Birthday ritual ideas

Have you always had birthday rituals? Is that a thing?

Growing up, aside from the usual birthday parties (which were then renamed ‘gatherings’ because apparently referring to them as ‘birthday parties' is not that cool anymore from the ages of 13 – 17), I would go to my favourite restaurants for dinner with my family. As I moved abroad and away from home, it’s a bit harder now to go out for birthday dinners with them so I dug the depths of my brain to come up with some birthday rituals that I could potentially pick up. You know, to make birthdays feel a little more special and personal! 

So here are my top suggestions:

1. Write a play-by-play of everything you did that day but in the third person.
2. Pick a song and start every morning of your birthday with that song.
3. Dress in a specific colour scheme for the whole day.
4. Try the flavour of the day at an ice cream shop and write a full Bon Appetite style review on it.
5. Pick a movie and only watch it on your birthday.
6. Make a list of questions then record yourself answering them each year but instead of sitting down to answer them, why not make it in the style of Vogue’s 73 Questions?
7. Write a birthday email to yourself and schedule it to be sent to you on your next birthday.
8. Get your friends to doodle you.
9. Pick up a copy of the local newspaper (print version!) and keep a cutting of the front page.
10. Host a dinner party (like an actual dinner party – seating plans, full course meals, candles on the table, etc.) and send out invitation cards to your guests.
11. Leave a voice note for your 12-year-old self and tell them what it’s like to be (your age).
12. Pick a language you’ve never spoken and learn how to say, “happy birthday”.
13. Take editorial-style photos of yourself.
14. Treat yourself to a nice bouquet of flowers.
15. Send yourself a birthday card.
16. Vlog your day with a camcorder/VHS camera.
17. Go to a random café/restaurant, tell them it’s your birthday and let them pick out a meal for you.
18. Make yourself a paper crown and wear it the whole day.
19. Bake yourself a birthday cake.
20. Pick a specific time to blow your candles.

I'll let you know when it's my birthday which one I decided to do!