Childrens' birthdays in Holy Week

[VivienneJ]

I was looking at the dates of Easter for the next couple of years and noticed that my grandson’s third birthday will be on Palm Sunday. Probably not a ‘problem’ to be celebrating his birthday on the same day we celebrate Christ’s triumphant entry to Jerusalem.

But in that same year my granddaughter will turn six on Good Friday. What does one do about observing Good Friday and celebrating the birthday of a little girl, although, at age 6 getting to be old enough to appreciate the solemness of Good Friday. (It will happen again when she turns 17, but that will be a whole different scenario.)

We certainly can’t be the first Catholics to have this sort of situation, so what do others do?

I guess that on one level the birthday gifts could be given a day or so earlier in this particular year, since neither child will really be aware of the actual date, and the number of ‘sleeps’ until the birthday could simply be adjusted by the adults to reach whichever day it has been decided to celebrate the birthday.

 

[Kelfa28]

My daughter is turning one on Good Friday.

We’re celebrating her birthday on Saturday.

I knew that it was a real possibility that her birthday could fall on any of these days any year. Whether it be Easter or Good Friday.

We’ll just do the big party earlier.

 

[VivienneJ]

I’ll say a prayer for her on her birthday, Kelfa. This year their birthdays fall after Easter, but around the same time as their newest sister’s baptism. To further complicate matters two cousins have birthdays over the same couple of weeks.

In our family birthdays and baptisms are a time for a big family celebration when everyone gets together. In addition some uncles and cousins run businesses that must be open over weekends. A restaurant and a supermarket and daddy is a fruit and vegetable wholesaler. Makes choosing a party date a challenge at times. Not to mention the child who has her birthday the day after Christmas.

 

[Em_in_FL]

My son was born on Holy Thursday and will turn 8 this coming Palm Sunday… so we’re caught in the mess too…
So far we haven’t landed on Good Friday, but I think that would be the only day that would give me pause from celebrating… in which case we’d probably discuss celebrating the evening before with a nice family meal and dessert or the following day.

We rarely do “big” parties… and even when we do have small gatherings with friends they are rarely on the actual birthDAY. In fact, my oldest is a New Year’s Eve birthday, and we FINALLY had his friends over to celebrate just last weekend (), so we’ve set a precedent of being lazy.

 

[Kelfa28]

Thanks!
Prayers for you too.

It’s tough for my husband and I because we are the only practicing Catholics. My MIL is Christian but Easter for her isn’t on the same level as it is for us.

Everyone is just expecting to have a massive party for her…which, I don’t blame them, she is the first Grand-daughter and niece for quite a lot of people…so it’s tough for us to keep the solemness and holiness of this day.

 

[Allegra]

I’m not a child, but two years ago my birthday fell on Good Friday, so I got to celebrate with fasting. While I was in Church a tornado pretty much destroyed the neighborhood where my students live. It wasn’t a great day, but miraculously, no one was killed by the tornado. Some of my students’ homes were completely leveled, but at least they were safe. I guess my point is that not all our birthdays are the barrel of fun we would like, but we ought to improvise and make the most of it. Give your little girl a special meal with a cake a day early or a few days late. She will realize how special Good Friday is. You can tell her that she is lucky that her birthday fell on such a special day.

 

[Pax2u]

My husband and I have been married almost 39 years…we were married during Lent on a Sunday (with permission from our Bishop; my husband was in the military at the time).

Sometimes our anniversary falls during Holy Week…this year it’s on Easter! If it’s on a Friday in Lent (or Good Friday) we just postpone going out to dinner to another evening.

 

[sharmin]

Forgive me if this sounds dumb, but I’m not sure I understand the delimma. Why couldn’t we celebrate birthdays on Good Friday? Jesus died on Good Friday…thousands of years ago. We already know He is risen. We remember his death on Good Friday, but we aren’t in mourning. We know he rose.

 

[Listener]

Forgive me if this sounds dumb, but I’m not sure I understand the delimma. Why couldn’t we celebrate birthdays on Good Friday? Jesus died on Good Friday…thousands of years ago. We already know He is risen. We remember his death on Good Friday, but we aren’t in mourning. We know he rose.

I agree, and I’m not sure why this is a problem. Children are not old enough to fast or abstain from meat on Good Friday. If the adults are fasting, you could cook a fish dinner (the main meal), and then serve birthday cake and ice cream for dessert. Anyone giving up sweets could make an exception this one time. Then, after dinner, you could go to the Good Friday service. Any big, elaborate parties could happen during another year.

 

[chevalier]

Forgive me if this sounds dumb, but I’m not sure I understand the delimma. Why couldn’t we celebrate birthdays on Good Friday? Jesus died on Good Friday…thousands of years ago. We already know He is risen. We remember his death on Good Friday, but we aren’t in mourning. We know he rose.

I agree, and I’m not sure why this is a problem. Children are not old enough to fast or abstain from meat on Good Friday. If the adults are fasting, you could cook a fish dinner (the main meal), and then serve birthday cake and ice cream for dessert. Anyone giving up sweets could make an exception this one time. Then, after dinner, you could go to the Good Friday service. Any big, elaborate parties could happen during another year.

Good Friday is the most penitential day in the entire year. Sweets, cakes, ice-cream and so on, really could be moved two days forward.

 

[boymama]

My daughter was born on Holy Thursday last year. My plan for the future is to let her open gifts should it fall on a holy day, and we will do cake the following day.

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[Bezant]

My extended family is largely made up of non-practising Protestants, but almost everyone makes a serious effort on Good Friday. Growing up we could play only “somber” music at home. When my nephew’s birthday fell on Good Friday, his party was moved to the following week. He handled it well; younger kids don’t seem to know the difference, as you say, and older children generally understand.