Why are birthdays celebrated, it seems to me its just one year closer till you bite the bullet. So why are they celebrated?
Because we have survived another year without biting the bullet - therefore we have a good reason to celebrate. To all of you that have a birthday today, Many Happy Returns and to those of you that don't Happy Non-Birthday to You.
lol what about because it is good to be alive and life is worth celebrating. Nowt wrong in getting old - you can die at any age usually before 120 years though
Someone? once said 'The only way to avoid growing old, is to die young.' The more birthdays the better.
Why do we celebrate them? More to the point, why shouldn't we? Bringing a child into this world is the most amazing experience you can ever have. It truly is a blessing. Every year, on the anniversary of their birth, we are reminded of how truly lucky we are that they are here with us now. In this world we live in, there is so much going on around us that is negative, and we never stop to enjoy the positive things. On anniversaries of a person birth, we do stop to enjoy something positive. Every year, I will celebrate the anniversary of my childrens birth, my partners birth, my parents birth, sisters, friends, etc. Why? Because for me, it is a true honor to be a part of their lives and it is the one day that can be made all about them to show to them just how much they truly mean to me. I'm not saying I don't make it aware all year round, because I do, but it is nice to have one day of a year to stop and say to someone I know, that I am happy they were born and a part of my life. I don't see what's so bad about that.
Celebrations have been used around the world to create structure to people's lives. When working with the harvest, people could look forward to the harvest festivities (e.g, Oktoberfest). and once they got there, they knew the hardest work was over for this time. When it got colder and darker, people could look forward to the winter solstice festivities (Midwinter, Yuletide, Christmas, etc), and once they got there, they knew it would turn and become warmer and lighter again. Then came the time between the winter solstice and the spring equinox festivities (like Easter), and then the time between the spring equinox and the summer solstice festivities (Midsummer), and so on. In Europe, the church divided the year into periods with very precise religious meanings. December 25 was only the first day of Christmas; in total, it lasted for thirteen days, and was over on January 6. Forty days after Christmas came Michael's Mass, symbolising the bringing of the infant Jesus into the temple forty days after his birth. Before Easter, there was a period of fasting lasting forty days, so each one of those days was spent in waiting for the crucifixion. After Easter, there was another period of forty days, symbolising the period after the resurrection when Jesus walked with his disciples on Earth, so each of those forty days was in waiting for Christ's ascension to heaven. And so on. Dividing the year into periods before and after festivities didn't just fill them with religious meaning, it also made people aware of what time it was, and what they needed to focus on during that time (sowing, harvest, rest, recreation, etc), and what they had to look forward to. The most important events in agrarian society (winter solstice, spring equinox and end of harvest) have been celebrated under a variety of different names across Earth's cultures. I think birthdays have had a similar role. They've helped people keep track of someone's age, so they know when it's time for them to do their rite of passage, become a warrior, get married, etc, and also what status they have in society. They're also a way of honouring someone and showing them how important they are, that they have a place among their friends and family, at least once a year.
Because I love presents and money? JKJK. But that is true. It's a milestone in life; something to look back on and remember. The more meaningful memories (like birthdays) in life, the better. Islander was right about the "rite of passage" thing, though. My friend became a "teacher" in his religion due to turning fourteen, and he'll be a priest when he turns sixteen .
Awww, I know what religion that is! I usually don't...exciting moment. Since I didn't respond seriously before, I'll second those who have talked about celebrating the year that just passed, as well as remembering the anniversary of when you were brought into the world. Obviously, I can't remember being born, but it's got to be pretty important to my mom...I wouldn't ever say "eh, don't want to celebrate my birthday anymore, it just means I'm going to die sooner" because I know she enjoys celebrating. And because, yeah...I like presents.
