It's my birthday, can I cry if I want to?

             Hello, lovelies.

     It’s my birthday. And the monumental day of our birth is something to be celebrated. As we make our arrival into this world, we mark that day every year. But what is it about birthdays that have us so divided? The young delight in their birthdays. Many adults don’t just have a birthday day but can make the celebration last for a week. So why do some people suffer from the birthday blues? Do we have to be happy, or can we say, it’s my birthday and I can cry if I want to?

            Birthdays are a funny thing.  Some of us love them, and some of us don’t. We all know that the moment that you were born you become a uniquely beautiful human being. And the day of your birth acknowledges our existence on earth. No matter what kind of family you were born into or what your past looks like, you are here to live your life to its fullest. And celebrating your birthday is a way to mark that. And what’s wrong with that? So, how did it all begin?

            Our idea of what a birthday is can be traced almost as far back as records can show. But not until calendars were created. Early civilizations had no way to keep track of time other than by using the moon, sun, or some other important event. So, it would have been almost impossible for them to keep track of a person’s birth. But once the ancient people began taking note of the moon’s cycle and began paying attention to the change in seasons, they could see the pattern repeating itself. They began marking these changes in time. The Egyptians celebrated birthdays, but it was the Romans who were among the first people to celebrate birthdays as we know them. They held lavish parties where they would shower the birthday boy with gifts, beginning the tradition of birthday presents. The ancient Greeks brought us the birthday candle. As a tribute to Artemis, the Greeks would offer up moon-shaped cakes adorned with lit candles to recreate the glowing radiance of the moon and Artemis’ perceived beauty. The candles also symbolized the sending of a signal or prayer. Blowing out the candles with a wish is another way of sending that message to the gods.

            And the iconic singing of Happy Birthday is actually a mash-up of sorts. Two sisters, Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill, were at a Kentucky school and wrote a song called ‘Good Morning to All’ in 1893. The original intent of this song was to be sung in class by students before starting the day. And by changing the words, we now have Happy birthday to you….

It’s hard to imagine that our beloved birthday traditions were not always around. But they all had to begin somewhere. The cake, the candles, the presents, and the song all evolved over time to collectively create what we know as a birthday celebration. So why do some people get the birthday blues?  For many people birthdays are hard. They bring up bad memories, social anxiety, a fear of getting older. For some, it’s a fear of not being able to throw lavish parties. But apart from growing one year older, there is nothing to fear or worry about when it comes to our birthdays. Whether we spend it alone, or with our friends and family, it is important to celebrate the day. To celebrate you. It's a time to look to the future, to map out where we want to go and what we want to do. And to eat cake, open presents and be around people that love us. And that's a fantastic way to spend a day.