Do you celebrate your birthday?

I call that "Wednesday."

 

Not too much. As someone else said, when you have kids, you get into it a bit more with making a cake, opening a few presents, etc.

It's a good excuse to go out and have Mexican food and Mexican beer, though.

And maybe it's the schoolkid still buried inside me, but I usually bring treats to work to share.

 

Damn skippy.

I've always made a big deal about my birthday, and have done so even more since I survived cancer.

My parents went to Arizona last year to do real estate between July 4 and July 14. When they told me the dates, I reminded them that they'd be missing my birthday. I made it known to them that I was NOT happy about it.

This year, my high school reunion will coincide with Dad #1's birthday.

Karma's a bitch, ain't she?

 

My 21st birthday came during exams in December. I had an exam scheduled for the next day, but my professor (it was a really, really small class) moved the exam to an earlier slot -- saying it was for my birthday. It was originally scheduled for the last day of the exam period, and she lived 30 miles out of town, down the mountain. I think her motivation was to cut down on a day of travel, but I wasn't going to stand in her way.

Since then, my birthday nights have almost always involved a high school basketball game.

 

I celebrate mine to the best of my abilities; I think it goes back to being a "P.S." (aka "mistake") child and my older brother and sisters and parents really making a big deal about my BD, which was the one day a year I felt like I really belonged.

If everything goes according to plan, I reserve the right to pull this thread back up in a year or two and talk about a new charity that reflects this thread.

 

I invite my friends to join me for dinner at some kind of interesting restaurant. We've had Ethiopian, Korean BBQ (not a smart move with a toddler in tow!), supposedly authentic Mexican, and Middle Eastern over the past few years. I was a bit less inspired last year, so we went to a new burger place that got fantastic reviews.

Usually there's six or eight people, not a gigantic group, and everybody knows each other. Once, a childhood friend who now lives on the other side of the country happened to be in town, and surprised me by showing up!

I usually go out to lunch with my family as well, but my mom's been on a cruise the past couple of years -- and again this time. But that's (almost) okay, since my friends' kids have quickly become the highlight of the day.

 

Not if I can help it, but I don't really have much of a choice. My wife is big on birthdays and she has passed that on to our daughter.

I'm sure something big is coming next year as I turn 40.

 

I'm one of those who takes off for my birthday. I refuse to work on my birthday. It's the one day of the year that I know I can take to do exactly what I want without wording about wrestling scores or matchups. My birthday is in mid-January, so instead of taking vacation time around Christmas like everyone else, I just take it for my birthday. This year wa s the fifth annual Mitch-a-palooza celebration that I planned. It's the one time of year that I can't get all my friends and family to come out for a night out at the same time. We go to some little dive bar in town and drink and sing karaoke all night. It's one of my favorite nights of the year and I usually send out invitations on Facebook in October just to make sure people don't plan anything else for that day.

It's interesting to see my parents both turning 50 this year because my mom is throwing herself a big shindig in July for her birthday, but my dad is already telling people he wants them to forget his birthday in December. I'm thinking I might take him for a weekend down south somewhere to play golf just to get him away.

 

Nah, that'd be Monday

 

hmmmm. i'm the first to admit i'm still an adolescent in many respects. treating my b'day like it's some sort of religious holiday ain't one of 'em. but i give you credit for stepping up and admitting it.

but 'refuse to work?' dunno how old you are but you've never worked for someone who said, 'what are you, 10? get the eff into work or take your effin' b'day cake someplace else where they indulge adolescents.'

but maybe that's just me fulfilling my role as a bitter, grumpy old fart...

EDIT: just checked to see that you're 28. still time to give up childish things.

 

Hey, I'm not going to judge. If he chooses to use his PTO day in that way, more power to him. No more or less than someone who takes one for a day at the beach or whatever. It's your time off, use it how you want.

 

you're right, ijag. the thread title is 'do you celebrate your birthday?' not 'how do you feel about the way folks celebrate their birthday?' the question was answered and would have passed without snide comment from me if no further details were given. ... i have ZERO problem with anyone who celebrates their birthday, only how they celebrate it... if you use a personal day to 'celebrate,' that's your business. even if i draw a conclusion from it i should keep it to myself.

my bad.... guess i'm surprised to hear someone in a 365-days-a-year biz has been successful making sure he's off on his birthday.