How Birthdays have grown with us???

"BIRTHDAY"

Some of many things that come to your mind when you come across this word: midnight birthday wishes; gifts from dear ones; a special gift from our parents; and of course the Birthday party. Well this was not the scene when it all started, the time we came to exist in this world.

My Birthdays have been unfortunate, not for me, but for those who could have relished those moments, moreover in my childhood. I used to actually count the number of years, I have completed, on such days and would relatively foresee what person I would be as a teenager or an adult. As far as my memory recalls, I wouldn't have any excitement for my Birthdays on the eve nor would I have the enthusiasm to celebrate it. My mornings would typically start with freshening up early and then going to Shiva temple and then to Sai Temple. I would then take blessings from my parents, touching their feet. As a family tradition I would get some money in my hand. That amount would depend on how old I am then. Probably this was the best luxury I had in those times. Mother would also bless me and would ask me ,"Today, I will cook food of your choice. What would you like to have?". The dishes were always undoubtedly mouthwatering  and delicious(the reason I still remember this is because they still taste as delicious as then). I must admit, this was not the condition for my friends back then. They used to get "celebrity" type treatment, new clothes, new movie in the theater hall, a small party at their home with small group of friends who would often bring gifts. Fortunately, this never bothered me.

During my time in boarding school, Birthday boy used to get a packet of chocolates in the school assembly. Our school had a custom that the boy has to touch feet of every teacher after receiving packet of sweets and the entire school used to clap. Those were jolly moments. But I never got the chance to follow this custom. My birthday falls in the month of May. We used to have summer vacations in that period. 

My birthdays got matured. Then I started getting books as gifts, or a brain game. Over a course of time, I had more prizes(won from numerous competitions) than the gifts I had in all my birthdays combined. I still have those prizes and the few birthday gifts, carefully stored somewhere in my home. Some of my classmates used to make fun out of this. As a teenager, I used to get lured by the luxuries of my friends. I then started asking for gifts from parents, but I was disappointed almost every time. I got accustomed to such things. For me, eventually the craze for birthdays perished silently. I have never cherished birthdays from my childhood.

However, this never remained the same. When I moved to Pune after SSC, I got introduced to a new culture of celebrating birthdays. Far more different, fun, and somewhat violent. I hardly imagined that in the next couple of years these will be some of the most unforgettable moments of my life.

I was in 11th class. We were a big group of friends then. I came to know about the rituals of "birthday bumps" for the first time when we celebrated one of my friends birthday. It's so violent that for first timers, like me, it almost looked like somebody is being beaten up badly. My friends got hold of the pair of hands and legs, swung the boy in air and started kicking his bumps and counting on every kick. The counting signifies the number of years you have completed being on this (cruel :P) earth. This took place at midnight on the birthday. This was another new thing I came across. But those bumps had something which no matter how painful they result for the next couple of days, made the bonds of friendship stronger and a feeling for deep sense of understanding among us.  I don't know why but the birthday boy took this whole thing in spirit. We wished him and exchanged greetings. We had kept a nice chocolate cake ready. Again to my amusement, that delicious cake never went into my stomach, rather it went directly on his face. People applied the cake nicely on his face, meshed his hair with the cake cream. Sometimes this madness would go further: people used to empty bucket full of water on the unfortunate and helpless birthday boy and the ingredients of the so called water are not worth disclosing :) . Mostly we used to had night-outs and never ending celebrations till morning.  All this madness use to be captured in photographs, which have become lifelong memories.

For some time, I couldn't swallow these customs. But when I was picked as the target on my birthday, I couldn't help but blend into that madness and then there was no turning behind. Call it foolishness or urge for revenge, I also started to follow the custom. Somewhere deep in my mind ran this thinking: When we were kids , what mattered was: how grand our birthdays were. Which now didn't mattered, because whats important now is , there are people around you who enthusiastically celebrate your birthdays. This is what brings closeness among people. For two years of Jr. college , I witnessed many new ways to enjoy the birthdays and did try some new stunts myself .

As time passed by, the freshness of the celebration faded out. Birthdays had a different flavor now, when I was in my engineering days. Slowly the concept of birthday party seeped in. Technology also dived in for those who would now send a text message or email greeting to show their love or sometimes call in middle of the night to wish.  Somewhere inside my heart, I was not happy with this. But again with time I got accustomed. Birthday boy used to give birthday treat (which continues as of now).

To some extent, I can say Birthdays were just for treating and beating purpose. Though I had some wonderful experiences, however it cannot suppress my urge to say that "it was better before".

My college days were undoubtedly the most amazing days of my life. I have sweet memories of my birthdays celebrated in those four years. The age old customs continued. But the uncivilized ways of celebrating lost interest as we grew. As adults, Birthdays became more sensible and surrounded by lesser good friends. Eventually the definition of birthday changed. For some its booze time, for some its a chance for best buddies to come together once in a while and cherish old moments, for some its time to realize that they are older by an year, but for me it means how our birthdays have grown along with us. Its means time to remember happy moments.    

All these years, my birthdays have been consistent for one thing : My parents still celebrate my birthday in the same way they used to celebrate 18 years back. And I am happy that something from my past is still with me. Though my parents try to adapt to the ways, young generation celebrate their birthdays. But the values they taught me in my childhood still reside fresh in my mind. I touch my parents' feet and my father still hands me some money and bless me. My mother still prepares the best food for me on my birthday, if I happen to be with her.   

I still smile, every time I go through the photographs from someone's birthday.I can pen down a book, if I had to tell my birthday experiences. But something motivated me to write this article. Recently, at my friend's birthday celebration ,I felt something was missing. Then i realized that it was those uncivilized ways in which we used to celebrate the birthdays. The friends who used to be 'rascals' for the whole day now wear a simple smile, sing the 'happy birthday' song, exchange greetings, have sweets and would go back to work. Made me notice , how our birthdays have grown with us all these years.