Birthdays – Once a surprise, now routine and banal

11.30 PM is a busy time as family and friends try to take the honor of being the first person to wish you on the eve of your Birthday. Sometimes there are calls put on hold-arguments-disagreements- fights for attaining this distinguished reputation. Unfortunately very often, the first thing that the Bright new Birthday Boy does on his going-to-be-extremely-exciting birthday is lie. ‘Of course, you are the first one to wish me!’ he says, does he have a choice?! And so it begins..

A modern 21th Century birthday certainly is a crime without three feats of glory: Midnight, Make-up and Madness. 1. Midnight: A big cake to be cut at 12, most often garnished with an irrelevant comment; not to mention Happy Birthday Logos dirtying the wall, and balloons on the roof waiting to be broken the next day by music enthusiasts. 2. Make-up: People are still starving in select parts of the world and we know how best to decorate the face (most times body) with cake and cream. 3. Madness: Back home in South India, very close to my hometown Madurai, there is an annual barbaric event called ‘Jallikattu’ where humans show animals what they are really capable of. ‘Birthday Bumps’ reminds me every bit of this moronic act, where insane people start beating the heck out of a poor creature who is supposed to be enjoying ‘his/its’ day. As my friend often remarks when complaints are made: ‘Bumps should hurt so bad that the birthday boy should seriously question why he was ever born in the first place?’ – What noble thought I say! All that the mantra of modern celebrations can bestow is misery, malignity and monotony.

In the olden days, birthday presents were homemade and the celebrations (if any) were brief. How many times have we been told off by older people about their torn slippers, once-in-a-year new dress, a bag for an eternity, walk=transportation, etc and so on. Goodies were rare. Birthdays were just another day. Because it was rare, it was precious. Because it was simple, it was subtle. In spite of being routine, it was enjoyable. I am sure our parents must have dreamt for birthday bashes like today. But as we know from bell bottoms to hippie hairstyles, trends are bound to come around over time. I certainly do wish to go to that place where Birthdays celebrations are not to GET but to GIVE what best you can to people who don’t have.