BY DAVID DEACON
Birthdays: everyone has one. At CCHS, these “special days” often include balloons, baked goods, and gifts. Walking down the halls of CCHS, one can often spot someone celebrating their birthday. However, with these celebrations the overly receptive birthday routine has become too robotic. We need to switch up the way we celebrate birthdays.
While getting someone cake for their birthday might seem like a gift, it is actually a burden; it is something that they have to carry around all day. When you see someone celebrating a birthday at school, they almost always have something in their hands and are struggling to maneuver around the hallways. One thing people with birthdays don’t have in their hands is nothing. Nothing makes for the most appropriate gift for a birthday present in school. It’s weightless, can be carried anywhere, and is an original idea for a gift.
Additionally, the way we “wish” people a happy birthday has become too stilted and has made us sound like a broken record. We need a new phrase for birthdays. Merry birthday? No, “merry” is reserved for Christmas. Perhaps, “congratulations on your birthday”? No, that makes it sound like people are winning an award for having a birthday. How about nothing? It’s original, quick, and easy. Whenever, you see somebody with a birthday, recognize it by saying nothing.
Granted, people that don’t give gifts for a birthday or refuse to announce a “happy birthday” may initially seem like that they forgot their friend’s birthday. However, with everyone’s participation, I’m confident that this new style will soon become the new norm. These new techniques will bring originality to birthday celebrations.
