cross-posted from: https://piefed.world/c/questions/p/1457003/why-do-people-celebrate-their-birthday-despite-understanding-they-have-even-less-time-to

My theory is something something consumerist culture.

But I am not really sure of how and why.

Because I made it that far, I lived through another year, despite difficulties and challenges, and I'm eager to find out what there is still waiting to happen.

Nobody knows how much time they will live, which makes the concern with having one less year to do so a moot concern.

Because everyone dies but not everyone makes it another year.

Because life is about looking back as much as it's about looking forward. Every year you live is just as much a celebration of having survived as it is an acknowledgement of being closer to death. We've had yearly celebrations for various reasons throughout all of recorded history, and likely well before it - it's ingrained in human behavior to seek patterns, and the seasonal cycle is one of the most recognizable patterns there is. So long as people enjoy being alive, we'll want to party when we recognize that we've made it one more cycle.

I think you're confusing celebrating life with the giving of presents

You say less time to live like it's a negative

People like to celebrate stuff and rituals, and they like having excuses/reasons to make a day all for themselves. Now, because I have always been an old grumpy man I don't partake (my wife always makes it special regardless though) but I find it cute to a certain degree so I can't be too much of a hater. 🤷‍♂️

It may be one year less, but with progress in aging reversal (epigenetic reprogeamming, damage repair, rejuvenation etc) there can still be many, many decades in great health 🎉

Because it's the only time your facebook "friends" ever communicate with you.

Because there's never a wrong reason to have cake.

Only real friends outside of FB communicate with you.

I don't have FB, got rid of it 10+years ago, then I saw who my true friends were.

After a while, that IS what we're.celebrating

While consumerism can form around virtually anything, I don't think celebrating birthdays formed based on consumerism. I think it is actually quite important in childhood to acknowledge the childs growth, and birthdays are one way to do that.
it is also a great way to show a person that you care for them by coming together and celebrating them.

Also, celebrating another year is such a more positive way of looking at it, compared to: I am one year closer to the grave. just looking at it through that lense sounds awful, and it also can be quite meaningless: Maybe I'll die of old age, maybe I'll die in a freak accident within the next 24h.

Cause we get presents and cake!

Not all of us are so depressed and negative. Some of us enjoy an excuse to celebrate with family and friends. It's one of those things that gets us through the day when there is so much to feel depressed and negative about.

You should talk to someone.