Birthdays are that one special day a year where you can really make everything about you and sort of get away with it. Friends and family can shower you with gifts, you can throw a big party and in general just have fun. But as it turns out, some folks are hard to satisfy.
A woman got a text that wasn’t intended for her and learned that a bunch of guests at a birthday party she organized were pretty unhappy that she didn’t serve a “full meal.” So she turned to the internet to ask if somehow she had done something wrong. Commenters debated where her responsibilities ended and the guests' entitlement began.
This woman decided to throw a unique birthday party this year
Image credits: Kelsey Chance (not the actual photo)
But after thinking the party was a success, she learned that her friends didn't enjoy the event as much as she did
Image credits: SteSolysium
Image credits: Fausto Sandoval (not the actual photo)
Later, the woman provided readers with a few more details about the situation
You're never too old to celebrate your birthday
Birthdays might not be quite as exciting for adults as they are for children, but that doesn’t mean that there’s any less reason to celebrate. In fact, one 2015 study found that 89% of Americans believe it is important to celebrate becoming a year older, and 62% even make a wish when they blow out their birthday candles.
As far as how Americans choose to celebrate their birthdays, 50% say they spend time with their families nearly every year, and 40% enjoy having a special meal almost every year as well, YouGov reports. 60% say they’ll throw a party or have a get-together at least some years, and 82% enjoy a delicious slice of cake some or most years as well.
Compared to the major holidays celebrated in the US, 58% of Americans prefer Christmas to their birthday, and 48% enjoy Thanksgiving more than their special day as well. But aside from those two, birthdays trump every other holiday. We tend to make children’s birthdays a much bigger deal than our own though, as a third of parents admit that they probably put too much effort into celebrating their little ones’ special days.
Image credits: Jon Tyson (not the actual photo)
Many adults today feel pressure to throw extravagant birthday parties
But according to a recent article from Vox, lots of adults are now opting to spend a weekend or even a whole week throwing a huge birthday bash. And one of the reasons why people might be feeling pressured to have more extravagant celebrations is, you guessed it, social media.
Similarly to how lavish weddings plastered all over Instagram and TikTok make brides and grooms-to-be want to do even more for their big days, birthdays are beginning to transform in the same way. “When social feeds are populated with images and videos of birthday vacations and ornate balloon backdrops, people begin to take these over-the-top gestures as commonplace,” Allie Volpe at Vox explains.
Unsurprisingly, these events are often extremely expensive as well. In fact, Credit Karma shared with Vox that nearly a third of Gen X cite birthday parties as one of the reasons they overspend, and 36% of Gen Z and Millennials say they have a friend who encourages them to live beyond their financial means.
Image credits: Angelina Yan (not the actual photo)
There's never a valid reason for bad-mouthing a friend behind their back
In the case of this particular story on Reddit, one would think that the birthday girl made a wise choice by celebrating at home, where her friends didn’t have to pay for an expensive meal or drinks out at a bar. Unfortunately, however, she found out that her friends didn’t appreciate all of the effort she put into her big day.
And as hard as it can be to find out that those who you considered close have been talking about you behind your back, it’s better to know this information and be able to end the friendships than get hurt even later down the line. According to Barrie Davenport at Live Bold and Bloom, there are a few reasons why people might be talking about you behind your back.
They might be used to gossiping and continue to take part in this bad habit; they might be upset with you but not ready to confront you about it yet; they might be jealous or insecure and feel superior when saying rude things about you; or they might be unwilling to self-reflect and project their issues onto others. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, it’s never acceptable to treat your friends with disrespect or say cruel things about them.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing birthday drama, look no further than right here!
Readers assured the birthday girl that she did nothing wrong, noting that she deserves better friends
