Why should birthdays be celebrated?

There are different opinions on whether or not to celebrate birthdays. The Wikipedia defines it as a day that comes once a year when a person celebrates the anniversary of his or her birth. It has a reason for celebration as it gives you an opportunity to reflect on your life’s journey every year on the day you were born.

As per some research done on this topic by some scholars, in ancient Egypt, when pharaohs were crowned they were considered to have transformed into gods. It seems the Egyptians used to celebrate the coronation date of promoting of pharaohs with pomp and shows; this was given much more important than their birth into the world. Scholars have noted this in Bible’s reference as the earliest known mention of birthday celebration.

In another mention, the Greeks used to offer moon-shaped cakes to Artemis – the lunar Goddess as a form of tribute to her. By paying respect Artemis the Greeks used to feel that they could energize the glow of the moon also. It seems the Greeks lit candles and put them on cakes for a radiant effect. The Greeks most likely took the idea of birthday celebration from the Egyptians, since just like the celebration of the pharaohs as Gods; the Greeks were celebrating birthday of their goddesses. So friends’ birthdays were celebrated even in the ancient times, though with a difference.

Your birthday represents completion of another year of your life. A birthday party is celebration of life that you have enjoyed and lived through. Your birthday represents how far you have come. It is good to be thankful to your parents, family and friends for what you have in life and what you have accomplished. You should celebrate the achievements you have added to your being. It’s a way of appreciating the fruits of life. It is a window to the chance of a lifetime, the chance to fulfill your unique mission. So a birthday is a momentous occasion, to be celebrated just as an organization’s birthday, a nation’s birthday, an event’s yearly celebration and a fête as a ceremony.

I think it is much more than an occasion of receiving gifts. On a larger canvas, it is a chance to remember the day that a major event occurred, to celebrate and give thanks to the Almighty and to reflect upon how well we are fulfilling our calling.

When people give you cards, gifts and parties, it’s their way of saying that they enjoy your existence and because of you the world is a better place to live. The very existence of human, organizations, nations, events are made up of moments and changes in their lifespan. The lifecycle goes through so many changes.  In his book From Beginning to End: The Rituals of Our Lives, Robert Fulghum says that rituals are timed by beats of the heart, not ticks of the clock. So, birthdays are the milestones of a life. You should enjoy because your heart ticks, you should enjoy for the experience added to your life. And, enjoy it for an extension of life.