Birthdays are meant to be a time of ebullience fun; that's what legend tells us. Celebrating another year around the sun is everyone's right. Some birthdays are epic bacchanals that leave a seared impression that are impossible to follow up and others... well others are seared for darker reasons that make you just want to pretend the idea of a birth celebration never existed. Happy birthday for whenever you read this....
Redditor u/Racing_in_the_street wanted everyone to rejoice and discuss the celebrations of themselves that went well and poorly by asking.....
What was your best/worst birthday?
50!!!!
April 25 was my 50th. Thought it would be the pretty crappy considering... my son's girlfriend baked me a beautiful cake, my son ordered us a magnificent seafood feast from a local place, my husband and mom had ordered some great gifts. I had no idea I was in for such a wonderful day! mommabearof01
No Bath.
Giphy
Worst was a present from a really good friend of mine. It was from Lush and had really nice things for a bath. The thing is, I don't have a bathtub and I told her this and the only thing she said was: but it was expensive.
Sorry english is not my first language. Reddit
Different Days....
Best: 15th. me and a bunch of my friends went up to the beach and walked along it goofing around, playing in the water. we got lunch at a beach side restaurant and ice cream afterward
Worst: 9th. no one came. we were going to make homemade pizzas and do fireworks in the backyard. i sat on the swing set in the backyard and cried for hours. and I never had a birthday party again, really -- it was always inviting 2-3 close friends over and hanging out.
Now I really don't even have birthday celebrations at all. last year was my 21st so my sister took me out for a drink, but otherwise I don't do anything. I'm not sure most of my friends even know when my birthday is. baby_yaga
It was happy.
I was in a long-distance relationship and my birthday was approaching. My ex contacted my roommates and told them to rent out my favorite coffee shop for a night and surprise me there. It was happy.
Until I found out 2 days later that he cheated on me so we broke up. My roommates then proceeded to inform me my ex hasn't paid them for the party (aside from renting the shop we had cakes and all) and has just blocked them on all platforms of communication. Needless to say I paid for my own surprise party. biadelatrixyaska
The Beginning....
Giphy
Best birthday was 1. And they've all gotten progressively worse since. RedditsBadGuy
7.....
Best was my 7th, it was the last time I really had a party for my birthday. I got a dirt bike and my friends came over, it's one of my happiest memories. Worst was my 17th, against everyone's advice and despite saying he wouldn't, my father went and bailed my sister out of jail the night before.
I woke up to my sister passed out on the couch and when my father finally got home from work and she woke up they spent the rest of the day fighting until she ran off again to keep doing meth just like I told him she would. Nobody even acknowledged that it was my birthday. They're both a lot better now thankfully but that one still hurts a little. Relevant_Assistant
The Hangover....
My worst birthdays were mostly from the ages of 8-12 - My siblings are all 10 years+ older than me, and one of my brothers's birthday is the day before mine.
So everybody would be drinking and partying during his birthday, even my mum - and then nobody would wake up on my birthday and be too hungover to do anything. :( happyseventyseven
G'Day....
Giphy
Not mine, but I gave my husband his best birthday last year by taking him on a once-in-a-lifetime week-long vacation to Sydney, Australia, which had been a bucket list vacation for him for nearly his whole life. (I was only able to afford it because I had gotten a huge inheritance AND a huge bonus at my job recently.)
I got us a hotel right next to the Circular Quay with a rooftop swimming pool. We went up there one night just to watch the harbor and the city. The world-famous Sydney Opera House was beautifully lit up at night, and he was tearing up and getting emotional because of it. PianoManGidley
Good Times!!!
Worst was like 2017 or so? Didn't hear from anyone because my birthday on Facebook was unlisted. Can't expect anyone to remember it then apparently. Best was when I was maybe 10 and my mom made this huge survivor (the show) theme party for my friends and I. That was a good time. Kamon0253
The Mess....
All of my birthdays have been terrible. The worst by far was 2016, when I graduated undergrad. I invited everyone to a combined graduation/birthday party. Reserved half of a local restaurant to host the party, and no one showed up. It was just my boyfriend and I, and the staff watched me crumble into a sobbing mess.
They comped the meal, told me to forget the room reservation fee, and told me to order anything on the menu.
I was born on May 13, and the ones that fall on Fridays have been the absolute worst. bleuswann
Corona....
Giphy
2020 was the perfect birthday for me.
It was during lockdown so I got to stay inside with my SO and do nothing all day, see no one and just do my own thing. SacredMug
"where do you want to go?"
My wife hates going to the movies so for my birthday one year she relented and took me to one I had been dying to see. This was all her idea and when she told me what we were doing I was super excited. As we are pulling up to the theater she starts guilting me with "do you REALLY want to go see this"? and guess what, we didn't. Two years ago she was going to cook my favorite meal for me but put it off until the last minute and so then made some crappy excuse about how she had plans to take me and the kids out for dinner.
We get all loaded up in the car and she says' "where do you want to go?" she had no plans. I was pissed but I picked a place but the wait was too long for her so we fought and I ended up eating a bowl of Chex for my birthday dinner. She will make elaborate plans for anyone and everyone else's birthday but when it comes to mine she uses it as an excuse to give me a big Screw You! Greatrnover
Ah 7....
Giphy
Best was 7 years old. I remember my dad grilling and eating cake outside. Had an aunt and uncle show up and they gave me cash. Worst was 2 of them. In-laws had birthday parties for FIL which fell on my birthday (not his birthday). Had to drive 2 hours both ways to celebrate somebody else's bday. hdpeandpet
I had fun, but I don't remember it.
Best birthday was my 18th. My dad and I flew to NYC for my birthday to see Spamalot. When we checked in the hotel upgraded us to a two bedroom suite.
One of my favorites memories of my dad is from that trip. It was close to midnight and we were at the Virgin records store. I was running around and dad was ready to go. I was upstairs and Dad finally found me but he was on his way down the escalator.
So he turned around and ran up the down escalator. (No one on it at the time) He finally gets to the top and falls down. Right in front of a large Japanese tourist group. Who were quite obviously judging him.
The worst was first birthday after he passed. I had fun, but I don't remember it. In fact I don't remember much for a few months after he passed. lovelesschristine
I cried and cried....
My tenth birthday. We were having a pool party at my house for my birthday. My birthday is during the summer when we were out of school so not many people normally came to my birthday parties. That year I wanted all my friends there and I had remained in better contact with them after we got out for summer break. So I had about twelve friends coming for the party.
My mother was very abusive to me while I grew up. She got stressed out about the party and wanting everything to look nice. I didn't help her as much as she wanted so she sent me to my room. I wasn't allowed out of my room to see my friends. My mother told them to take my presents back home because I didn't deserve them. I didn't get to blow out the candles or have any cake.
Everyone thought it was cruel to keep me in my room for the party. My mother was adamant that I was being punished for misbehavior. I cried and cried knowing I was missing my birthday party. After the party was over I had to remain in my room. Later that evening she told me that my gift was not having to clean up after the party was over. skyscan1
Not so happy.
My worst birthday was when I turned 16 and my family let me choose the restaurant we ate at. They then made fun of me for what I ordered and took turns telling old embarrassing stories about me. Then while eating a close friend of my texted me that he's going to the hospital because he took a bunch of pills. vPaladin81
I still severely suffer from this experience.
Giphy
My brother died in a car accident, the 4th December in the night (~11pm). The next day I was waked up by cops at 2 am to ask me to confirm the identity of my dead brother . 2 days later my brother's girlfriend committed suicide (the day of my birthday). The funeral was only several days after the new year.
I still severely suffer from this experience. Chicano-
the 14th....
It was my 14th birthday and nobody in my family was around, my siblings were all out and my parents were on vacation, neither my family nor my friends called or texted me a happy birthday, I called up 2 girls (lets call them A & B) I was friends with (who also forgot it was my birthday) I asked them to a movie, so I walked about 3 miles and met up with them at a movie theater. I paid for all our tickets and I paid for all their food, so we got into the theater and Girl A's boyfriend was there with his friend who Girl B found attractive.
They all started a conversation to which I was left out of, during the movie they only paid attention to the 2 guys, about halfway through the movie I walked off, unnoticed (of course) and I began walking home, now broke and forgotten I got to experience a 3 mile walk home at 9pm in the pouring rain. IdellOdowd
Bye Auntie....
My 11th, not only did my Aunty die but I got my period. This birthday was especially bad because in my country when someone dies it's incredibly common to stay with your ENTIRE family (extended family and family friends) and spend the entire week with their deceased body. Let's just say little me was a bit to shy to ask FOR A LIL FEMALE HELP. the hormones and mood switches were driving me crazy. Swello-Fello
Throwing Cake..
Giphy
This might make sense but it was my best and worst birthday. It's my 14th birthday and I invited most of my friends, but only two came to the party. I blew out the candles and both of them threw cake at my face and we ended up throwing cake at each other and laughing and smiling. After that we jumped into a pond and cleaned off and we raced back and forth seeing who could go across the pond the fasted. I was very sad that only two of my friends came, but it was still a lot of fun because they made it better. kai__kai_
My 18th probably fits into both. Had probably my best birthday having a good time with both friends and family. Definitely became my worst when after my birthday dinner my parents broke up after 20 years of marriage. They are still separated. Slater-Slater
Oh Corona....
Giphy
I think my best birthday was my 30th. Just a great party, loads of shots. A real good time.
My worst birthday just happened ~2 weeks back. My fiancee, myself and our toddler were all down for the count with coronavirus. Not much of a party :P at least we all recovered. Barl0we
The old wives' tales.
They are the stories of legend.
I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.
Where did they originate?
WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!
You don't hear about them as much anymore.
It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.
But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.
Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:
"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"
"Wait an hour to swim after eating."
What a crock!
So many summer hours wasted.
I want revenge for that one.
Say Nothing
Giphy
"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."
LonelyMail5115
"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."
I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA
Say Something
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Severe_Airport1426
"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."
crappycurtains
"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."
AlbinoShavedGorilla
Body Temps
"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."
chriseo22
"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."
"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."
apocalypticradish
Arms Down
"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."
Fatmouse84
10 Years Actually
Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Giphy
"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."
Gecko-911
I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.
This tale is haunting.
High/Low
Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace
Giphy
"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."
LeastFormal9366
"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI
The Cursed
"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."
"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."
SmoreOfBabylon
Stay In
"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."
"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."
worldbound0514
Dreams and Facts
"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."
"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."
mattshonestreddit
"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."
Darthdemented
Cracked
Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office
Giphy
"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."
Choice-Grapefruit-44
"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."
MacyTmcterry
I love my knuckles.
Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
