I love birthdays, but I hate that mine is in January. If people can change their names as often as they like, why can’t we change our birth dates too?
Stuck between December and February, January is the least exciting month of the year. Not only is it faced with so much negativity, it’s also been tagged the longest month of the year. Not because it has 31 days — after all, so does the beloved December — but because people suffer withdrawals from the holiday period, facing the consequences of all the financial decisions they made and switching back to modern slavery capitalism mode.
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Growing up, I didn’t really understand this. That’s why when anyone said, “You know how January is” instead of getting me gifts or even remembering my birthday, I attributed it to being a middle child. To help people “plan” better, I usually had to start announcing my birthday at the beginning of December.
This worked with my nuclear family because every birthday from my 10th was celebrated, even if it was only with home-baked cake and Bobo drink. I’d always wondered how different it’d be if I were born at a different time in the year, not so close to the start or end — June or July, preferably. Would I still need to put in so much effort to be celebrated?
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Now in my 20s, I’ve become less enthusiastic about my birthday with each passing year. Maybe it’s old age, or I’m just tired, or because I’ve joined the population of people awaiting January salary, but I don’t try to celebrate my birthday anymore. It’s just the one day I take off hating on January like the rest of the world.
I’ve gotten used to everyone complaining about being too broke in January to afford gifts or even go out. That’s why 2023 shocked me. Because for the first time, it seemed like everyone but me was excited about my birthday. They were so used to me planning my birthday weeks ahead, they were waiting excitedly for this year.
So even though I didn’t feel like doing anything, my sister kept insisting on a house party, which she went on to sponsor because, let’s be fucking for real, what money am I supposed to use? Not the salary from December that finished that same December. My friend even offered to plan while everyone outdid themselves with gifts. Now, I’m plagued with spending the rest of the year buying birthday presents for everyone — even those I’d typically not gift — because they got me something.
It’s been just a few days since my birthday, and people have already started talking about Valentine’s Day, which is in February, FGS. Guys, you had December to do all your “love” things. Can you all let January have it’s moment?
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