Have a GREAT one under sunshiney skies!!!

*leaves a crunchy dead thing in BOTH shoes!*

Happy Smerk-a-licious Birthday to you.

Happy birthday! Hope you’ve had a wonderful day.

Yay smerk

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Insert extremely artistic looking Ascii fire-breathing dragon here!)

Happ birthday! I hope you had a great day.

Thanks, guys.  The actual day wasn’t anything special - I even had to buy my own birthday cake for work (which isn’t anything new - it’s kinda the thing to do).  Went out to lunch last Sunday with the whole family, so that was nice, too.  So, usual low-key affair all round!

I don’t think birthdays should be ‘low-key’ though.  What makes them special is that they are your own personal day (even while shared with thousands around the globe…you don’t typically know those other special people). 

Why is it the ‘thing to do’ to buy your own cake though?

hulitoons - 20 October 2012 07:36 AM

Why is it the ‘thing to do’ to buy your own cake though?

I would guess one of two things. Either it’s part of her job to buy the cakes for birthdays in the office or people are responsible for bringing in thier own cakes/treats on their birthdays. That way no one is forgotten or missed by the boss/company, so no harassment or favoritism can be alleged. And no birthdays are celebrated unless the birthday person wants to celebrate.

I suppose I understand that.  Few of my birthdays were even remembered by anyone since I was away at school when they came so I didn’t have cakes or even acknowledgments.  The same has been true for decades….until I joined this forum believe it or not.  Here, with you guys, I suddenly realized how important they really are.  So, I want to thank every one of you for making ‘it’ a special day when it comes around, for me.

When I used to work for a living

we always bought our own cakes on b’days

Now I don’t have birthdays any more.

I’m 27 btw, I’ve been 27 since some time in the last century.

I found this idea [bringing your own birthday cake to work] rather odd and I’m twice the age of many here, have been in many cultures but apparently totally isolated since I’d never heard of such a thing.  So I did what all bewildered people do, I googled the concept and found these.  I am still bewildered and though I haven’t had a birthday cake in half a century anyway, I would not expect one NOR would I bake or bring one anywhere. 

http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1974150.aspx

would you buy your own birthday cake? 
myLot reputation of 90/100. clorissa123 (3779)  4 years ago

A co - worker of mine is his birthday today, we didn’t know, and we have no idea that is his birthday. Until he brought two cakes in. We ask him what is the occasion? He told us that is his birthday. We were surprised, and we get some candles and celebrate his birthday. Would you buy your own birthday cake, so people would celebrate with you? Is that your culture?

comments at the link above are mixed.

http://stuffdutchpeoplelike.com/2011/04/14/no-18-bring-your-own-cake/

No. 18 : Bring your own cake
Posted on April 2011

If you’ve spent any time in a Dutch office you are sure to quickly notice an abundance of confectionery goods. The larger the office, the more often cake will mysteriously appear around the coffee machine. The workings of a generous boss with a sweet tooth? Nope, it’s the endearing Dutch tradition of eating cake on your birthday, no matter what your age. Sounds normal enough, right? But the Dutch twist on this tradition is that you are expected to buy and bring your own cake to the party! And here you were thinking that birthdays were all about you! Guess again!

http://www.thelocal.de/gallery/culture/1543/7/

Bring your own birthday cake to work

One of Germany’s most excruciating social rituals is a work colleague’s birthday. He or she will invariably bring in their own cake. At a secret signal, you all have to get up and pick at it, try to force a chat and pretend that you are not at the most rubbish party in the world. After about ten minutes someone will mutter, “Well, I better get on…” and shuffle away, and the torture will be over. The half-cake left over will dry for the rest of the day as a symbol for the tragedy of modern life.

http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/social/4252629

Bringing in cakes for your birthday: a gauntlet of judgement
xylopwn 69 replies 09:22 April 1st, 2010

The lady who’s birthday it is today has come in with Millie’s Cookies, ‘fresh’ danishes from M&S and a HOME MADE banoffee pie.

I mean, that’s incredible, right? Everyone likes her that little bit more now. Last week someone just brought in 6 mini rolls. There are 50 people on our floor. He’s gone down in our esteem.

Do you have this ritual at your work? What do you bring?