For me it’s just another day in the calendar. A good excuse to take a day off from work or something, but another day nonetheless. I have learned this since my late teens to early twenties.
I don’t feel the need to celebrate or boast about it like most people because nobody genuinely cares other than perhaps family, but it’s more obligatory on their end. And that’s depending if they remember or reach out. I definitely don’t expect gifts or anything from anyone, which isn’t much anyway so it’s cool.
All it really makes me feel nowadays is old and closer to the grave, as well as more apathetic. Aside from getting older, why would we celebrate it? Because we’re born? Because we’re alive? I just don’t see it.
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I don’t think I’ve celebrated an anniversary of my birthday since I was probably ten. I’ve never seen the point.
Edit: I remember for one “birthday” my mom offered to let me borrow her Game Cube as long as I gave it back when I was finished. Thanks, mom….
I’m 54 I don’t need to keep track anymore
I was done with birthdays at 25. That was the last one I had where it didn’t feel like “Oh, I’m just getting old now and I don’t like that.”
For 10 years, yeah. I don’t think now will change.
Being single makes me not want to celebrate it.
Whatever happens I’m having chocolate cake on my birthday, even if I buy it myself, so I look forward to that.
Gonna be 36 in a week, could probably only care a little less than I do already. Don’t really see too much of a reason to give a shit.
I sort of look forward to it. It’s a good way to mark the passage of time and reflect. Plus, for the last few years, I’ve been having sex on my birthday, and that’s always nice.
It’s a nice excuse to take a day for yourself. To do what you want to do, however big or small.
44, just another day to me. Just get me a cake and maybe some takeout and I’m good.
Mine passed a couple weeks ago and I didn’t even realize.
Even as a kid I didn’t enjoy my birthday. There have been a few good ones through the years, but I mostly just ignore it. You aren’t alone.
Birthdays are only fun if you make a big deal of it. Plenty of us aren’t selfish enough to make a big to-do about their birthday every year. Honestly it’s a good litmus test to how selfish a person is.
As someone that loves to hangout or have gatherings with friends, I like that birthdays are a great excuse for that.
I get “special” presents from my wife on my birthday so I definitely look forward to that
You need to consciously change your mindset on this. It is just “another day in the calendar” because you treat it like that. You should make it special – go away somewhere every single birthday, or make sure you do something important/significant for it. Every year, I make sure I am going abroad with my partner, or we do something cool. Same with her birthday. Its on you to make it feel important and its all to easy for it to slide by, because you don’t place the importance on it
I’ll be 40 in May. For about a decade now I take the whole month of May as my birthday month and go out of my way to do fun stuff. I’m far more likely to do random acts of kindness or acts of service for loved ones. It occurred to me that I like giving gifts more than getting them and since it’s my birthday people can’t refuse a gift when it’s what I want for my birthday. I have several people in my life who are terrible about receiving gifts on their birthday but that rephrasing of things makes it go over easier.
My wife was able to schedule her C-section. I hate my birthday so much I had her schedule it so it’s the babies birthday, instead of mine now 👍🏻
I don’t really care.
I’ll take some time for myself and maybe meet a friend but I don’t want a cake or presents or a party
i get where you’re coming from. birthdays feel weird when the meaning fades. sometimes it just feels like another reminder of time passing. not everyone wants a big deal made out of it, and that’s fine. you’re not alone in feeling this way.
Birthday celebrations are for women and children. Just let me sleep.
I honestly hate my birthday. It’s not that I dread getting older. It’s that I am a quiet person that prefers to keep to myself. I hate the extra attention that a birthday brings. I hate the random messages that are sent to me that I feel obliged to respond to. If you want to do me a favor on my birthday, let me have a nice quiet day. Don’t sing to me. Don’t stop by my desk and make me talk to you. Don’t force me to eat a cake. Just leave me the fu$% alone.
Turned 37 last month. I don’t particularly remember the last time I cared about a birthday aside from 25. That number kind of meant something but now it’s just nothing to me. The back and knees tell me I’m still healthy but the grey hairs remind me that time does pass no matter what.
I still do fun stuff around my birthday, and I look forward to that, but I absolutely am not looking forward to the number 40 next to my name on dating apps.
I haven’t cared about birthdays for awhile. My wife asks every year what want to do. I tell her the same thing every year which is nothing different than what I normally do. She loves birthdays and celebrations, I don’t. I’ll let her take me out for dinner but that’s about it.
I think birthdays are frivolous and pointless for men over the age of 18.
I celebrate when I accomplish something. For example a new PR at the gym, big commission cheque, upgrading to a new job etc.
Over 30. I actually enjoy it again because my wife cares about me enjoying the day. I keep it low key. I’m fine with getting some beer, pizza, a shot or two of whiskey, and watching some movies (she now loves Caddyshack, so my plan worked).
My anniversary is very close to my birthday so it becomes a nice trip somewhere most years if possible. Germany last year which was cool. I was watching Sopranos season 6 while working late and although it did feel weird that Johnny Sack died at my age, I still feel much younger.
Still I like the perspective age brings and hopefully wisdom.
Heads up… your family does not have to celebrate your birthday.
You sound depressed and should explore that.
Yeah it doesn’t matter at all to me since my wife and I are long distance currently.
The last time I tried to have a party / gathering most people didn’t show up and that was the second or third year of lackluster attendance so I just stopped bothering with those people.
I just treat it like any other day
Yes. I hate them. I don’t want anyone to even acknowledge it.
I love doing birthday stuff. Parties, bbq’s, trips, game nights, escape rooms etc. I round up a dozen friends and usually do something every year. When i turned 40 i rented a lakehouse for the weekend and had a half dozen friends and their wives + kids stay with us. Tremendous memories. Absolutely loved it.
Yup. Celebrating birthdays are for your family to do to you. As a man, you’re expected to have a more serious bent at your life with a family that softens you up.
A birthday is another day that’s closer to where you have to pay your mortgage.
Lives of quiet desperation and all that.
The issue is, can you live like that?
Same. It was already out of my mind by ten.
Two years ago, closed friends offer me a real birthday. It came out of nowhere . I even asked if I had forgot a rendezvous when one of them knocked on my door to take me away.
And now my partner resent them because she never did a birthday for me and was not invited to come along.
I get free video games on my birthday so I love it.
I celebrate my birthday in some small way every year, or at least my wife will get for me, or make me something tasty to eat, and something nice to drink. I couldn’t care less about my actual age, and usually have to stop to think about it. I do think it’s important to celebrate in some small way and be thankful if you’re able.
What are you being apathetic about? Getting out and living? Or just that you can’t do anything about the inexorable passage of time?
It’s more of an annoyance because my wife keeps asking me what I want to eat for my birthday and I don’t want to eat anything… I’m overweight and I only keep eating because she keeps feeding me. Also, we have to buy a cake which is fine but can be inconvenient to go go out of your way. For the record I would never eat cake if not for birthdays. I also don’t need a present. If anything, I would like to be left alone to relax for an hour or two.
Overall birthdays aren’t bad, but you have to have something you want to do like throw a party or go out somewhere in order to actually enjoy it.
Dude I struggle to remember how old I am often.
I try to get my mum some flowers on that day though.
Didn’t ever have a reason to celebrate it nothing good in my life so no.