Birthday Bash

Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live goes a clever witticism. However, I'm a bit of a party-pooper when it comes to birthdays. But then I'm not the only one.
John Glenn is reputed to have said, "For all the advances in medicine, there is still no cure for the common birthday". Birthday celebrations as we know them today are a johnny-come-lately in the history of human societies.
Most birthday customs are barely about two centuries old. While historians have records of birthday celebrations dating from pagan times, these occasions were limited to royalty and persons of high rank and wealth.
Traditionally, children's birthdays were not celebrated at all. The Germans introduced the concept of kinderfeste about 200 years ago, with encouragement from the country's talented candle-makers, looking for fresh avenues for sales.
And the practice of birthday cards also originated about a century ago in England. No doubt, another clever marketing stratagem. Just like all the Father's Day, Mother's Day, Friendship Day now being encouraged to celebrate with much gusto.
Birthday presents also have interesting antecedents. A person was believed to be vulnerable to evil spirits in times of transition, and birthdays marked transition. Family and friends were required to gather to keep the evil spirits at bay and to offer protection.
The theme of protection also translated into gifts. Blessings and wishes were the original currency of gifts, but evolved into more substantial offerings as society's engagement with material increased.
American reformer Susan B Anthony pretty much summed it up when she said: "Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved.
The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these".
So it's OK to make a song and dance of your birthday if you feel like it. But if you don't, just remember the song Happy Birthday To You itself is only about 100 years old. Do feel free to sing it in your own tune.