Monday, January 2, 2023
Partly cloudy. High 57 degrees.
Notices
Our calendar has lots of local events! Click on the link or the lady in the upper righthand corner.
The first full Community Board 7 meeting of 2023 will be held on Tuesday, January 3rd, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be online via Zoom, and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend. The link to register will be on the CB7 website here. And here’s our recent story on community boards for some background.
Crummy Birthdays
By Carol Tannenhauser
The New York Times ran a story on Friday about how crummy it can be to have a birthday in late December, when many people are out of town or “too exhausted from all the other celebrations to put in much effort for a birthday.”
Yesterday I realized there is an even crummier time to have a birthday, and that’s on January 1st — New Year’s Day — a.k.a. “National Hangover Day.”
National Hangover Day was founded by a group of friends in Arkansas and approved by the registrar of the National Day Calendar® as a national holiday in November 2015. It is not to be confused with a “federal” holiday, which requires an act of Congress to be created. There are only 11 federal holidays in America (12 in a presidential inauguration year), while there are thousands of national holidays, listed on websites like calendarr.com and nationaldaycalendar.com.
Because it falls on New Year’s Day, which is a federal holiday, businesses and schools are always closed on National Hangover Day, which is a good thing, since workers and parents are generally not at the top of their games. “Symptoms of a hangover are: tiredness and head and muscle aches. Some people also get an upset stomach and may feel dizzy for most of the day. It is certainly not a pleasant feeling.” In fact, it’s downright crummy, and not at all conducive to hosting or attending a birthday party.
It’s bad enough being a grown-up with a January 1st birthday, but imagine being a kid. After awhile, you could come to dread, even, dislike your birthday! To avoid — or mitigate — that result, The Times suggests making “an extra special effort…to make a late December birthday distinct.” Add a couple of extra extras when the birthday is January 1st.
In that spirit, West Side Rag would like to wish a belated, but extra-extra-special, happy, and distinct birthday to late-December and New-Year’s-Day babies. And a very happy and healthy 2023 to us all!
Today, January 2, 2023, is World Introvert Day, Thank God It’s Monday Day, Cream Puff Day, Buffet Day, Personal Trainer Awareness Day, and Science Fiction Day.
As a New Year’s Day baby, I used to hate it. Merry Christmas AND Happy Birthday, which really meant here’s your one present. Now I love it! I’ve learned to not drink to excess on New Year’s Eve so I can really enjoy New Year’s Day. I like that my birthday is the start of new beginnings for so many. So cheers to 2023 and all the other late December and New Year’s babies!
Having a birthday that sometimes falls on Memorial Day isn’t that fun either. Most people are either out of town/on vacation enjoying the first unofficial weekend of summer, or remembering dead soldiers (not exactly a mindset for celebrating). As a child, my school year ended in mid-May so I also never got to bring treats on my actual birthday. (Not sure if bringing treats is still a thing.) At least the weather is usually better; and it’s nice to usually have a three-day weekend for one’s birthday.
I, too, was born on Memorial Day – which was also my mothers 25th birthday – so – whenever I had an “important” birthday – she had a “more important” birthday – tough at times – but now – in remembrance of her life – a blessing –
December 29th. Everyone on vacation (no parties in school or ever), broke or sick or tired or saving strength for New Year’s. I’m 73 and still bitter. If I only aged for every party, I’d only be 2. If only it worked that way. Sigh.
That cake looks delicious!
Thanks, Carol — this is one of the best articles I’ve read this year in WSR!!
Just wait you badly timed birthday kids. As you get older you’ll appreciate not having such a “so what” deal about your day. Until you hit your 90s or maybe 100. Then the big deal really starts
My mother *loved* that her birthday fell on Jan. 1, but she wasn’t in the habit of consorting with hungover people. On the other hand, my sister with a Dec 23d bday, wasn’t too happy about her regularly overshadowed day.
As someone born on January 1st (in Arkansas for that matter) I must take issue with the sentiments expressed above. Among other things as a child I was able to negotiate Christmas presents and birthday presents into a bigger presents. As an adult I enjoy that my birthday is the only (secular) holiday celebrated by every nation in the world.
How about being born on February 29? I had a friend who always claimed to be a quarter of her age because she only had a birthday on leap years. However, she once told me that she hated being a leap-year baby.
You know what’s crummier than having a birthday on January 1st. Feeling pressure to buy a good present for your very good friend whose birthday is on that crummy day.It can be torturous!
So true! Any of these birthdays are great date candidates for the “half-birthday” alternative celebration – to hold that party, lunch or whatever on July 1 (if you want to take advantage of another holiday weekend) or almost half, like on June 1, or June 15, if you want to have a summer party while elementary and secondary schools are still in session. So tough, especially for kids. At least a little family festivity on the day is always needed.
My sister is a New Years Day baby and everything Ms Tannenhauser wrote resonates. Acc/ my sister, everyone is blah on her birthday and she hated the day, because no one ever felt like celebrating! She just turned 71 and still feels the same way.
My birthday is right after the 4th of July. This is also a time of the year when a lot of people aren’t around or are exhausted from engaging in holiday/4th of July festivities. On the other hand, I am here in the world and in relatively good health.