Birthdays.  

 Though, I don’t know how many people celebrate their birthdays or how, but one thing is for sure birthdays are timeless and revive many of our treasured memories.  

But what comes to mind when hearing birthdays? 

 Is it the typical cheerful, blowing the candles on the cake, making wishes, listening to the awkward and off key “happy birthday” song whilst everyone is eyeing the table of presents and food, that comes to mind?  

If yes, these things are what many believe the epitome of this supposedly buoyant event to be.  

But what if there is more than meets the eye?  

  

Birthdays of the Past:  

Birthdays were in fact only a name given to a splendidly lavish celebration, “back in the good old days”.  

Birthdays are probably as old as time, starting around 3000BC and celebrated to honour the Gods or the coronations of a king-to-be.  

This might shock most, but I guess most traditions get buried over time, you blowing out the candles and cutting a cake can be a tradition held on for many generations, and you don’t even know it!   

On the other hand…  

That’s a lot of pressure for just blowing out a few candles, right?  

Pressure that we don’t seem to get enough praise for, in my opinion.   

To think that your ancestors could have been celebrating birthdays and one day, when we feel too old or mature as we say it now, you stop celebrating, and end the whole tradition, the cycle, history.  

But birthdays aren’t for all; some people think of this as a time of repentance and gratitude, they mostly view it as their lifespan shortening and death being round the corner.  

I guess it is the “my glass is half empty or half full” theory. It’s all about mindset, viewpoint and optimism or maybe simply a habit.    

A thing that left such an impression on you that you can’t help but carry it on.  

Whether you celebrate your birthday by blowing out the candles or simply savouring a cupcake in a nearby café or using it as an excuse to go gift shopping.   

Whatever birthdays are or how we perceive them, they’re celebrated in one way or another, and they are all special.   

A time of gathering, friends, and tradition.   

  

Thank you