Birthdays hold a special place in my heart, standing out not just as a personal celebration, but as my favorite holiday. This sentiment is deeply rooted in family tradition, influenced by the stories and experiences of my parents, especially my mother.
Growing up, birthdays were always cherished by my mom. Ironically, her love for birthdays stemmed from her childhood restrictions rather than celebrations. Her father, my grandfather, had strict views about birthday celebrations, particularly because hers fell just a few days after Christmas. She was made to feel ungrateful if the family celebrated her birthday instead of the holiday, casting a shadow over her special day. This attitude lingered into her adult life, where she continued to feel undeserving of her own celebration.
Everything changed when she met my father. He understood her struggles, having had his own challenges with birthdays overshadowed by Easter due to their coincidental timing. Even my grandfather, on father’s side, faced a similar dilemma, with his birthday often falling on Thanksgiving. This shared experience among the new significant men in her, after my dads father became a second father to my mom, life brought a new perspective.
My father introduced a new tradition: celebrating the entire season encompassing both the holidays and birthdays, ensuring no special day was left behind. He taught my mother to relish each celebration without a hint of guilt or ingratitude. This was a liberating shift for her, transforming her birthday from a day of suppressed desires into a jubilant celebration of life.
In our family, birthdays are not just days; they are events. Almost every major holiday coincides with a family member’s birthday, making our celebrations doubly significant. We tend to over-celebrate, consciously choosing to place as much emphasis on the birthdays as on the holidays themselves. This tradition has cultivated a deep appreciation within me for the unique joy that birthdays bring. They symbolize not only an individual’s personal growth but also our collective joy and unity as a family.
This approach has taught me the importance of celebrating each person’s existence and the individual stories that each year adds to our lives. Birthdays in my family are a testament to overcoming past constraints and reveling in the freedom to honor our special days with enthusiasm.
In essence, birthdays are my favorite holiday because they represent more than the passage of time—they symbolize resilience, change, and the triumph of personal joy over historical constraints. They are a reminder that we can redefine our experiences and celebrate life not as we were told to, but as we choose to. So, here’s to birthdays—may they always be filled with joy, love, and the freedom to celebrate without reservation.
Morgan Family Adventures 
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