The Essence of Celebrating Birthdays
Birthdays are celebrated in almost every part of the world. A birthday is a momentous occasion in which a person acknowledges the anniversary of his or her birth. It comes only once a year, and it serves not just as a rite of passage into an older age, but as a celebration of new beginnings as well.
Historically, the tradition of celebrating birthdays began in as early as the 3,000 B.C.E. Egyptian Pharaohs were the first ones to celebrate the date of their ‘birth’. However, the term ‘birth’ here does not mean their physical birth into the world. Rather, it means the ‘birth’ of a Pharaoh as a god – his transformation into a god after being crowned. During the start of the first century A.D., the celebration of birthdays became no longer exclusive to the upper class. The ancient Romans, particularly, began celebrating the birth of the common men. Regular Roman citizens celebrated the birthdays of their friends and family members. Up to this day, this celebration still lingers in many societies around the world.
Indeed, birthdays are a celebration of people. A person’s birthday is the perfect time to appreciate and recognize the importance of his or her existence. There are plenty of ways to celebrate a person during his or her birthday. For example, Gabriella Eva Nagy, in her book entitled Enchanted Rainbows, uses heartwarming illustrations and moving words to celebrate the birthday of a person. Enchanted Rainbows is a heartwarming visual representation that anyone can use to say happy birthday to a loved one.
To recognize further the essence of celebrating birthdays, here are three of the main reasons why birthdays are an important occasion that people must celebrate:
Birthdays provide an opportunity for social reconnection
Nowadays, everyone seems to be always busy. The fast-paced world has undoubtedly made people constantly occupied with work and responsibilities to the point of forgetting to take a break and bond. As a result, social connection seems to have become weaker and rarer nowadays.
Birthdays, however, serve as a temporary solution to this seeming lack of social interaction among people. Birthdays basically provide an opportunity for people to reconnect with one another. A person’s birthday is the perfect time to get all of his or her friends at the same place. It gives his or her acquaintances and relatives a chance to meet and interact while sharing some meals or drinks together.
Birthdays are a celebration of milestones
Being able to reach a new age is a milestone. However, more than that, having the capacity to begin life with a new sense of purpose using the wisdom and experience earned in the previous years is one of the primary reasons why birthdays should be celebrated. Every person’s existence matters. Regardless of whatever he or she has gone through, the fact that a person has reached a new age without giving up is enough reason for him and her to be celebrated.
Everyone deserves to be celebrated and to celebrate on his or her birthday. He or she deserves to take a break, to celebrate milestones, and to have fun like there is no tomorrow at least once a year. A person’s birthday is the perfect time to do all of these.
Birthdays are the perfect time for reflections
Entering a new chapter in life entails that changes are necessarily on their way. Indeed, the only thing constant in life is change. Birthdays give people the opportunity to reflect on those things that need changing. Subsequently, birthdays are a perfect time to begin preparing for when these changes arise.
Celebrating a birthday allows a person to have some time to reflect on what he or she has achieved so far as well. Reflecting on and evaluating the accomplishments made in the previous year allow a person to determine what he or she still needs to accomplish in the months to come. Ultimately, birthdays are the perfect time to reflect, re-evaluate, and be grateful at the same time.
Overall, birthdays are more than just an excuse for merrymaking. It is a timeless tradition that celebrates not just the accomplishment of a person in reaching a new age, but also his or her capacity to continue on with life with a new sense of hope and purpose. Celebrating a birthday does not need to be extravagant. Grandiosity is not a measure of the essence of birthdays. Dedicating some time to celebrate milestones with the people who matter and to reflect on life is already an enough celebration of a birthday.
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