When my sister got married, she didn’t have a bridal shower, and only one of my cousins that I’m at all close to has had a wedding. That was after being with her SO for fourteen years and having six children together, so a bridal shower seemed a little late in coming.
My sister never had baby showers, but one cousin did and I went to it. It was mostly family and maybe one or two friends. We’re all closer to our blood relatives than we are to any friends, though, and so while other people might view things as not being a party because it’s only family, there’s nothing odd or lacking in festivity to it for us. Which is why I was so surprised to learn that other people don’t consider family getting together to be a party.
I’ve never had a birthday party with friends, but my mom, dad, and sister and any associated significant others always got together with cake and food. I don’t think my mom or dad ever missed one, up to and including my last birthday (my mom passed away so it’s an excused absence.)
Out here in the middle/middle-class burbs, the neighborhood kids who had birthdays did have sleepovers/cake/party hats, and exchanged gifts. In my lifetime, I’ve bought more Barbie dolls than I have pairs of shoes!.. In the upper/middle-class burbs, the kids get whisked off to their equivalent of a fine restaurant, or some facility where they make arts n’ crafts, or a mass expedition to the movies. Presents are, of course, still exchanged…And I’m told some of the parties given for the ‘upper class’ kids are starting to look like showers or weddings, every parent jousting for ‘can-you-top-THIS’? craziness. (wonder if they’re still doing that kind of thing now!).
Sorry, that was more sarcastic than anything. I was fully aware of how unpopular I was as a child and didn’t care. However as an adult I care a lot more than I should. Whodathunk.
Try Christmas Day. I’ve had precisely one birthday party. And my six-month old baby had RSV, so I had had no sleep for a week. I looked like a zombied bag lady at my surprise birthday party. Hubby hasn’t tried again since.
I’m sure I must have had a typical kiddie birthday party way back when. But when I hit middle school, my folks started sending me off to summer camp. I think there was a good six or seven year stretch where I was away for my birthday. So, family dinner and cake when I returned.
My parents threw a surprise party for me in my senior year of HS. (First time I was around for it, so it actually was a surprise.) Since then, we’ve moved. So I wasn’t able to celebrate with HS friends and was away from my college friends.
Nowadays, I use my birthday as an excuse to get people together for drinking and barbecue. But it’s sorta-hobbit style; I provide the food and brew. (I don’t do presents, though.)
Thank you! So far, my daughter fixed me a nice dinner, my hubby did the dishes, and I had a piece of cake. Oh, and I went to the gym before. That’s a lot for old people!
Well, that works - dad and us five kids.
Thank you! Yeah, I know what you mean, my family can throw a big party all by ourselves.
Awwwwwwww! So cute! Thank you. I’m grabbing that for wallpaper. I’m sure my old scaly skin looks just like theirs.
Actually, I guess I did have a sort of pary once at the U of Hawaii. I was sitting around in my furture wife’s dorm room on my birthday one year when a married couple we knew – the wife was a fellow student – walked in with a surprise cake, candles lit. ButIt was just the four of us. I guess that counts.
