Everyday Musings > Happy Birthday

I was born on 21st October, 1976. It's been 32 years, but I still celebrate that day, every year. Why are birthdays so special to us? Even after so many years of being born, why do we look forward to it? Not just us, what makes everyone revel in it, wish, call and bring gifts.

Early man didn't celebrate birthdays. Simply because there was no concept of time. They saw the sun rising and setting, saw people being born, growing older, seeds start as saplings then becoming trees. But had no way of marking milestones of the past. That happened when moon cycles were discovered, changing seasons were noticed and finally, when the first Calendar was drawn up. That made birthdays possible.

But was everyone's birthday important? There are only a few documented in early history. Kings and Queens had birthdays. As did prophets and saints. And Gods in most religions – Christmas, Buddha Jayanti, Janmashatami. (Though I do wonder how human beings found out their birthday)

So there seems to be an economic reality to it. Big celebrations, launch of big projects, grants to citizens – all related to the importance associated to the individual whose birthday it was. Be it king, saint or nobility. That's till Germans, the ones considered so severe and unemotional by most, celebrated their children's birthdays. These celebrations were called "kinderfeste", meaning children's party. And that spread to adults as well. A European theory states that evil spirits were particularly attracted to people on their birthdays. To protect them from harm, friends and family would come to be with the birthday person and bring good thoughts and wishes. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to ward off evil spirits. This is how birthday parties began.

Birthdays come with plenty of traditions. Cakes, buying new clothes, surprise parties, blowing candles, horoscopes, having Kheer, singing Happy Birthday (originally written by two sisters, Mildred and Patty, as Good Morning to you). In India, it's a visit to the temple, in Denmark, a flag is flown outside a window to designate that someone who lives in that house is having a birthday. In England they bake Fortune telling cakes. The object that you find in your piece predicts your future. If it's a coin, you'll be rich. If a strand of hair, probably that the cook will be fired. Grin.

My friend Suzanna and I are born on the same day. As a birthday tradition, we make a wish list and give it to each other. Things that we like, could be simple things like colorful paper clips, a temple tree sapling, movie tickets, a foot massage, we'd mix up with lots of trinkets and gift them to each other.

A friend of mine is turning 40 next week. And was making up a list for his party. A grand celebration. Where he planned to call everyone he knows and have a great bash. Five minutes ago, he dropped the idea. And decided to spend the day with underprivileged children and give the party money to contribute to their lives. Something that I have seen many do, in the past and now.

Makes me rethink of birthdays and how perhaps this is the social catalyst for the future. Maybe the way to transform the world lies in the way all its inhabitants celebrate the day they were born into it.