Celebrating “Half” Birthdays

How do you feel about celebrating “half” birthdays with a party 6 months from the child’s actual birthday?

Normally, I’d say it was a little ridiculous, unless you had friends and family from afar who couldn’t come to the regular birthday and it was really important. However, kids with birthdays between the major holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, often end up with smaller parties and fewer attendees, due to the hustle of the season. I think a good remedy would be to host a half birthday in the summer for friends and/or extended family and just do a small, immediate family celebration on the actual day.

What is your opinion on the idea of “half” birthdays?

I’ve never known anyone who had a half birthday party, but I think it makes sense in some situations.  Like you mention, the holidays are a busy and hectic time when birthdays can slip through the cracks.  I also think kids with summer birthdays might like a half-birthday party during the school year when it’s easier to invite friends and they’re less likely to be taking a family vacation at the time.  It could also be fun if you’re planning an activity that couldn’t possibly take place at the time of the real birthday, like a sledding half-birthday party for someone with a summer birthday.

I think for adults, it could even be a fun, kind of tongue-in-cheek reason to have a party.

I don’t think that celebrating a “half birthday” is always going to seem like a good substitution for celebrating a birthday during the holiday period. You should ask the individual. It’s hard enough on the individual if their birthday is downplayed or forgotten during the holidays. It might seem like a double whammy if you make the person celebrate their special day on a date that is six months away from their real date. If their birthday falls on the same day as the holiday, it would be a nice jester if you move the celebration a few days before or after - but I think a six month move might not be well accepted by some birthday people.