenage years revolved around that horse. He broke his leg and had to be put down two days before I got married. It was worse than a funeral. My whole family grieved that horse, and it was a test for my husband to be, because it was so rainy and muddy a backhoe couldn't get in to bury him and my dad and Jody dug his grave by hand.

When I was a kid, my mother always baked a cake for me...and fixed a birthday dinner. My daughter came years after our marriage and there were parties and sleep overs and trips for her and her friends, but I am like whatsayyou....if celebrating birthdays is your thing, good, but I don't care much for the hoopla. I am very self indulgent and I have always done and had whatever I want. Fortunately, my wants aren't very excessive, unless you count my horses. I have never felt deprived. I love to cook but it is not easy living here. Once I move, I may be a whole different person. I may even become normal for a little bit. (Doubtful....but maybe.) ;)

Sounds perfect Sleeper! It's great when you get to camp with a family! My favourite is the cooking on a campfire. Though we don't get to do that much in BC anymore.

You were very lucky to have such a great mother Marilyn. My tomboy ways were a source of contention in my family and quashed daily.

I hope you get the renewal some day Raven. It's nice to get what you want even if you have to wait for it. Personally I'm patient and can wait until he's ready if ever.

Gotcha Maifleur.

Yes I described my wants to him and he's not interested. I included the simple ceremony with no fancy dress and home style party afterwards.

One of the other reasons is no parents involved to interfere with our plans. My narcissist of a mother continually changed plans to suit her ideas without my consent or input. I fired one person because they deferred to her. It was too late and many people were unable to come. So yes there are many reasons.

It wouldn't be the end of the world if it never happened though. I'm very very lucky in my family now and would still count those lucky stars.

Happy Birthday Yeonassky!

I usually plan a trip to the Fort Worth Botanical Garden followed by home cooked Teriyaki Chicken (my favorite). I don't eat much cake but I do love a cocktail or 2 instead.

I take the day off, it is my personal holiday. I’ll go to NYC on the closest weekend, see a play or two, go to MOMA (hope they have a great film showing), fight the crowds to see the Rock Center Christmas tree, and have lunch at my favorite restaurant.