Birthdays as Holy Days

[SatAset]

Does anyone else do this or something similar? Any thoughts on the celebration of one's own birthday as something sacred or holy?

I wouldn't make it a holy day, but I do give offerings to the deities on my birthday. I give thanks for having been born and for still being alive. And once or twice Aset has asked me, "What do you want for your Birthday?" and I'll answer.

I celebrate Her birthday every year. She shares Her birthday with me, the least I could do is reciprocate.

[Morag]

Does anyone else do this or something similar? Any thoughts on the celebration of one's own birthday as something sacred or holy?

I celebrate it as my new year, which isn't inherently religious or secular to me; just the turning of the year. It's when I make resolutions/commitments to myself, assess the previous year, and aspire to do better.

There is, of course, feasting. And drink.

I have been thinking of coming up with a holiday to celebrate in August that celebrates all of my Sacred Triad of deities, Who each have Their own holiday in October/November, February, and April/May; whether that falls anywhere near my birthday or has anything to do with it remains to be seen.

[ccardinot]

In either Laotian or Cambodian Buddhism, there's a tradition of going to the shrine for the day of the week that you were born and pouring a water offering for each year that you've been alive. I was thinking about incorporating something like this into my own practice.

As I have stated here before, i'm not a high magic practitioner, and, along my studies throughout the years, figured it made much more sense to have my own birthday as a holiday than x-mas and new year, given that i don't celebrate them since i was a kid, so, now, my b-day is also new year's eve and day out of time, my year starts the day after it, and ends the day before it, and is the only holiday of my personal calendar.

[Chatelaine]

A friend recently put forth an interesting idea - that she celebrates her birthday as a holy/feast day. The occasion is marked with offerings and prayers of thanks to her deities, a specially prepared meal shared with others of a similar path, and various rituals of self purification and celebration.

Does anyone else do this or something similar? Any thoughts on the celebration of one's own birthday as something sacred or holy?

I'm still chewing on this idea and still working out some conflicting feelings about it. I'd love to hear other Cauldronites take on this one.

My conversion to Orthodoxy has introduced me to the concept of name days, which is something similar. Each baptised Orthodox is supposed to celebrate the feast day of the saint whose name they carry; for those who don't have such a name, there is All Saints Day (the Sunday after Pentecost), or they can even 'adopt' a saint for the purpose. Converts like me are encouraged to link their given names to a saint, or assume a new one.

Celebrating the day includes attending liturgy, taking Communion, if at all possible, and exchanging treats and well-wishing visits. It's a celebratory occasion for the community, not just the individual.

I missed my new name day this year, but I'm looking forward to it next year.

[herkles]

A friend recently put forth an interesting idea - that she celebrates her birthday as a holy/feast day. The occasion is marked with offerings and prayers of thanks to her deities, a specially prepared meal shared with others of a similar path, and various rituals of self purification and celebration.



Does anyone else do this or something similar? Any thoughts on the celebration of one's own birthday as something sacred or holy?

I'm still chewing on this idea and still working out some conflicting feelings about it. I'd love to hear other Cauldronites take on this one.

Interestingly enough I had thought of perhaps celebrating my birthdays as such. However, instead of receiving gifts on my birthday, I would celebrate my birthday by giving gifts instead.

it is an interesting thought.

[Phaedric]

Any thoughts on the celebration of one's own birthday as something sacred or holy?

I never have, but have sometimes thought that I should come up with something, since I was born on the Summer Solstice, shortly after the Sun's ingress to Cancer and a Full Moon (fortunately no eclipse). But it would be a personal and private celebration, not a narcissistic social one. I don't have much use for birthday parties, sacred or otherwise.

[Phaedric]

I never have, but have sometimes thought that I should come up with something, since I was born on the Summer Solstice, shortly after the Sun's ingress to Cancer and a Full Moon (fortunately no eclipse). But it would be a personal and private celebration, not a narcissistic social one. I don't have much use for birthday parties, sacred or otherwise.

This is one I could relate to:

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/lith..._Fire_Rite.htm

[Firaza]

A friend recently put forth an interesting idea - that she celebrates her birthday as a holy/feast day. The occasion is marked with offerings and prayers of thanks to her deities, a specially prepared meal shared with others of a similar path, and various rituals of self purification and celebration.

Does anyone else do this or something similar? Any thoughts on the celebration of one's own birthday as something sacred or holy?

I'm still chewing on this idea and still working out some conflicting feelings about it. I'd love to hear other Cauldronites take on this one.

I follow a fixed calendar for Kemetic holidays, and the New Year, Wp Rnpt, happens to fall on my birthday.

[outlaw393]

A friend recently put forth an interesting idea - that she celebrates her birthday as a holy/feast day. The occasion is marked with offerings and prayers of thanks to her deities, a specially prepared meal shared with others of a similar path, and various rituals of self purification and celebration.

Does anyone else do this or something similar? Any thoughts on the celebration of one's own birthday as something sacred or holy?

I'm still chewing on this idea and still working out some conflicting feelings about it. I'd love to hear other Cauldronites take on this one.

Nope, just another day.