by: Joyce Maylemme
Let's Celebrate A Birthday!
A birthday is a persons own unique holiday. It's their time to celebrate being brought into the world. Who doesn't love to be the center of attention for a day?
Children especially look forward to their birthday and can't wait for their special day to arrive. They enjoy celebrating attending a party with friends that includes games, treats, ice cream and cake.
The thing that excites a child most about a birthday party is the gifts. It is a tradition here and in most countries to give gifts to the birthday boy or girl. Usually gift giving becomes a competition. Who can buy the most expensive gift. While the birthday child may reap the benefits from this competition, the children who brought less expensive gifts end up getting hurt. To prevent this, the parents write on the invitation "gifts not needed." The party then becomes more focused on the child rather than the gifts.
Most adults cringe every time their birthday appears. It is a sign of getting older and they resist every moment. But we all knows that adults enjoy their birthday as much as they did when they were young.
Some birthdays become millstones in the person life. The first millstone is the child's first birthday. This special day is shared with relatives.
Another birthday milestone includes the fifth birthday. This is often the child's first "big" birthday party. It marks the beginning of his or her school years.
Who doesn't look forward to their sixteenth birthday. A huge milestone in every teenagers life in a step towards independence and freedom. They can now obtain their driver licence and parents no longer need to drive them every where.
The legal system begins to recognize the eighteenth birthday as the first step toward legal adulthood. You gain more rights and responsibilities including the right to vote. The 21st birthday is huge. Your earn the title, privileges and total responsibility of an adult. This marks the age to buy alcohol legally and celebrating with friends getting toasted.
In America, the birthday is typically celebrated with a birthday cakes, singing happy birthday at a party or restaurant and gifts. Other countries celebrate a birthday with different traditions.
No matter how old you are or where you live, your birthday is your special day. Enjoy it.