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Yes, I’m having one today. It’s a double-digit, divisible by 2 and 3 and 11 and 22 and 33, which makes it a very fun number. Rather playful. Twice the age at which hobbits become adults (I should ask the friend who reminded me, on my 33rd, that if I were a hobbit I’d now be an adult. “Am I?” I asked. “No,” she said after looking me over carefully. “You must be an elf.” Needless to say, she and I are still friends. I think I’ll ask her again today.)
However, that’s not the point of this, exactly. The point of this is to consider character birthdays, name-days, etc. and hear what your ideas are about the best (or most interesting) birthday celebrations in books. Right off the bat there’s Bilbo’s (I know, you were all leaning toward that one, but the birthday girl has one prerogative…) But what other literary book-birthdays have struck you as being done right. No restrictions on genre or age-range or anything…let’s enlarge the celebration.
Comment by Ulrika — March 7, 2011 @ 11:13 am
A very Happy Birthday to you!
Off topic but still relevant: My local bookshop mailed me an hour ago that they now have a copy of Kings of the North (UK ed.) reserved for me in the store. So tomorrow I can pick it up and start reading!
I also want to add that the US release date (March 22) is on the day I have my 40th birthday.
*bouncing around*
Comment by elizabeth — March 7, 2011 @ 11:36 am
Oh, very relevant: that should give us both reasons to be happy on both birthdays!
Comment by Rowan — March 7, 2011 @ 12:23 pm
Happy birthday to you!
I’ve been trying to think of birthday parties in books (other than Bilbo’s), but I’m not having much success with it.
I do think you’ll like what I did for my birthday over the weekend. I turned 30 last week so we had a “Goodbye to the Twenties” party and everyone dressed up like it was the roaring 20s and we danced to swing and jazz 🙂
Comment by Jonathan Schor — March 7, 2011 @ 2:01 pm
Tskino Usagi’s birthday is June 30 as is her daughters.
At any rate, have a very happy birthday and certainly many many more.
Comment by Confutus — March 7, 2011 @ 2:09 pm
The only birthday party that jumps to my mind is Ariane Emory’s birthday party, in “Cyteen”. Her eighth, I belief.
Comment by RichardB — March 7, 2011 @ 2:43 pm
Happy Birthday!
Comment by elizabeth — March 7, 2011 @ 2:59 pm
Thanks–I have eaten too much cake!
Comment by elizabeth — March 7, 2011 @ 2:59 pm
Now that’s a neat idea!
Comment by Richard — March 7, 2011 @ 3:07 pm
Cannot top Bilbo’s for a party I’d have liked to have been a guest at; so for a contrast J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter‘s 11th birthday (the first book of course) with giant Hagrid breaking down the door of that storm-wracked shack on the rock, in the middle of the sea, at the stroke of midnight. That’s one series I’d choose for my sickbed re-reading. However other readers may classify them, to me they are classic whodunnit-thrillers.
Comment by elizabeth — March 7, 2011 @ 3:13 pm
I didn’t mean for the birthday party question to be so difficult (I was also thinking of Eeyore’s birthday, had forgotten the one in Cyteen and several others I remember but vaguely.)
Well then…what about presents for characters? Or presents given by characters? We know that Paks gave Saben a red stone horse…and Arvid gave Paks a glittering necklace of great worth, and the Duke gave her a ring of valor and a ring for her safety.
What birthday gift would you, or another character, give Kieri? Stammel? The Marshal-General? Dorrin? Or what would they give, and to whom?
Comment by Rolv — March 7, 2011 @ 3:24 pm
Happy birthday!
Wishing you joy and health.
Warm greetings from snow covered Norway.
Rolv
Comment by Anthony Clum — March 7, 2011 @ 5:52 pm
Happy Birthday!
I think Dorrin’s birthday party in Oath of Fealty was most interesting and unusual, both in terms of the gift she received and the festivities, which certainly rival any “pin the tail on the donkey”.
Comment by iphinome — March 7, 2011 @ 7:21 pm
Wow, who would have thought it? Your birthday falls on my unbirthday! Many happy returns. 🙂
Comment by elizabeth — March 7, 2011 @ 8:16 pm
Thanks, Rolv. Will you hate me for mentioning that the peach tree had one blossom on it today?
Anthony: I couldn’t mention that one myself, could I? Thanks for bringing it up.
iphinome: Thanks for the good wishes and I hope you had a happy unbirthday too.
Comment by Kathleen — March 7, 2011 @ 8:33 pm
Happy Birthday. And when it comes to spring, I’ve seen a few early cherry blossoms here in the DC area.
Comment by Kip Colegrove — March 7, 2011 @ 11:17 pm
The theme of gifts–their giving and receiving, what they are, on what occasion–is of the greatest importance in all sorts of stories, but like everybody else I’m having trouble remembering birthdays specifically.
You gave this spring-deprived heart a great lift, here in snowy Ohio, by mentioning the one blossom on a the peach tree. So that was your birthday gift to us who remain bewintered. Has to be a poem in that somewhere…
Comment by Jenn — March 8, 2011 @ 8:27 am
For Literary B-Day it was horrible but I can only think of FKB’s “A Little Princess” where she learns of the death of her father and is now a servant. but also of the gift she is given by Becky who gives her a handmade badly misspelled pin cushion that came straight from her heart and the very little she had.
I love that book.
Comment by Adam Baker — March 8, 2011 @ 8:49 am
Happy B-day!
The only “Naming Day’s” I can think of are those mentioned in the latest Todd & Anne McCaffrey Dragon Riders of Pern novels, and they were very simple occasions. Just people celebrating w/ cakes & such.
Comment by elizabeth — March 8, 2011 @ 9:40 am
In that case, our birthday celebrations would also be considered “very simple occasions” as they are almost always “just people celebrating with cakes & such.”
Food and good wishes, and good wishes will do if there’s no food.
Comment by Adam Baker — March 8, 2011 @ 10:09 am
Good point, haha. I figured that compared to what people are posting about Bilbo’s b-day, the ones I’d read are pretty simple.
Comment by Cass Marshall — March 8, 2011 @ 10:19 am
Sorry I am a day late.
Larry Niven’s, Louie Wu’s 200th birthday comes to mind, with the transfer booths letting him get around and extend the day.
Happy Birthday from Colorado.
Comment by Jim DeWitt — March 8, 2011 @ 11:16 am
I’m with Cass Marshall on Louis Wu’s 200th; even if Niven did have the Earth spinning the wrong direction in the first edition.
Another is Wanda June’s, as in the late Kurt Vonnegut’s novel,, “Happy Birthday, Wanda June”.
And Happy Birthday, Ms. Moon.
Comment by Dave Ring — March 8, 2011 @ 11:35 am
Here in the Bay area, our four year old apricot is almost done blooming. A laggard cluster of flowers at the top is fully open today, while the rest of the tree has moved on to opening leaf buds. It looks like the two Moorpark scions grafted on in February are taking hold; the rest of the tree is Blenheim.
Your single peach blossom reminds me of some haiku inspired by my apricot and its visitors. In seasonal order:
Hummingbird hovers,
facing black phoebe in our
unleafed apricot.
On a bare black twig
one white apricot blossom,
frugal and lavish.
Under green foliage
five apricots ripening;
for us or the jays?
Happy birthday, one day late!
Comment by elizabeth — March 8, 2011 @ 11:48 am
Cass: thanks!
Comment by elizabeth — March 8, 2011 @ 11:49 am
Thanks, Jim. We’re even getting some sun.
Comment by elizabeth — March 8, 2011 @ 11:50 am
Today seven peach blossoms have opened on the south side of that tree, and the pears are starting up.
Thanks for the birthday wishes!
Comment by Rolv — March 8, 2011 @ 3:23 pm
Feel free to regard the peach blossom as a birthday greeting from me …
Having grown up with the raw, humid winters and frequent rainfall of a Norwegian coastal city, and lived eleven years in the boisterousness of Taiwan and Hong Kong, the tranquil beauty of the Norwegian rural inland winter, especially the frosty white birches, was a revelation.
Even after more than ten years, I’m still thoroughly enjoying these cold, dry, stable winters, although I admit that I’m beginning to look forward towards Spring. If you just dress appropriately, cold is no problem in itself.
I just had my last glass of wine before the beginning of Lent. This year, in addition to the joy of Easter, I can look forward to the arrival of Kings from the North.
Enjoy March 8, Women’s Day!
Rolv
Comment by Abigail Miller — March 8, 2011 @ 7:11 pm
Happy Birthday! (late)
Here in north Texas, the February Deep Freeze was followed by such an unseasonally warm latter February that spring has come in very early — the bush plums bloomed February 25 and are about done, and the peach is fully out. Very dry, unlike last spring — hoping hard for some April showers.
I’m sure I have read about birthday parties other than Bilbo’s, but I can’t remember.
Comment by Daniel Glover — March 8, 2011 @ 9:18 pm
Happy Birthday Elizabeth. Hope you were fully over your “crud” so you could celebrate appropriately. The “naming day” stuff that I remember most are several from Andre Norton. So many of her stories revolve around rites of passage/coming of age–whether human or feline.
Comment by elizabeth — March 8, 2011 @ 10:05 pm
Yeah, we’re also dry. A bit of drip, but not enough rain to reverse the drought and fire-danger status.
Comment by Kate B. — March 9, 2011 @ 8:55 am
I don’t remember a specific birthday party, but both Kushiel trilogies by Jacqueline Carey have lots of parties, and I’m sure there are some birthday parties included. Her characters know how to throw spectacular parties!
Comment by Morrygan — March 21, 2011 @ 4:50 pm
I like what the villagers did for Dorrin and what happened on her birthday. It was a very moving moment in the book, and in her life, as well as a turning point in how the villagers (and I’m sure more of her people, as the story spread) feel about her.
Comment by Morrygan — March 21, 2011 @ 4:50 pm
I like what the villagers did for Dorrin and what happened on her birthday. It was a very moving moment in the book, and in her life, as well as a turning point in how the villagers (and I’m sure more of her people, as the story spreads) feel about her.