Humans Of Coffee World

What's the deal with Birthdays?

Years ago, my best friend gave me a souvenir keychain for fun. It was a tiny wooden inscription of my birth-date. The back of it included a list of significant, important historical events that have happened on my Birthday.

I don't remember them all, but one of them was about a political assasination, and yet another was about the start of some Russian war-strategy during WWII. (My birthday is quite emo. Huh.)

And right at the end, a measly;

"I was born."

Cute. :$

I'm not a staunch birthday hater. Mostly.

I won't deny that it feels nice to have my friends celebrate it with/for me. But I also cannot deny that my birthday serves to make me the awkwardest duck in K-Town, every year.

If anyone knows how to respond (non-awkwardly) to people's synchronized singing of the birthday song during Cake-Cutting...I'm all ears...or eyes...

My University friends have a trend of "Birthday Surprises". The unsuspecting victim has no idea (most of the time) when or where they might spring a birthday shebang. So to be on a safe side, birthday girls/boys dress carefully during their birthday week.

Because nobody wants to look shabby during an impromptu-surprise-which-is-unexpected-but-not-really-that-surprising.

Every year on my birthday, my University BFF vows to pull off the perfect surprise, but it never quite works out. Something is always amiss.

Freshman year: They forgot to bring snow-sprays/confetti/anything festive etc. so they threw shredded tissues on me. I adored it anyways.

Sophomore year: Not everyone showed up at my place at once. So things got a little imperfect. I adored it anyways. (Picture)

Junior Year: I arrived home earlier than they anticipated and they hadn't "set up the party". I adored it anyways. Yet Again.

My friend (lezz call her K) Was devastated at yet another failed b-day surprise attempt. I kept gushing over everything she'd done for me, and she just kept self-berating.

Me: *Gushy Teary Sentimental Mode* "You guuuyyysss I loved this bithday!! Thank you so much! ILY dusgsjsisbysjsjs"

K: *Mumbles* "Every year this happens. Every freaking year...ruined it. Hmmph."

Me: "Awww! K! It's okay! I loved it anyways. It was Peeerrfeeect!!!"

K: NO IT WASN'T PERFECT.

Me: *Still Gushing* "But it was so sweet! and you guys got me this photo collage of us all! That's perfect for me!"

K: "Would you shutup? It's not all about you..." :$

Me: "Okayyy then!" ^_^

Are Birthdays really about this one person?

See, we recently had two consecutive days off during exam week. Both for birthdays of important people.

24th December, and 25th December.

And strangely, since both the birthday boys have long since passed, it doesn't quite matter to them. In fact, some would argue that the birthdays aren't even authentic.

24th coincided with 12th of Rabiul Awal (Islamic calendar) celebrated by many Muslim sects as the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Except many other sects argue that the birthday of the prophet was never recorded, down to the date. While his death-day was confirmed to be on 12th Rabiul Awal.

And in my city there are celebratory milads where naats are sung to celebrate the arrival of the prophet. The whole place turns green with decorative flags. Even my cheapskate neighbors put up some serious fairy-light work all over their house.

In recent years the trend has expanded to include mass juloos (parades) in his honor. People splurge on eatables to distribute to passersby...

AND IT'S NOT EVEN HIS ACTUAL BIRTHDAY.

*facepalm*

Aren't birthdays that one day of the year where provincials like me get to feel special? Why do we need one specific day to celebrate the greatness of our Prophet?

Questions, questions...

Anyways, the 25th holiday in Pakistan isn't given in honor of Christmas, as you might believe. (LOL. NOPE.)

I'll not go into how even Christmas isn't the true birthday of Jesus (pbuh)...the cycle continues.

Nope. Christians are a minority in Pakistan, as are Hindus and Parsis and Ahmadis and Ismailis (sarcasm) and as such, the Islamic Republic Of Pakistan doesn't bandy out Easter/Christmas/Diwali/Nauroz holidays to the general public.

Instead we just make sure that our founding father Mr. Jinnah was born on Christmas day. This way, the christian community can peacefully celebrate the birth of the country's founder. :) :) :)

That's right. 25th December is Quaid-e-Azam (The Great Leader) M.A. Jinnah's bithday.

Woohoo. How poetic!!

Except....wait...NO!!

*dramatic drumroll*

It's not really his birthday.

L-O-L.

I've read several accounts of Jinnah's sisters, and other historians, who claim that 25th December isn't really confirmed as his birthday.

So in 1956 when the first Pakistani constitution was being drawn up, this is how I imagine the conversation went down:

Govt Of Pak: "Yo, so we played the whole paper chits game, and Ayub Khan drew up 25th December as Uncle J's B-day. Errabaady mark them calendars. Peace, we out."

Fatima Jinnah: "I'm pretty sure my brother wasn't born on the 25th...."

GOP: "Mark them calendars anyway. Peace, we out." *Mic drop*

Imperfectly perfect birthdays all around eh?