Next Thursday, if my grandfather were still alive, he’d turn 100.
My uncle and cousin have taken the initiative and decided that we are going to go out to dinner to celebrate this birthday (don’t know if we’re visiting the cemetery afterwards, but that’s a possibility).
So do other folks think this is weird? One of my coworkers did when I told her about it. My family doesn’t come from any kind of religious/ethnic background where honoring the dead is a big deal.
Just wondering what the Dopers think.
We celebrate George Washington’s birthday, and Abraham Lincoln’s too. Also Martin Luther King. All of them are dead, yet we celebrate their birthdays.
I think it’s grand.
I hope it’s an occassion for family pride and togetherness, and that the inevitable nostalgia for the man doesn’t make anybody cry too much.
I certainly hope my kin remember me sometimes after I’m dead.
And so why not the centennial? We do that for Columbus and Jefferson, etc. It’s a perfect time.
My lovely dad died in 1996. I give my mom a present every year on his birthday (which, coincidentally, is the same day as Abe Lincoln’s).
From the time I was about 7 years old until he died, I (and, subsequently, all of my friends) called him Bertram (although that was not his name… long story), so I write “Happy Bert-day” on her present.
I can’t answer your question, though, booklover (as to whether or not it’s weird) because we’re all nutjobs in my family. 
Still, I agree with Johnny L.A.; if we celebrate George Washington’s birthday, why not celebrate the birthday of a dead guy you actually knew and (presumably) loved?
I think it’s a wonderful way to help keep his memory alive, and if other people think it’s odd, well, they weren’t invited anyway.
Heck, we make note of our dead DOG’s birthday. (It’s next Thursday, as a matter of fact. Hey, Miss Emily, we miss you and we still love you!)
Have fun at your dinner, and be sure to raise a glass to Gramps. I’m sure he’ll be there.
UNH throws a birthday party for the school’s founder, Mr. Thompson, every year, despite the fact that the man has been dead for several decades…
Hell, no. Its for the living, not the dead. About ten years back, my best friends mother died of cancer - before her time, she was only in her 50s. Jo was the noisiest, most sociable, gregarious lady youd ever meet - any time you went round to the house, it was an occasion - a glass of wine was thrust into your hand, a cigarette would be lit.,and youd be dragged into a heated argument with someone youd never met. She had more life and energy than anyone I`ve ever met, and it was a privilege to know her.
The wake after her funeral was a blast, and I use the word deliberately. Her house was filled with noisy, chainsmoking drunks, arguing at the tops of their voices - I kept half-expecting her to walk up the stairs and pitch in. As the evening wore on, everyone slipped quietly downstairs with a glass, to where she was laid out, and paid their respects. I know it`s a cliche, but it is what she would have wanted, and it was an honour to her memory.
Celebrate away.
I think it is an excellent idea, and a great way to remember/honour your grandfather.
I don’t think you have to come from any religious or ethnic background to want to keep the memory of a dead relative alive, so just go and make sure you have a good time. I’m sure it’s what your grandfather would have wanted. I certainly would be very pleased at the idea of my relatives doing the same for me when I am gone.
tetsusaru, you may have been at my late aunt’s wake. 
Go for it, bookloves. It’s not weird at all. Here’s to grandpa, and here’s to 100 more.