Coincidence? I think yes. But what to call it, and does it warrant extra cake?

February 19, 2008 5:05 AM

Birthday/math/language filter: I know about the Beddian year, which is when your age matches the year you were born, discussed previously here. But I’m wondering about the more accessible feat (at least for those of us born late in the last century) that happens when your age matches the day of the month on which you were born....

Someone’s turning 28 on the 28th, and I’d like to point out the serendipity. Everyone I know seems to have already had this happen to them by the time I know them, so I've never had cause to celebrate this before (I hang out with early-month birthdayers, apparently). Obviously the occurrence is much more notable for those born in the second half of the month. Myself, I was born on the first of a month, and so, when I was turning one year old, I had other things on my mind than numerical alignments.
My question is, for those old enough to notice this coincidence on the year it occurred, did you celebrate extra when this happened to you? Or am I stretching it to think this is somehow extra cool, and a bigger deal than a regular birthday? Since it only happens once, I want to point it out while I can, and your anecdotes, and particularly your vote as to the preferred name for this phenomenon, are appreciated. In the post I link to above, Mefites leaned toward golden birthday over champagne birthday (in a narrow yet decisive 3-1 victory), but the New Yorker's approval fell the other way. So naturally I'm torn between allegiances... Thanks!

posted by roombythelake to society & culture (13 comments total)

Yep, it's a golden birthday. Not a big deal imho.
posted by sero_venientibus_ossa at 5:13 AM on February 19, 2008

Agree with sero.
posted by gramcracker at 6:02 AM on February 19, 2008

With the 28th birthday you could always go for the Saturn Return birthday instead. That one might have a bit more traction in terms of resonance if the golden birthday isn't a big deal.
posted by gspm at 6:48 AM on February 19, 2008

It can never happen for Leap Day babies.
posted by jozxyqk at 6:48 AM on February 19, 2008

I was born Jan 1st. Crappiest Golden B-day ever.
posted by sourwookie at 7:20 AM on February 19, 2008

I was 8 when it happened for me. It was the last time I could celebrate a day like that, too, since the "I'm turning the same number as my month" birthday had already passed as well. Since my dad is a big number geek, he pointed it out to me, and made it seem like a big deal, saying the next time I'd be able to celebrate something like this is when I turned 85 (my Beddian year). I think a large part of it was him trying to make every birthday special, as when I turned 9 he pointed it was the last yeah I'd have a single digit for my age.

Anyway, I think you should point it out! I like the term golden birthday said above. Extra cake or even some silly little fake gold plasticy trinket might be fun.
posted by piratebowling at 7:21 AM on February 19, 2008

I say make it special. It's a cool thing to notice, and your friend will get a kick out of it. Who cares if it's not a "real" thing. Mine was 40 years ago-- too late now! Got to wait 4 years for the Beddian year I guess (if I remember!)
posted by nax at 10:45 AM on February 19, 2008

Well, if you're stuck for a gift, calling it a "champagne birthday" makes a bottle of the stuff an apt birthday present.

(My next special birthday is my De Morgan birthday, when I will be x years old in the year x^2.)
posted by neda at 12:38 PM on February 19, 2008

Man, my July 1st birthday just doesn't give me any memories.

I'd go with extra cake, or cast about for some gift with 56 significantly featured.
posted by klangklangston at 1:05 PM on February 19, 2008

On my golden birthday (26/26), when midnight arrived, I drank 2 shots of tequila and made out with 26 people. Of course I was having a bigass party as well, but that was a bimonthly occurrence at the time anyway. (These things happen when you rent a house with a hot tub.)
posted by herbaliser at 2:58 PM on February 19, 2008

Any excuse for extra cake is always warranted!
posted by dmd at 3:38 PM on February 19, 2008

Hi folks, thanks for your replies. This was pretty lightweight as questions go, but it was my first and it was good to have people chip in. I marked neda's as best answer just because it suggested what I will likely do: since the person in question is currently overseas, I won't be there to provide cake, so a champagne delivery on the day seems the logical way to proceed. Even though golden birthday seems the more commonly used phrase, I can't really afford to send gold!
posted by roombythelake at 6:51 PM on February 23, 2008

You could always send gelt, i.e. coin-shaped chocolates. They seem to be most popular in December, at Chanukah, but I've seen them other times as well....
posted by FlyingMonkey at 9:45 PM on February 29, 2008