How do you celebrate your birthday?

It's on a Saturday this year, and I'm feeling pressure to make it special and fill a whole day... I like the idea of posting up at a brewery and inviting friends to swing by, but I don't drink. Are there alternatives in this vein? Minnesota isn't warm enough in November for a picnic in a park.

Question

How do you celebrate your birthday?

It's on a Saturday this year, and I'm feeling pressure to make it special and fill a whole day... I like the idea of posting up at a brewery and inviting friends to swing by, but I don't drink. Are there alternatives in this vein? Minnesota isn't warm enough in November for a picnic in a park.

Shellie Gossling · Answer

throwing yourself the party of your dreams: See also: tell your husband exactly what you want and have him throw it for you.

I wanted a fairytale 40th birthday party, asked for exactly what I wanted and my husband and I threw it together.  We wore costumes, I designed all the invitations and banners, we got the most beautiful flowers and the most fantastic band. He flew our family out.  I felt like a queen and had the best night of my life.   My favorite part was having a costume contest.  Highly recommend!

Katy · Answer

An indoor pickleball party at a place that has food and drinks as well.

N · Answer

I play Wingspan and eat with friends, but I’d also do an art party…: Fun, creative, and interactive without a ton of social pressure. Paints, collage table, fun markers… go.

clownmommy · Answer

shop for a birthday outfit and wear it for the rest of the day: shopping for fresh clothes and immediately wearing them out is the most uncut drug ever discovered or manufactured. you feel RICH. you feel BOLD. you feel SPONTANEOUS even if youre not really. i originally heard this mentioned on the Ride pod (i think?) and immediately did it that same year for my birthday…WOW. immaculate experience. helps make the rest of the day feel extra special because youre wearing new clothes you love!!!!

Becky · Answer

Cheese tasting: Two approaches:

Some local cheese shops offer a private tasting, where you pay a certain amount per head and their staff leads you through a tasting. Did this at Di Bruno Bros in Philly years ago and it was BYOB, encouraged to ask to taste almost anything in the store, and a discount on purchases.

A friend recently did a similar private shopping event with apps & drinks at a bookshop.

Alternately, you could invite friends to your home and ask everyone to bring their favorite cheese (or book, etc). You provide other bites to eat & some drinks, and there’s your party.

Katie · Answer

A sauna/bath house: For my birthday this year a friend and I went to a local sauna/bath house and spent a glorious hour rotating between the sauna, cold plunge and hot tubs. We could chit chat quietly, it felt relaxing and energizing at the same time and it felt like a nice wholesome way to ring in a birthday.

Jessie · Answer

Travel (if you can): For my 40th birthday next year, I plan on waking up in Paris. Being in my most favorite city in the whole world, going to my favorite places, eating my favorite foods, and doing whatever the heck I want is my idea of a great birthday.

Granted, im not made of money, but I’m gonna make it happen.

Isabelle · Answer

Lately, I've loved using my birthday as an excuse to unabashedly do whatever I love, with optional friend invitations. If you're a film girlie, rent out a movie theater! If you're a big crafter, host an open house style crafting day at home (or at a local makers space)! Prefer solitude but feeling social pressure? Plant yourself at the coziest local library and send out a spreadsheet with timeslots for (quiet) 1:1 co-reading visits!

nora · Answer

bowling!: it's retro, people can just come and hang and damn if i don't love the arcade madness of the scoreboard and the satisfying clonk of pins aclattering. drinks optional, shoes mandatory. very heated. here's the wikipedia page for bowling if you want further info.

Emilie Bienvenew · Answer

Always taking a day off on my birthday !: And come up with a very specific plan, mine is quite consistent year after years:

- a massage

- a nice restaurant

- caviar

The theme: me, me, and me!

Tova Perlman · Answer

I just held my birthday party at a cookbook store near my house. The owner talked to us about cookbooks and then we browsed and chatted. It was so fun!