Golden Birthday Poll

[nicolewi]

A "golden birthday" is when you turn the age of your birthdate. I am now curious about whether this is totally NOT a well-known thing, or is regional. It wasn't a big deal in my family, but golden birthdays were definitely something I was always aware of and people would talk about in elementary school. Like when their "golden birthday" would be and what they might want to do. 

It was never a big thing, except that maybe kids would be more likely to get a friend party, or have a special gift. Recently I've seen kids having golden favors and the like for their golden birthday. 

I was looking to jazz up DS's golden birthday a bit to make it a little extra memorable despite Covid, and I was surprised that hardly anyone knew what I was talking about.

[hazelden]

I'm pretty sure it's regional.

I grew up in MN and I've known about golden birthdays since elementary school - so like 35 years now.

[loira]

I had never heard of it. Grew up in Western Canada.

[sillygoosegirl]

I've heard of that, but I have no idea if that was the name given to it. I was going to guess it was a 50th birthday, like a golden wedding anniversary.

[turkletsmom]

Growing up I didn't know anyone that did anything extra special for their golden birthday. It was more just- "hey this year is my golden birthday!" type of thing. I'm in the south.

[tarajane]

Midwest here. We talked about it growing up. I didn't really do much with my oldest as it was his second birthday but mentioned it.

[redpenmama]

I grew up in the South and have known of these as long as I can remember. I haven't been to any specific "golden birthday" party but knew when it was a friend's golden birthday. My daughter is 10 on the 10th next year and we have been hyping it for years...haha.

[raangoli]

I had no idea what this was - all I could think of was a golden anniversary and was so confused when I saw the other thread refer to a birthday.

[VillainV]

I’ve lived in Oregon, Illinois, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Idaho, Colorado, Texas, and the UK, and never heard of it until the thread on here yesterday. I have FB friends from nearly every region of the US and Europe and have never seen anyone mention it on their FB feeds. So...I’m not sure I would believe it was “regional” unless it was specific to a very small local area.

[scm1011]

Yes, I have always known about golden birthdays (from MA), as did my DH (from NY). He was always annoyed because he had a terrible one (he’s the 1st). Mine was my 21st which is a pretty stellar golden birthday.

[babsbunny]

Kids man... finding random ways to milk more presents from their parents.

[countthestars]

I’m from MA and celebrated mine 19 years ago (my sweet 16!)

[mbcdefg]

Never heard of it. I’m in Jersey.

[SusanBAnthony]

Nov 30, 2020 21:24:20 GMT -5 hazelden said:

I'm pretty sure it's regional.

I grew up in MN and I've known about golden birthdays since elementary school - so like 35 years now.

I learned about it when I moved to MN. Is it a MN thing?

[minniemouse]

I’ve never heard of this in WNY.

[joy]

I’m in the northeast. Yeah, I know what a golden birthday is but no one really did much with it.

Mine was when I turned 31 so meh.

[preppy]

I have heard of it being called a golden birthday my whole life but haven’t heard of doing anything extra for one. Mine was my 21st which is a big bday either way lol. I am from RI so now sure about it being regional?

[goldengirlz]

Nov 30, 2020 21:39:20 GMT -5 VillainV said:

I’ve lived in Oregon, Illinois, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, Idaho, Colorado, Texas, and the UK, and never heard of it until the thread on here yesterday. I have FB friends from nearly every region of the US and Europe and have never seen anyone mention it on their FB feeds. So...I’m not sure I would believe it was “regional” unless it was specific to a very small local area.

I haven’t lived quite as many places, but same here. Never heard of it in the Northeast, Southeast or now West Coast.

H and I both grew up in NYC where I don’t think it’s a thing.

[kershnic]

I've been told it's regional.

I grew up in MN and it was definitely a thing in childhood, and I was jealous that mine was not until I was 29. My family made a big deal at my 29th half to make fun of me for being sad about this as a child. I don't remember people really going super big on it, but maybe a slightly bigger party or gold decor, those kinds of things, and bragging rights of course.

[hazelden]

Nov 30, 2020 21:53:27 GMT -5 SusanBAnthony said:

Nov 30, 2020 21:24:20 GMT -5 hazelden said:

I'm pretty sure it's regional.

I grew up in MN and I've known about golden birthdays since elementary school - so like 35 years now.

I learned about it when I moved to MN. Is it a MN thing?

I always thought golden birthdays and duck, duck, grey duck were MN things, but it sounds like golden birthdays have expanded beyond our borders.

[maudefindlay]

I'm in Indiana and this is the first I've heard of this.

[mcppalmbeach]

I’ve been aware of it for a while and I know my mom knows about it because she told me when it was a cousin’s golden birthday. But I don’t know that it was a thing when I was a kid. I was 16 on the 16th and no one cared lol.

[bronxgirl]

I had only heard of it before because a friend of mine mentioned it a year or two ago. She grew up in Chicago, but lives in New Jersey.

[jj]

I’ve always known about golden bdays. (Grew up in WA). My family always did something extra special. Not a friend party, but like for mine (22) we rented a house at the beach for a weekend.

[isabel]

I recognized it in a "hey, it's the 26th and I'm turning 26" kind of way. I knew it was a golden birthday, but didn't do anything special for it. I've never heard of anyone doing anything special for it except on these boards.

[turboteal]

I remember hearing it first when my friend turned 13 on the 13th, but never heard of doing anything extra for it. That was like 20 years ago, we have lived in Houston TX our whole lives (aside from college).

[smock]

I grew up in WA and heard about golden birthdays. I convinced my mom she had to give me that many presents on my golden birthday. Let's just say I was in my thirties, and I got a LOT of chapstick.

[latte]

I am in western Canada and around here it’s called your champagne birthday.

[lo]

I’ve only heard about it on these boards. I’m from MA and live in NY.

[flatlan]

My husband is from South Africa and they call them a “crown birthday “