I celebrate my half birthday and have done so for the past few years. As an adult who values birthdays, I refuse to let the date of my birth impede the celebration of me. Thus, when my half birthday rolls around, I make noise about it, insist on being acknowledged, and do something special for myself on my half birthday. I quietly celebrate my actual birthday, which falls during the holiday season, and instead celebrate with friends and family during the summer.
As a Half Birthday Proponent, these are the questions I've encountered regarding the specifics of half birthdays.
What is a half birthday?
Your half birthday is six months after your actual birth date. You turn ½ a year older.
Who gets a half birthday?
Everyone does. Your half birthday is six months to the date of your actual birthday. That being said, the intention of a half birthday is to have an alternate celebration on a date that is more conducive to celebrating. Mostly, this applies to winter birthdays. The entire month of December sucks to have a birthday. November get crowded out with Thanksgiving and pre-Christmas hullabaloo. January is just cold and dreary. Any birthday that falls through the end of March is legit qualified to take umbrage at their actual birth date and choose to celebrate a half birthday.
The other calendar months don't get half birthdays?
They do. Everyone has a half birthday; it's six months past your actual birth date. You turn ½ year older. Half birthday celebrations are intended as an alternative to the actual date of your birthday, for celebrating. Not all birth dates suck, necessitating the need for a half birthday.
October is a beautiful month. Nice weather in most parts, not much of anything else vying for attention. You can have an awesome birthday celebration in October. Thus, do you really need a 2nd celebration, in April? If anything, April tends to be rainy in some areas so maybe an October half birthday celebration would be better.
Can I celebrate my real birth date and my half birthday?
If you can sell it to your friends and family, then by all means! The intention behind half birthday is to simply have a better date for celebrating. May and June can be better alternatives than November and December for birthday celebrations.
Can I celebrate my half birthday on the weekend?
No. The purpose of a half birthday is to have a better alternative to your actual birth date. It's exactly six months past your actual birth date. It falls when it falls. If it falls on a Wednesday, then I guess you go to work and have a special lunch.
If your summer half birthday falls on the 4th of July, well, everyone is already celebrating Independence Day on that date. The good news is, we were already throwing a party and we all have the day off. You can certainly try to add in a birthday cake and balloons, just don't expect your half birthday to supersede established tradition and celebration of our nation's birthday. Sorry, you have two crappy dates. Them's the breaks.
My birthday is in August. Can I celebrate my winter half birthday?
You can! Again, the point of the half birthday is to have an alternative date for celebrating. If you're in Arizona in August for your birthday and you want to plan a ski celebration for February for your half birthday, I approve. Don't forget my invitation!
My birthday is August 30. February 30 doesn't exist. Now what?
Sorry, no half birthday for you. No, I would never. August 30 is a great date for a birthday celebration. If that doesn't work for you and you'd prefer to celebrate your half birthday, it falls 182.5 days later. So, March 1. Which isn't really your half birthday but kinda is. If you can sell it to your friends and family, then go for it!
Along those lines, March 31 doesn't have a corresponding September date nor does December 31 have a corresponding June date. In that case, it falls under "add 183 days" to find your corresponding half birthday.
Do half birthdays apply to children?
Yes. Everyone has a half birth date. The child is going to turn 8½, six months after her 8th birthday. Acknowledging a child's half birthday is at the parents' discretion. It's the parents that celebrate the actual birthday, it would be up to the parents to initiate a half birthday celebration.
Much as I take pleasure in celebrating my own summer half birthday, summer birthdays don't always work out well for school-aged children. No one is around to attend their birthday party; they would rather celebrate during the school year, with friends. That makes sense. The point of a half birthday is to have an alternative date to celebrate. If having a January half birthday party makes more sense, I support it.
Are we creating self-centered snowflake children by perpetuating half birthdays?
No, I do not believe half birthday celebrations create snowflake children. Birthday celebrations are a time to be special and celebrated for just existing and being you; if the date of that celebration works out better six months later, then so be it.
Wouldn't your second grader with the December or July birthday grow up stronger and more resilient if she learned a few hard knocks before turning 25?
The celebration of my half birthday as an adult absolutely came about because I was a second grader with a December birthday. It didn't make me resilient; it made me sad ... and determined. My half birthday is a workaround, is thinking outside the box, is making lemonade when I was handed lemons.
The half birthday celebration is in lieu of an actual birthday celebration. Yes, the birthday is acknowledged, the celebration and fuss, however, happen on an alternative date.
Will there be those parents that try for both dates? Sure. Does it mean you have to acknowledge and participate? Nope.
Isn't this half birthday just some hooey, another opportunity for attention-seeking and gift-mongering?
It is, sure, and who cares? We celebrate birthdays to commemorate the date that person entered the world and to show our joy and appreciation for his existence. Why does that have to be limited to once a year? That being said, if you disagree with the practice of celebrating half birthdays, you don't have to participate.
When it comes to half birthdays, there are no rules. It's simply an alternative to celebrating on the date you were actually born.
While some like to celebrate a half birthday with a half cake, we like cake-in-a-jar, as it offers a lot of versatility. Enjoy it now or enjoy it later: single-serving cake-in-a-jar can be consumed at once or saved for later. Can't choose a flavor? Get 'em all!
Surprise someone special this month with cake-in-a-jar on their half birthday.