The best birthday I ever had was my fourth birthday. My parents literally went all-out to make it amazing for me, including a doll cake that had an actual, honest-to-goodness Barbie. They came up with backyard games, like a mummy race (we wrapped each other up in toilet paper) and a fishing game where you’d win small prizes. For two young parents that had very little resources, they made my birthday completely unforgettable. That experience stuck with me, and I’ve rather valued my birthday as a special day of celebration. (I also believe in celebrating everything you can, but that’s another blog post entirely).
Birthdays are an excellent time to step back and take stock of all you’ve learned in your last trip around the solar system. With my own birthday being less than a month away, I wanted to share some ways I’m bringing old and new rituals into that celebratory spirit. I should note: I don’t try to pack all this in on my actual birthday. I try to spread them out and enjoy for at least a whole week. Since my birthday falls on a Wednesday this year, I’ve got a big buffer on either side to play with.
Here we go!
Old: A theme.
Yep, that’s me at my 30th birthday party last year. That big, goofy, look-at-my-molars grin was the essence of how that birthday gathering made me feel. My closest friends and my husband gathered for drinks at Jack Dusty (restaurant in our local Ritz Carlton hotel). The theme: Flamingoes. Because, why the heck not?! That year, my focus was on joy — and what is more joyful than a flock of flamingoes? I wore a flamingo dress and pink shoes. I had a cocktail that, like a flamingo, transforms from a milky white to a deep pink color as the juice cubes melt.
I’m not sure what the theme of this year is going to be quite yet, but I have a feeling it’s going to be something related to magic…one of the words I’m focusing on in this next year. Which brings me to….
Old, but also new: Core Desired Feelings.
I’ve written before about Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map — a truly fantastic book that will shift your paradigms and help you create new patterns of behavior so you can feel the way you WANT to feel. Originally, I established my core desired feelings for the year on New Year’s Eve; which was fine but added a hefty load to an already large ritual routine I’ve established. This year, I’m incorporating my core desired feelings list into my birthday rituals. Typically, once I decide on my words, I create a graphic that I can have on my phone and look to frequently. I’ve had it as my desktop photo while at work too. My hope this year is to incorporate my words into something wearable (like a bracelet or necklace).
New: Birthday Tarot Spread
As you may have figured out from my last post, tarot is a ritual that holds special meaning and value for me. It’s my way of meditating, and since I believe your birthday should have some element of inward reflection, I’m bringing tarot into the fold. I’ve already saved a ton of birthday tarot spreads on Pinterest and will narrow it down on the days leading up to my birthday, as well as making adjustments to the spread based on my unique needs.
Old: Popping open a bottle of champagne
Champagne feels like the most festive alcoholic beverage there is. Culturally, we let those corks fly for all manner of celebration–birthdays, weddings, engagements, new jobs, etc. My favorite is Albrecht Cremant D’Alsace (which is about $25 and can be found at Costco and Total Wine & More). It’s actually a sparkling wine, but we don’t need to get hung up on technicalities here. Since my husband is amazing, he always gets me a bottle for my birthday and I adore sipping the bubbly liquid goodness on our balcony while enjoying the crisp night air.
New(ish): Gifting myself something memorable
My friends know that when it comes to self care and treating oneself to special gifts and experiences, I am basically Donna from Parks and Rec. Last year, I treated myself to a photo shoot from Wild Artistry Photography. They were offering mini-sessions based on your spirit animal (mine is a bumblebee), and I thought there could be no greater way to put a bow on the end to my twenties than to embrace the fullness of womanhood through the lens of the camera.
While I’m not certain on what I’ll do this year (though their Goddess photoshoots are really tempting!), I know that I got so much value out of that experience that I decided self-gifting should be part of my rituals.
What do you do to celebrate your birthday? What rituals/routines do you incorporate into your celebrations? Leave a comment below and share with other readers!
Love,
Leave a Reply