I would like to add a preface to this podcast🙂 My actual birthday was the day after we recorded this podcast, and thousands of people across the internet wished me happy birthday, as well as hundreds who did special bday nail art whether in an organized collab for my bday or just on their own. While filming I had forgotten about the incredible well wishes and celebration this community routinely shows me on my bday, so I failed to reflect on that in this pod😅 Anyways, I very much appreciate everyone who wished me happy birthday and loved seeing everyone's nail art. I wish we filmed this podcast after my bday so I could have included that and a thank you, FML 💀 - Cristine
Twin here weighing in! Since my sister and I shared the same day, we would celebrate with family on the same day. However, as we got into our older teens, we would have separate parties with our separate groups of friends. Those parties were just like hanging out or going to a restaurant, no gifts or cake or anything. So we got both a day to celebrate together and also a time to have our independence!
I’m glad Ben said that he feels dread around his birthday and New Years, because I definitely feel that way too. I love to celebrate those days but also feel that too. I think for myself and a lot if people, birthdays are the only time that we’re not completely giving our time over to something or someone else so that’s why it’s important, plus it’s also a time to celebrate the fact that you made it through another year of your life, overcome obstacles, etc. and that’s a big deal to some people, almost needed. Also I think it’s important for siblings to have separate birthdays (if financially possible) to be able to have independence from each other. I also hate when parents give one child a gift on the other child’s birthday to not let them feel “left out”, I personally feel that it’s important to teach them that it’s not always about them and that you should let other people have their time to shine and teach them how to celebrate that instead of being jealous. That being said my cousin and I are born 2 days apart (by 11 years) and we do occasionally celebrate together and it is fun so I’m not opposed if that is what they want.
Jewish person here to answer some Bar/Batmitzvah questions: 1) money should be given in multiples of 18 because the number means life in Hebrew numerology. 2) the reason the party is so big is because it is considered the beginning of a child’s spiritual life. The party happens after the 12-13 year old co-leads the congregation in Sabbath services. It was a full year of study and preparation to be able to do that. 3) for me at least, the money went to college tuition 5 years later
ben’s feelings on the birthday existential crisis thing is too real for me too. some of my friends don’t understand why i get bummed around my birthday and it’s always so hard to express the complicated feelings…
Fellow Jewish lady here! Had my bat mitzvah at 12, it’s usually a few months after your actual birthday. Now that you both compared it to an actual wedding, you’re so right mine was so too extravagant 😂
I'm 40 years old now, but for the last 20, I've always said that the only gift I really want is for you to NOT sing me happy birthday. It's a win-win situ1ation. You give me something I want, and I won't have people sing to me. 🤣 Editd: Ben sounds like a younger sibling and Cristine sounds like an older one in the joint birthday party debate. Lol
I have forbidden people to sing that damnable song to me since I was at least ten, maybe twelve, lol. I can't remember when exactly I banned it from my birthday, but no one is allowed xD
I remember BEGGING my dad for a scanner when I was 9 😂 I wanted to post my art for my friends and little forums. He got one finally and I got ROASTED for my little 9y/o art. 💀 It’s ok though because I’m painting my first commissioned mural for a business this month so the criticism didn’t kill my artist spirit
@@justiina_cat dickbags who don’t consider the fact that it can be a lifelong memory. It changed how I interact with people online. I am MUCH more willing to give encouragement and love than I used to be. Someone has to try to cancel out the heartless trolls, right?
You just made me laugh, I remember there was a scanner in my house and I thought posting my Hatsune Miku drawings was a great idea when I was 11. People didn't roast me , they tried to give advice but not a single person said anything positive. Next year I'm graduating in my design mayor so I'm glad it all worked out .
At least for Orthodox Jews turning 12 and 13 marks requirement into following religious teachings (like not using electricity on Shabbat etc). There is a lot of Torah learning involved in preparation for the occasion. I have never compared sweet 16s to Bar or Bat Mitzvahs because truly these are supposed to be spiritual celebrations that are a long standing religious tradition. Personally I had a bat mitzvah that had some of the elements that you mentioned. I had to give a speech which was very embarrassing but I also chose to learn how to read the ancient chanting style denotations of my Torah portion and read it for the women in the community. That took place in my home and was empowering. But as far as the celebration of others in my class it did feel competitive because theirs were nicer than many weddings I have attended. I would just be cautious to lump Bar or Bat Mitzvahs into the same category as purely materialistic sweet 16s. Btw, all the money gifted to me was put away for me for college. 18 dollars is the costumary gift for spirtual reasons. Plenty of people gave me Jewish books and other similar things. Anyway, thanks for the interesting content as always!
I think in Ben's case when there's more than 2 siblings it'd be mean to make two of them share a party and the other kids get their own ones. If it's just 2 siblings like with Cristine it's equal no matter if its shared or seperate.
I have 5 brothers and 3 of us have birthdays in the same month, the other 3 have birthdays in different months. Growing up the 3 that had birthdays in different months had their own parties, I got my own party, but the brothers who's birthdays were two days apart shared a birthday party. I think it was fair cuz we all got the same treatment but practically there's no point to have separate parties when they're that close together
@@kittenseven4269 Disagree I have 2 sisters. They're birthdays are Nov 28 and 29 and mine is Dec 3rd (all 3 years apart) we all got our own parties and presents because we're individuals.
My daughters were born 2 years apart, but the same day. (not even induced or cesarian lol) We have always had their birthdays together, as one party. They enjoy it and have never indicated that they would want things to be done differently. It’s been really fun to celebrate them both together, actually. It’s a lot of love and happiness all at once. 🤷
I do understand wanting to have special days for each kiddo… but I guess I’m just saying that if it’s something you create traditions around and you kinda grow up doing that… it doesn’t feel weird or bad.
My sister and I were born on the same day 7 years apart and my mom would celebrate our birthdays together with a few people from our family. Growing up I didn't mind since it was normal for me, but sometime during my late teens/early 20s, I was a little bitter about it since I couldn't celebrate how I wanted, or eat the food I wanted since it had to be something that both my sister and I enjoy, or have the cake I wanted. I wanted to do my own thing as well, something with friends or my bf, not just with family. Typical teen stuff. But I still celebrated with them for the most part but I also learned to do things for myself even if it would mean missing a celebration together. One year, I went to Europe during my birthday, and last year I went to Disney World. I felt a little bad for my older sister since she loves celebrating our birthdays together, but you gotta do what makes you happy and not always do what makes your family happy. Nowadays, I'm grateful for our joint birthdays, and I appreciate them much more. Now I celebrate with my family in the day, and then hang out with my fiance and friends in the evening. It's really nice. Sorry this is long, but I wanted to give you a little insight in case your daughters are still pretty young. If you push them to always celebrate together, one might get a little resentful for a moment especially if she's the middle or younger child. Don't force them to always celebrate together, and encourage them to do their own thing if they want to when they're older, or at least let them have their own thing in the evening, separately with friends. (:
Do they get their own date day that isn’t necessarily their birthday with you though? Their party may be joint, but maybe adding a tradition of getting to go out for a special treat and going to a favorite shop for each girl would be nice. Then they would get something individually as well as their joint party.
I think it would actually be kind of fun to share your birthday with someone else, it’s like you get to celebrate with them and they understand exactly how you feel that day.
My sister and i were born 4 years and 3 days apart, and growing up my mom did her best to celebrate our birthdays separately. Small things like going out to eat our favourite foods and each of us having our own cake, but also big things like the one year my sister had a big party (a kid's party with characters and a magician) and i went to a little trip with my friends. Usually extended family only went or was invited to only one of those, but we were usually celebrated separately. I don't think I would have been sad or resentful of my sister if we had been celebrated together, but it has always been nice to be able to choose that, you know? maybe your daughters are small enough right now that they don't mind, but maybe as they grow up celebrate them a bit more separately (like getting a different cake for each of them? idk)?
This episode reminded me how interesting it is to learn about cultural differences. I still remember that the “sweet 16” was a topic in a textbook in English class and it was such a foreign concept for us, we were asking questions like what is that and why 16 but I don’t remember any explanation aside from “special b-day party at 16”. We were just so confused 😄 Also as a kid I considered top tier parties going out somewhere like bowling or to an amusement park and eating pizza. Most people celebrated at home, with home-cooked meals and too little space for a children’s party (coming from lower class I guess). From around 11 y.o. I was completely aware that we can’t afford parties, I often asked just for some sweets or nothing at all. So as an adult I always try to make my birthday special and put a lot of thought in gifts for others
I've got a 5 year old who's actually getting invited to other kids parties now that she's in school and so far everyone (including us for hers) has chosen the bowling alley. So I get it! I didn't even grow up in this province but half of my childhood parties were at home and half were at a bowling alley. That's just what's done, right? One year we broke the mould and rented a party room at one of those indoor playground places that were everywhere in the 90s. In my older teen years I would invite fewer friends and go to a movie.
I love the language Cristine uses for on the happy birthday song subject. People dont sing happy birthday TO her, they sing it AT her😂 much more aggressive and with ill intent obviously
Cristine, with all due respect, there is a significant religious component to b'nai (bar and bat mean son/daughter respectively, b'nai meaning children) mitzvahs. The child usually has studied Torah and Hebrew for a year (or more), organized a significant community service project (in some branches), and chants a Torah portion, among other prayers, on a bimah (stage), in front of their family, rabbi, and broader Jewish community. It's way, way more than just a "birthday party," and in some ways is more similar to a graduation party. I get that some can be extremely (to the point of being comically) lavish, but some families save up for years in order to show their friends, family, and community a good time. In many ways, a b'nai mitzvah is equivalent to a wedding in terms of importance for Jewish people--it's literally considered a "mitzvah" (a commandment) to hold a b'nai mitzvah to that standard. It's an incredibly emotional and significant rite of passage. Most people use the money from the b'nai mitzvah for college funds. The discussion surrounding b'nai mitzvahs was unusually insensitive and uninformed, especially considering that Cristine tends to be respectful about things she/Ben does not know about. I don't expect non-Jewish people (even those who were welcomed at 5-6 b'nai mitzvah?) to fully understand the nuances of the celebration, but this seemed really out of character. Not entirely sure why this discussion in particular had so little of the kind curiosity I come to know and love from this podcast, and why it seemed like there was so much hostility towards how other people choose to spend money and celebrate a nearly-thousand year old (at least) coming of age ceremony. And not for nothing, but plenty of Jewish people also reject the modern opulence of some b'nai mitzvahs, due to the excesses "destroying the religious meaning" of the celebration. (I know this wasn't the intent, but just for additional historical context about why some people might take offense at the discussion--there have been times throughout history where the size and scope of bar mitzvahs (bat mitzvah's are a relatively new thing) were legally regulated in order to avoid offending non-Jewish neighbors...among other anti-Jewish sentiments.)
honestly, this feels pretty in character based off what I’ve seen. As a practicing Muslim I feel like I might be a bit more sensitive than most, but Ben and Cristine have hinted at being at least somewhat agnostic/atheist in several podcasts. as such I don’t expect them to be particularly understanding of religion, but I find that they make light of it and don’t really take it seriously as it’s not something they subscribe to. Again, I’m probably just sensitive to it but it’s something I’ve noticed. for my part I just accept they will likely not understand and go on appreciating everything that keeps me coming back every week for more. 🤷🏽♀️
I hope they see this comment and that they grow a bit of sensitivity to this. Especially in this climate, we don't more misinformation being spread about those who are culturally or religiously Jewish.
To the joined parties - I was born on my dad's birthday and we always have just one birthday party, and it's kinda fun and we joke a lot about stuff like "no it's my birthday, no it's MY birthday!" but my mum makes two cakes, one for my dad and one for me, and it never really bothered me this way because it's just so special and unusual to share a birthday with someone so close ♥
I relate to Ben's existential dread. Sometimes during happy moments, like at a family get together or holiday or something my brains like, "one day, all of these people will be dead. After all, everyone dies." So that's fun.
My birthday is in 4 days - I'm turning 32. I tend to become emotional/nostalgic when that day approaches (the same goes for "milestone" dates and, well, life in general) and even though Cristine's extremely rational approach will always be foreign to me 😆 I think this episode is quite helpful to people like me who often lead with emotions and struggle with loneliness (which is the case here, as I've had a big change in life a few months ago and finding balance has been hard) So yeah, thanks for sharing your thoughts, guys. I think I'll be more at ease on Sunday.
Happy birthday for yesterday! I hope it was a chilled day. I've got a few months before 32, but I know how you feel haha. Sending positive vibes from London 👍
11:30 - I completely agree with Ben... Making 2 cakes... 2 events 3-4 weeks apart... Basically the time between US Thanksgiving and Christmas and those events imo are way more orchestrated than just a cake and people coming over... But I'm glad Cris doesn't see it as an issue since she experienced it. I could definitely see some people being upset by this arrangement if it was for them...
Happy birthday to the Holo Queen! About the joint birthday party thing... My daughters birthdays are 8 days apart so we always do one big party on the weekend between their birthdays where we invite everyone. But on their birthdays they would each get to choose what we have for supper that day, would get a few gifts and a birthday cake.
My family always had once a season “birthday bashes” so the families could exchange gifts. This was to eliminate needing to invite the whole family to each individual party, especially when all of the cousins started school and wanted to invite friends to parties
Our family did that before the plague. My husband is one of six when you include his two stepsisters, all are married and there are 12 grandchildren, 8 of whom are now adults. We also included a family friend whose twins share a birthday with my daughter. We had an early summer one that had 7 celebrants, a late summer one that had 10 celebrants until Hubby’s grandmother died (all between August 21 and September 21), a fall/winter one with 8 celebrants and early spring for 5. (And there are no actual birthdays in January, May or October.). Quarterly was the only way to go, especially for late summer. Six of those birthdays are grandkids.
@@ItsJustLisa that’s awesome. My family had three people on October 30th so one would always be a Halloween themed costume party birthday. One year my grandma didn’t have birthday candles, so we used teal taper candles and it became a tradition to use the same tapers every celebration
i'm born on december 26th, so i haven't really ever had a true birthday party. The christmas party was always my party, and while i understand it is financially easier to just give me ONE gift and not celebrate ME, it did really hurt my feelings as a kid. Family would forget to tell me happy birthday, all of my school friends were away of winter vacation, and everyone else would get a separate party and (in my mind) twice as many gifts as me. Up until i was about 14, i actually did hate the fact that i was swept under the rug, especially since my older sister got a dedicated party and day :(
That sucks, I'm sorry. HAPPY FUCKING BIRTHDAY FOR ALL THE TIMES IT WASNT SAID. I can totally understand that hurting, it feels like everyone gets a day for themselves and you don't, and everyone has other plans when you make time for their birthdays during other times of the year. I want to go hug your 14 year old self and throw a big party where saying the word Christmas is illegal
my friend was born on the 25th of December so knows the feeling.... i tell him Happy birthday and he says Merry Chritsmas XD... i would hug you and say happy birthday to you too.... enjoy your birthdays and celebrate with friends... as an adult you can do that now.... sorry you couldnt before
My grandma's birthday was literally on Christmas, so she never got to celebrate it properly. We always had a "Christmas cake" for the December babies. Including me.
Hey Cristine and Ben! North Carolina is beautiful in the fall, the leaves change colors and you can smell the trees. The allergies suck but it’s fun!!!
28:00 HAHAHA Cris's version of singing Happy Birthday at the beginning is making a lot more sense.... I'm not sure she knows the song (joking!) b/c she doesn't know the tune and doesn't know it has an end without candles HAHAHAAH Just cracking me up how truly neutral she is in all things birthday related HAHA
Honestly it's so validating to hear cristine say that by 16 she didn't have any friends. I'm sure she was exaggerating and I am too, I had like 5 friends at that point in school, but it felt like everyone got invited to the cool parties when my friends and I just saw movies or hung out at their houses for our birthdays (looking back, I wouldn't change those times for the world!). It feels good to know I wasn't the only one who never went to a sweet 16, and that the girl who that happened to could turn out to be someone as amazing as cris!
I live right in the middle of the US and we still see color change in the leaves, but it doesn't last as long as it does in the NorthEast and it isn't as variable. We still get reds yellows oranges and browns, but we've got a lot of variety in types of trees and they don't all hibernate the same.
I totally understand Ben about the birthday and new year feeling, it's getting harder by the year for me and I try to just go about them as a normal day to not get to depressed 😔
hey! I asked the question regarding singing happy birthday before or after blowing out the candles simply because my mothers side of the family sings it AFTER blowing out the candles, meaning i grew up that way until i realized some do it the other way around! My mom and my grandmother swear that our family does it the proper way. They say its not 'really your birthday' till you blow the candles out, thus the song begins
Growing up I used to share bday parties w my cousin. Our bdays are 2 weeks apart so we would just celebrate sometime in between :) I didn’t mind too much bc it meant that I got birthday presents earlier than I normally would have. As we got older though we switched to having individual bday parties. Now what *did* hurt my feelings was that certain family members would always be away on vacation on my birthday. This happened multiple times. All the family would be there to celebrate my cousins bday, but not all for mine. I think I would have preferred a shared party at that point.
As an American living in the southern east coast, I can assure you that more than just Vermont and the surrounding areas experience the wonder of changing leaves lol 🍁 🍃
Unpopular opinion....I love my birthday and hosting a party! I love doing the same for other people too! Cards, parties, gifts, all of that! I just feel like there's not always a lot to celebrate in life anymore and it's a great excuse to celebrate with friends and family 😁
My parents also did combined birthday parties for my sister and me since we have birthdays about a month apart (March 7th and April 15th). I have very fond memories of those parties ❤️ I don’t remember either of us ever feeling upset about it. Just meant we got a bigger party since it was all wrapped up into one!
I say *cheesecake* is S tier. I always ask for cheesecake for my birthday. I ❤ cheesecake. But we don't give out huge slices. It's too rich. Plus it has to be New York Cheesecake plain with sour cream topping! Yum!! 😋
I'm glad that Ben and Cristine finally went on holiday together, even though it wasn't far haha. Vermont looks beautiful in autumn. Hopefully Ben will get his wish for a big overseas trip next year
My brother's birthday and my own are a week apart and we both always agreed that we should get our own cake... This way everyone gets cake twice. Most importantly, we're 11 years apart and a birthday celebration for a little girl wouldn't have been the same one as for a teenage boy, lol. That being said, it was always just our mom and us, unless we happened to be visiting family. We don't move for each other's birthdays and only celebrate them with our immediate family.
I LOVED Stretch Armstrong ! After the novelty wore off, my siblings and I ‘tested’ his limits and actually ripped off a limb .... he was filled with solid jelly, btw. 😂😢😮
on the topic of birthday parties being on a weird day, we used to have a half birthday party for my younger sibling. their birthday is on december 28th, so after a few years of planning (and paying for) a birthday party with all of his friends in december when most people are away or busy with christmas stuff, we instead started planning half birthday parties in june once school was out. that way we had a lot more kids show up, plus we could have it in our backyard, and the kiddo could have a day to celebrate them that wasn’t overshadowed by holiday stress lol
I'm lucky where I live in Australia we get the changing seasons and beautiful leaf colours in autumn (fall) as well, because it's one of the best times of the year.
my sister and I are 5 years different but our b days are 10days apart so we've always shared the weekend in-between them when we're together in the same place. just had a baby and he's exactly 2 weeks after my dads b day, and my dad never celebrates his b day so now he has a party buddy and will have to celebrate 🍾 🎂🎉
36:00 Ooooh this just unlocked a memory for me. I did go to a McDonald's birthday party when I was like 6 or something, wow I haven't thought about that in years.
I agree with Cristine. Living in Michigan where weather can be harsh in the winter, we always celebrated birthdays in the summer. I had a lot of cousins so they were always combined. It was fun and I never cared that it wasnt on my birthday.
My birthday also falls on the 17th but my sister passed away right around this time (a couple years ago). So birthday celebrations have been more subdued. Which vexes my husband because he hates seeing me sad and desperately tries to cheer me up.
18:28 Lorde has a song called “Ribs” which is incredibly nostalgic. She sings about that pre-adulthood moment when you, for the first time, start to feel like time is actually going by. So, at some point she sings “This dream isn’t feeling sweet (…) I’ve never felt more alone. It feels so scary getting old”. After some years of listening to it I thought just what Cristine says. That not all days have to be super sweet. And that’s ok!
Birthdays have been hit or miss for me, lately leaning more on the miss because of certain things going on in my life. I really wished my 21st birthday was different because unfortunately it landed when the pandemic first started and we had to stay inside most of the time. Birthday parties were something that felt more like a family gathering with cake, and most of the family that came were people i didn't really like. And presents were something that could have been taken away easily if we didn't get good grades, so those weren't as fun to get either...
Even though I'm 33, I still love my birthday! I was an only child, and birthdays were usually just my parents and I when I was a kid. It was the one day a year when I got to have them take me wherever I wanted to go all day. I remember when I was I think 10, going to Burger King, the park, the pet store, and probably the library because to me no trip to town was complete unless we went to the library. Even on my 18th, I remember going to the library after getting registered to vote! I don't typically enjoy being the center of attention, but on my birthday, I love it.
My favorite time in life was my time in high school. I always look back at that time with fondness for the memories I made & some sadness because I can never go back to that time of seeing my friends everyday. I really took that for granted.
Happy birthday! Also you may feel comforted to know that I live in North Carolina which is technically a southern state and the maple tree in my backyard (and all the ones around me) fully turns yellow/orange/red in the fall so I don’t know who lied to you about that lol. People also take trips to the mountains in NC and especially the blue ridge parkway just to see all the pretty fall leaves so it’s definitely a thing here 😊
That map is focusing on forests, & says "Mostly". In the US, the leaves change everywhere: around your house, as you're out shopping, in the parks, & in the forests as well. There are many types of deciduous trees and plants that change color in the fall & there are specific efforts to have good species diversity. I live in Chicago and it's very diverse & colorful in autumn.
I'm with Christine on the joint birthday thing.. especially since they were sisters - it makes a lot of sense for one family to do one big party instead of doing the whole thing twice! When I was a kid I always shared birthday party with my best friend (Her's was 22nd and mine was 3rd) which I didn't mind at all, and looking back, even that makes sense cause then our families only had to host a party every other year which saves you money and stress :') We also had kids birthday parties at McDonald's in Norway. It was the BEST :D
Hope you had a spectacular birthday Cristine! I wanted to point out: I live in the suburbs of Chicago and the leaves definitely change here. We have tons of maple and oak and birch trees that are all in shades of red and orange and yellow right now. That map is definitely not accurate.
I think that in Cristine's case, her parents played a role in her being indifferent about her birthday. She talked about it being an inconvenience for her parents and family to celebrate their birthdays. They made their day about others peoples comfort. But that is my opinion.
Does anyone else remember those cupcakes that you could open up into a doll & they smelled amazing? I’m sure one of my fellow 80s babies know what I mean!
i think they were just called cupcakes, the wrapper folded down into the skirt and the frosting was a hat. i hated the smell, to me it only smelled like perfumy rubber
@SimplyPodLogical The fast food chains with "play pens" or slides and games are very common on Central America, and having a birthday of one is a daily thing. It was so interesting to hear it's not like that in Canada 🎉
I was born and raised in Vermont so this makes my heart happy! What we call the people seeing leaves are "leaf peapers"! I love that people come to Vermont to enjoy the leaves plus it's a great part of the Economy in Vermont! But man, some of these people drive so slow that the natives get irritated!!
Thoughtful, consumable gifts are always nice- like food/drink, a sweet card, something that is meant to be consumed and used up in a short amount of time.
I was not expecting the scanner to be for emailing your friends/family 😂 I was totally picturing scanning magazines to make digital collages, etc. Or scanning your butts. Thanks for choosing my question, loved this episode! 🥰
Even in NE Georgia where it's relatively warm all year the leaves change color in Autumn. It's less dramatic then in, say, Minnesota where it gets cold suddenly and the leaves all change at once, whereas in Georgia some trees begin changing in early Sept while others wait until late Nov. For the last 30 years of my life, it isn't Thanksgiving unless the Elm trees are brilliant yellow.
Indiana is absolutely beautiful in the fall even in the northern part. So is Illinois. I was also just in the one & it was beautiful over there too with the changing colors. Mostly Midwestern states I've been to in the fall definitely have changing leaves!
Yeah, in my part of Minnesota, we have some evergreen, but a fair amount of mixed Fall changing trees. Not as pretty with a colder start to October, but still have had several yellows, oranges & reds. Someday I want to check out a Vermont Fall.
I’m a twin so naturally growing up my sister and I always shared a birthday party. I remember one year it really upset me having to always share a birthday with her so we had separate parties and I didn’t invite her to mine 💀 I honestly don’t remember any other parties from our early childhood so I’m assuming we went back to sharing them after that. In hindsight I think I was less upset over having to share and it was more that birthdays and parties were incredibly overwhelming for young me. It always ended in me crying and hiding in my room because too much was going on. Towards the end of the middle school and through out high school we never had parties because it wasn’t a bit deal to either of us. Now I’d much rather spend the day with just her than have a party.
My sister's birthday is exactly a month after mine and we never had a joint party. But we never had any family coming in from out of town for either of our parties so I guess they weren't big deals. They still aren't a ~huge~ deal, but they are definitely a special day where everything is about the birthday person lol
Happy Birthday bday twin! I turned 30 for the 9th time 🎉😂 The leaves absolutely do change here in the Carolinas - more in the mountains but I’m mid state in SC and have red leaves on the tree in my yard 🍁
My brother and sister have birthdays 13 days apart, so they always did a joint birthday party when they were little. We would literally have a cake that was half for my brother and half for my sister (either we'd get two small cakes, or 1 big cake in a flavor they both liked but half decorated for each). We'd also do the decor 50/50 in the party room.
With the Cheesecake Factor at the Yorkdale Mall, from what I've heard is apparently it's supposed to be the test restaurant for Canada, and if they're successful enough over the first so many years, then it might be more likely that they'd open more restaurants in Canada
I would like to add a preface to this podcast🙂 My actual birthday was the day after we recorded this podcast, and thousands of people across the internet wished me happy birthday, as well as hundreds who did special bday nail art whether in an organized collab for my bday or just on their own. While filming I had forgotten about the incredible well wishes and celebration this community routinely shows me on my bday, so I failed to reflect on that in this pod😅 Anyways, I very much appreciate everyone who wished me happy birthday and loved seeing everyone's nail art. I wish we filmed this podcast after my bday so I could have included that and a thank you, FML 💀 - Cristine
Hope you’re having a beautiful day, Cristine. :) 🫖 🐈
Hey you acknowledged it on other platforms, so you’re good Cristine! Hope you had a good birthday, or just a good normal day ❤
Hope you enjoyed your birthday 🎂 🥳
We hope you really enjoyed your birthday and that we get to celebrate them with you for many years to come.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Twin here weighing in! Since my sister and I shared the same day, we would celebrate with family on the same day. However, as we got into our older teens, we would have separate parties with our separate groups of friends. Those parties were just like hanging out or going to a restaurant, no gifts or cake or anything. So we got both a day to celebrate together and also a time to have our independence!
“That’s quite difficult to operationalize” amazing quote from Cristine
I’m glad Ben said that he feels dread around his birthday and New Years, because I definitely feel that way too. I love to celebrate those days but also feel that too. I think for myself and a lot if people, birthdays are the only time that we’re not completely giving our time over to something or someone else so that’s why it’s important, plus it’s also a time to celebrate the fact that you made it through another year of your life, overcome obstacles, etc. and that’s a big deal to some people, almost needed. Also I think it’s important for siblings to have separate birthdays (if financially possible) to be able to have independence from each other. I also hate when parents give one child a gift on the other child’s birthday to not let them feel “left out”, I personally feel that it’s important to teach them that it’s not always about them and that you should let other people have their time to shine and teach them how to celebrate that instead of being jealous. That being said my cousin and I are born 2 days apart (by 11 years) and we do occasionally celebrate together and it is fun so I’m not opposed if that is what they want.
Jewish person here to answer some Bar/Batmitzvah questions: 1) money should be given in multiples of 18 because the number means life in Hebrew numerology. 2) the reason the party is so big is because it is considered the beginning of a child’s spiritual life. The party happens after the 12-13 year old co-leads the congregation in Sabbath services. It was a full year of study and preparation to be able to do that. 3) for me at least, the money went to college tuition 5 years later
ben’s feelings on the birthday existential crisis thing is too real for me too. some of my friends don’t understand why i get bummed around my birthday and it’s always so hard to express the complicated feelings…
Same!!
Same, it makes me question if I’ve even done anything important with my life.
It's new year's eve for me :(
@@hotsexyangel exactly, no matter how much you’ve accomplished, you ignore it all because of all the Feelings
Cristine killing it with the pony and the earrings.
and that turquoise sweater/sweat-shirt ::chef's kiss::
I love when she wears high ponies
Fellow Jewish lady here! Had my bat mitzvah at 12, it’s usually a few months after your actual birthday. Now that you both compared it to an actual wedding, you’re so right mine was so too extravagant 😂
Also side note: the money went to my college fund!
I'm 40 years old now, but for the last 20, I've always said that the only gift I really want is for you to NOT sing me happy birthday. It's a win-win situ1ation. You give me something I want, and I won't have people sing to me. 🤣
Editd: Ben sounds like a younger sibling and Cristine sounds like an older one in the joint birthday party debate. Lol
I have forbidden people to sing that damnable song to me since I was at least ten, maybe twelve, lol. I can't remember when exactly I banned it from my birthday, but no one is allowed xD
I've always just loudly joined along ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ if it's a singalong that removes the pressure for me
I remember BEGGING my dad for a scanner when I was 9 😂 I wanted to post my art for my friends and little forums. He got one finally and I got ROASTED for my little 9y/o art. 💀
It’s ok though because I’m painting my first commissioned mural for a business this month so the criticism didn’t kill my artist spirit
Congrats!!
What kind of a person roasts a 9 year olds art online 😭
@@justiina_cat dickbags who don’t consider the fact that it can be a lifelong memory. It changed how I interact with people online. I am MUCH more willing to give encouragement and love than I used to be. Someone has to try to cancel out the heartless trolls, right?
That's the spirit 😁
You just made me laugh, I remember there was a scanner in my house and I thought posting my Hatsune Miku drawings was a great idea when I was 11. People didn't roast me , they tried to give advice but not a single person said anything positive. Next year I'm graduating in my design mayor so I'm glad it all worked out .
I'm picturing Cristine's own personal hell where they make her sing happy birthday non stop because no one blows out the candles 🤣
But she doesn’t sing, she just mouths the words… 😂
same ahahahahhahaha
At least for Orthodox Jews turning 12 and 13 marks requirement into following religious teachings (like not using electricity on Shabbat etc). There is a lot of Torah learning involved in preparation for the occasion. I have never compared sweet 16s to Bar or Bat Mitzvahs because truly these are supposed to be spiritual celebrations that are a long standing religious tradition. Personally I had a bat mitzvah that had some of the elements that you mentioned. I had to give a speech which was very embarrassing but I also chose to learn how to read the ancient chanting style denotations of my Torah portion and read it for the women in the community. That took place in my home and was empowering. But as far as the celebration of others in my class it did feel competitive because theirs were nicer than many weddings I have attended. I would just be cautious to lump Bar or Bat Mitzvahs into the same category as purely materialistic sweet 16s. Btw, all the money gifted to me was put away for me for college. 18 dollars is the costumary gift for spirtual reasons. Plenty of people gave me Jewish books and other similar things. Anyway, thanks for the interesting content as always!
I think in Ben's case when there's more than 2 siblings it'd be mean to make two of them share a party and the other kids get their own ones. If it's just 2 siblings like with Cristine it's equal no matter if its shared or seperate.
I have 5 brothers and 3 of us have birthdays in the same month, the other 3 have birthdays in different months. Growing up the 3 that had birthdays in different months had their own parties, I got my own party, but the brothers who's birthdays were two days apart shared a birthday party. I think it was fair cuz we all got the same treatment but practically there's no point to have separate parties when they're that close together
@@kittenseven4269 Disagree I have 2 sisters. They're birthdays are Nov 28 and 29 and mine is Dec 3rd (all 3 years apart) we all got our own parties and presents because we're individuals.
My daughters were born 2 years apart, but the same day. (not even induced or cesarian lol) We have always had their birthdays together, as one party. They enjoy it and have never indicated that they would want things to be done differently. It’s been really fun to celebrate them both together, actually. It’s a lot of love and happiness all at once. 🤷
I do understand wanting to have special days for each kiddo… but I guess I’m just saying that if it’s something you create traditions around and you kinda grow up doing that… it doesn’t feel weird or bad.
My sister and I were born on the same day 7 years apart and my mom would celebrate our birthdays together with a few people from our family. Growing up I didn't mind since it was normal for me, but sometime during my late teens/early 20s, I was a little bitter about it since I couldn't celebrate how I wanted, or eat the food I wanted since it had to be something that both my sister and I enjoy, or have the cake I wanted. I wanted to do my own thing as well, something with friends or my bf, not just with family. Typical teen stuff. But I still celebrated with them for the most part but I also learned to do things for myself even if it would mean missing a celebration together. One year, I went to Europe during my birthday, and last year I went to Disney World. I felt a little bad for my older sister since she loves celebrating our birthdays together, but you gotta do what makes you happy and not always do what makes your family happy.
Nowadays, I'm grateful for our joint birthdays, and I appreciate them much more. Now I celebrate with my family in the day, and then hang out with my fiance and friends in the evening. It's really nice.
Sorry this is long, but I wanted to give you a little insight in case your daughters are still pretty young. If you push them to always celebrate together, one might get a little resentful for a moment especially if she's the middle or younger child. Don't force them to always celebrate together, and encourage them to do their own thing if they want to when they're older, or at least let them have their own thing in the evening, separately with friends. (:
Do they get their own date day that isn’t necessarily their birthday with you though? Their party may be joint, but maybe adding a tradition of getting to go out for a special treat and going to a favorite shop for each girl would be nice. Then they would get something individually as well as their joint party.
I think it would actually be kind of fun to share your birthday with someone else, it’s like you get to celebrate with them and they understand exactly how you feel that day.
My sister and i were born 4 years and 3 days apart, and growing up my mom did her best to celebrate our birthdays separately. Small things like going out to eat our favourite foods and each of us having our own cake, but also big things like the one year my sister had a big party (a kid's party with characters and a magician) and i went to a little trip with my friends. Usually extended family only went or was invited to only one of those, but we were usually celebrated separately.
I don't think I would have been sad or resentful of my sister if we had been celebrated together, but it has always been nice to be able to choose that, you know? maybe your daughters are small enough right now that they don't mind, but maybe as they grow up celebrate them a bit more separately (like getting a different cake for each of them? idk)?
This episode reminded me how interesting it is to learn about cultural differences. I still remember that the “sweet 16” was a topic in a textbook in English class and it was such a foreign concept for us, we were asking questions like what is that and why 16 but I don’t remember any explanation aside from “special b-day party at 16”. We were just so confused 😄
Also as a kid I considered top tier parties going out somewhere like bowling or to an amusement park and eating pizza. Most people celebrated at home, with home-cooked meals and too little space for a children’s party (coming from lower class I guess). From around 11 y.o. I was completely aware that we can’t afford parties, I often asked just for some sweets or nothing at all. So as an adult I always try to make my birthday special and put a lot of thought in gifts for others
I've got a 5 year old who's actually getting invited to other kids parties now that she's in school and so far everyone (including us for hers) has chosen the bowling alley. So I get it! I didn't even grow up in this province but half of my childhood parties were at home and half were at a bowling alley. That's just what's done, right? One year we broke the mould and rented a party room at one of those indoor playground places that were everywhere in the 90s. In my older teen years I would invite fewer friends and go to a movie.
I love the language Cristine uses for on the happy birthday song subject. People dont sing happy birthday TO her, they sing it AT her😂 much more aggressive and with ill intent obviously
Cristine, with all due respect, there is a significant religious component to b'nai (bar and bat mean son/daughter respectively, b'nai meaning children) mitzvahs. The child usually has studied Torah and Hebrew for a year (or more), organized a significant community service project (in some branches), and chants a Torah portion, among other prayers, on a bimah (stage), in front of their family, rabbi, and broader Jewish community. It's way, way more than just a "birthday party," and in some ways is more similar to a graduation party. I get that some can be extremely (to the point of being comically) lavish, but some families save up for years in order to show their friends, family, and community a good time. In many ways, a b'nai mitzvah is equivalent to a wedding in terms of importance for Jewish people--it's literally considered a "mitzvah" (a commandment) to hold a b'nai mitzvah to that standard. It's an incredibly emotional and significant rite of passage. Most people use the money from the b'nai mitzvah for college funds.
The discussion surrounding b'nai mitzvahs was unusually insensitive and uninformed, especially considering that Cristine tends to be respectful about things she/Ben does not know about. I don't expect non-Jewish people (even those who were welcomed at 5-6 b'nai mitzvah?) to fully understand the nuances of the celebration, but this seemed really out of character. Not entirely sure why this discussion in particular had so little of the kind curiosity I come to know and love from this podcast, and why it seemed like there was so much hostility towards how other people choose to spend money and celebrate a nearly-thousand year old (at least) coming of age ceremony. And not for nothing, but plenty of Jewish people also reject the modern opulence of some b'nai mitzvahs, due to the excesses "destroying the religious meaning" of the celebration.
(I know this wasn't the intent, but just for additional historical context about why some people might take offense at the discussion--there have been times throughout history where the size and scope of bar mitzvahs (bat mitzvah's are a relatively new thing) were legally regulated in order to avoid offending non-Jewish neighbors...among other anti-Jewish sentiments.)
honestly, this feels pretty in character based off what I’ve seen. As a practicing Muslim I feel like I might be a bit more sensitive than most, but Ben and Cristine have hinted at being at least somewhat agnostic/atheist in several podcasts. as such I don’t expect them to be particularly understanding of religion, but I find that they make light of it and don’t really take it seriously as it’s not something they subscribe to. Again, I’m probably just sensitive to it but it’s something I’ve noticed. for my part I just accept they will likely not understand and go on appreciating everything that keeps me coming back every week for more. 🤷🏽♀️
I hope they see this comment and that they grow a bit of sensitivity to this. Especially in this climate, we don't more misinformation being spread about those who are culturally or religiously Jewish.
Just an FYI, the PNW has a lot of foliage color change. Not just maple trees turn red. :) come visit us Cristine!
To the joined parties - I was born on my dad's birthday and we always have just one birthday party, and it's kinda fun and we joke a lot about stuff like "no it's my birthday, no it's MY birthday!" but my mum makes two cakes, one for my dad and one for me, and it never really bothered me this way because it's just so special and unusual to share a birthday with someone so close ♥
I love the teal/mint color sweater on you, Cristine ❤️🥰🤗
I relate to Ben's existential dread. Sometimes during happy moments, like at a family get together or holiday or something my brains like, "one day, all of these people will be dead. After all, everyone dies." So that's fun.
My birthday is in 4 days - I'm turning 32. I tend to become emotional/nostalgic when that day approaches (the same goes for "milestone" dates and, well, life in general) and even though Cristine's extremely rational approach will always be foreign to me 😆 I think this episode is quite helpful to people like me who often lead with emotions and struggle with loneliness (which is the case here, as I've had a big change in life a few months ago and finding balance has been hard)
So yeah, thanks for sharing your thoughts, guys. I think I'll be more at ease on Sunday.
Happy birthday for yesterday! I hope it was a chilled day. I've got a few months before 32, but I know how you feel haha. Sending positive vibes from London 👍
11:30 - I completely agree with Ben... Making 2 cakes... 2 events 3-4 weeks apart... Basically the time between US Thanksgiving and Christmas and those events imo are way more orchestrated than just a cake and people coming over... But I'm glad Cris doesn't see it as an issue since she experienced it. I could definitely see some people being upset by this arrangement if it was for them...
Happy birthday to the Holo Queen! About the joint birthday party thing... My daughters birthdays are 8 days apart so we always do one big party on the weekend between their birthdays where we invite everyone. But on their birthdays they would each get to choose what we have for supper that day, would get a few gifts and a birthday cake.
My family always had once a season “birthday bashes” so the families could exchange gifts. This was to eliminate needing to invite the whole family to each individual party, especially when all of the cousins started school and wanted to invite friends to parties
My adopted family did the same thing.
Our family did that before the plague. My husband is one of six when you include his two stepsisters, all are married and there are 12 grandchildren, 8 of whom are now adults. We also included a family friend whose twins share a birthday with my daughter.
We had an early summer one that had 7 celebrants, a late summer one that had 10 celebrants until Hubby’s grandmother died (all between August 21 and September 21), a fall/winter one with 8 celebrants and early spring for 5. (And there are no actual birthdays in January, May or October.). Quarterly was the only way to go, especially for late summer. Six of those birthdays are grandkids.
@@ItsJustLisa that’s awesome. My family had three people on October 30th so one would always be a Halloween themed costume party birthday. One year my grandma didn’t have birthday candles, so we used teal taper candles and it became a tradition to use the same tapers every celebration
i'm born on december 26th, so i haven't really ever had a true birthday party. The christmas party was always my party, and while i understand it is financially easier to just give me ONE gift and not celebrate ME, it did really hurt my feelings as a kid. Family would forget to tell me happy birthday, all of my school friends were away of winter vacation, and everyone else would get a separate party and (in my mind) twice as many gifts as me. Up until i was about 14, i actually did hate the fact that i was swept under the rug, especially since my older sister got a dedicated party and day :(
That sucks, I'm sorry. HAPPY FUCKING BIRTHDAY FOR ALL THE TIMES IT WASNT SAID. I can totally understand that hurting, it feels like everyone gets a day for themselves and you don't, and everyone has other plans when you make time for their birthdays during other times of the year. I want to go hug your 14 year old self and throw a big party where saying the word Christmas is illegal
my friend was born on the 25th of December so knows the feeling.... i tell him Happy birthday and he says Merry Chritsmas XD... i would hug you and say happy birthday to you too.... enjoy your birthdays and celebrate with friends... as an adult you can do that now.... sorry you couldnt before
My grandma's birthday was literally on Christmas, so she never got to celebrate it properly. We always had a "Christmas cake" for the December babies. Including me.
Hey Cristine and Ben! North Carolina is beautiful in the fall, the leaves change colors and you can smell the trees. The allergies suck but it’s fun!!!
28:00 HAHAHA Cris's version of singing Happy Birthday at the beginning is making a lot more sense.... I'm not sure she knows the song (joking!) b/c she doesn't know the tune and doesn't know it has an end without candles HAHAHAAH Just cracking me up how truly neutral she is in all things birthday related HAHA
Happy Birthday to the Holo Queen! 👸
Honestly it's so validating to hear cristine say that by 16 she didn't have any friends. I'm sure she was exaggerating and I am too, I had like 5 friends at that point in school, but it felt like everyone got invited to the cool parties when my friends and I just saw movies or hung out at their houses for our birthdays (looking back, I wouldn't change those times for the world!). It feels good to know I wasn't the only one who never went to a sweet 16, and that the girl who that happened to could turn out to be someone as amazing as cris!
I live right in the middle of the US and we still see color change in the leaves, but it doesn't last as long as it does in the NorthEast and it isn't as variable. We still get reds yellows oranges and browns, but we've got a lot of variety in types of trees and they don't all hibernate the same.
I totally understand Ben about the birthday and new year feeling, it's getting harder by the year for me and I try to just go about them as a normal day to not get to depressed 😔
hey! I asked the question regarding singing happy birthday before or after blowing out the candles simply because my mothers side of the family sings it AFTER blowing out the candles, meaning i grew up that way until i realized some do it the other way around! My mom and my grandmother swear that our family does it the proper way. They say its not 'really your birthday' till you blow the candles out, thus the song begins
I live in Kansas, near Missouri so I can speak to them also, but we definitely get the leaves changing colors. It's lovely!!
i’m offended by ben calling challah egg bread lmao
Not Ben recalling the best part of a bar mitzvah the challah and then calling it "egg bread" 😂😂
Growing up I used to share bday parties w my cousin. Our bdays are 2 weeks apart so we would just celebrate sometime in between :) I didn’t mind too much bc it meant that I got birthday presents earlier than I normally would have. As we got older though we switched to having individual bday parties. Now what *did* hurt my feelings was that certain family members would always be away on vacation on my birthday. This happened multiple times. All the family would be there to celebrate my cousins bday, but not all for mine. I think I would have preferred a shared party at that point.
As an American living in the southern east coast, I can assure you that more than just Vermont and the surrounding areas experience the wonder of changing leaves lol 🍁 🍃
Cristine, your hair looks so pretty in this!
Happy birthday Christine! FYI the leaves do change in the south east too!
I love in the Midwest and we have we great color changing with the leaves!
Unpopular opinion....I love my birthday and hosting a party! I love doing the same for other people too! Cards, parties, gifts, all of that! I just feel like there's not always a lot to celebrate in life anymore and it's a great excuse to celebrate with friends and family 😁
My parents also did combined birthday parties for my sister and me since we have birthdays about a month apart (March 7th and April 15th). I have very fond memories of those parties ❤️ I don’t remember either of us ever feeling upset about it. Just meant we got a bigger party since it was all wrapped up into one!
I friggin LOVED McDonalds Caboose birthday parties. LOVED.
I say *cheesecake* is S tier. I always ask for cheesecake for my birthday. I ❤ cheesecake. But we don't give out huge slices. It's too rich. Plus it has to be New York Cheesecake plain with sour cream topping! Yum!! 😋
I live in Mississippi (southern US) and we definitely get color change in the leaves. We have maple trees that turn orange and red
The joint birthday party I was thinking is not what I should have been thinking 😂
I live in Southeast Michigan and our leaf colors are GORGEOUS right now! They definitely change to reds and yellows and oranges here :)
I'm glad that Ben and Cristine finally went on holiday together, even though it wasn't far haha. Vermont looks beautiful in autumn. Hopefully Ben will get his wish for a big overseas trip next year
My brother's birthday and my own are a week apart and we both always agreed that we should get our own cake... This way everyone gets cake twice. Most importantly, we're 11 years apart and a birthday celebration for a little girl wouldn't have been the same one as for a teenage boy, lol. That being said, it was always just our mom and us, unless we happened to be visiting family. We don't move for each other's birthdays and only celebrate them with our immediate family.
yooooo! I thought I was the only one obsessed with my families scanner back in the day xD
I LOVED Stretch Armstrong ! After the novelty wore off, my siblings and I ‘tested’ his limits and actually ripped off a limb .... he was filled with solid jelly, btw. 😂😢😮
on the topic of birthday parties being on a weird day, we used to have a half birthday party for my younger sibling. their birthday is on december 28th, so after a few years of planning (and paying for) a birthday party with all of his friends in december when most people are away or busy with christmas stuff, we instead started planning half birthday parties in june once school was out. that way we had a lot more kids show up, plus we could have it in our backyard, and the kiddo could have a day to celebrate them that wasn’t overshadowed by holiday stress lol
that's a brilliant idea :)
I'm lucky where I live in Australia we get the changing seasons and beautiful leaf colours in autumn (fall) as well, because it's one of the best times of the year.
my sister and I are 5 years different but our b days are 10days apart so we've always shared the weekend in-between them when we're together in the same place. just had a baby and he's exactly 2 weeks after my dads b day, and my dad never celebrates his b day so now he has a party buddy and will have to celebrate 🍾 🎂🎉
It's so awkward when people are singing happy birthday to you
The worst is when they are also filming it
36:00 Ooooh this just unlocked a memory for me. I did go to a McDonald's birthday party when I was like 6 or something, wow I haven't thought about that in years.
I agree with Cristine. Living in Michigan where weather can be harsh in the winter, we always celebrated birthdays in the summer. I had a lot of cousins so they were always combined. It was fun and I never cared that it wasnt on my birthday.
My birthday also falls on the 17th but my sister passed away right around this time (a couple years ago). So birthday celebrations have been more subdued. Which vexes my husband because he hates seeing me sad and desperately tries to cheer me up.
18:28 Lorde has a song called “Ribs” which is incredibly nostalgic. She sings about that pre-adulthood moment when you, for the first time, start to feel like time is actually going by. So, at some point she sings “This dream isn’t feeling sweet (…) I’ve never felt more alone. It feels so scary getting old”.
After some years of listening to it I thought just what Cristine says. That not all days have to be super sweet. And that’s ok!
I am 100% going to start saying "I think that is impossible to operationalize" to people when they make hard to prove claims. Thanks Simply! 😂😂
Birthdays have been hit or miss for me, lately leaning more on the miss because of certain things going on in my life. I really wished my 21st birthday was different because unfortunately it landed when the pandemic first started and we had to stay inside most of the time.
Birthday parties were something that felt more like a family gathering with cake, and most of the family that came were people i didn't really like. And presents were something that could have been taken away easily if we didn't get good grades, so those weren't as fun to get either...
Totally agree Cristine, HANDS DOWN ice cream cake is the BEST birthday cake 🤩🍦🎂
Ben looks SO refreshed, and somehow you guys look younger! I need to go to Vermont 😅
Even though I'm 33, I still love my birthday! I was an only child, and birthdays were usually just my parents and I when I was a kid. It was the one day a year when I got to have them take me wherever I wanted to go all day. I remember when I was I think 10, going to Burger King, the park, the pet store, and probably the library because to me no trip to town was complete unless we went to the library. Even on my 18th, I remember going to the library after getting registered to vote! I don't typically enjoy being the center of attention, but on my birthday, I love it.
Simply libra energy of being diplomatic and fair about birthday
My favorite time in life was my time in high school. I always look back at that time with fondness for the memories I made & some sadness because I can never go back to that time of seeing my friends everyday. I really took that for granted.
Happy birthday! Also you may feel comforted to know that I live in North Carolina which is technically a southern state and the maple tree in my backyard (and all the ones around me) fully turns yellow/orange/red in the fall so I don’t know who lied to you about that lol. People also take trips to the mountains in NC and especially the blue ridge parkway just to see all the pretty fall leaves so it’s definitely a thing here 😊
I'm rolling at the "the song doesn't end" 🎶🥳🙈
That map is focusing on forests, & says "Mostly".
In the US, the leaves change everywhere: around your house, as you're out shopping, in the parks, & in the forests as well. There are many types of deciduous trees and plants that change color in the fall & there are specific efforts to have good species diversity.
I live in Chicago and it's very diverse & colorful in autumn.
Happy birthday Cristine!!! 🎉🎂🍁 Also your hair looks amazing by the way! Your whole look in this video is cute and stylish. Really suits you ❤️
I'm with Christine on the joint birthday thing.. especially since they were sisters - it makes a lot of sense for one family to do one big party instead of doing the whole thing twice! When I was a kid I always shared birthday party with my best friend (Her's was 22nd and mine was 3rd) which I didn't mind at all, and looking back, even that makes sense cause then our families only had to host a party every other year which saves you money and stress :')
We also had kids birthday parties at McDonald's in Norway. It was the BEST :D
Hope you had a spectacular birthday Cristine! I wanted to point out: I live in the suburbs of Chicago and the leaves definitely change here. We have tons of maple and oak and birch trees that are all in shades of red and orange and yellow right now. That map is definitely not accurate.
Lol, it’s not just in the northeast that leaves change. I live in Chicago and the trees are gorgeous right now 🍁
Vermont local here, happy to hear you had a good trip!! 🍁🍂
As someone living in the US desert southwest, I can confirm that yes, there are places where very little fall color change happens 😂
If you think bar/bat mitzvah’s are lavish, you should see quinceanera’s 😂
I think that in Cristine's case, her parents played a role in her being indifferent about her birthday. She talked about it being an inconvenience for her parents and family to celebrate their birthdays. They made their day about others peoples comfort. But that is my opinion.
Does anyone else remember those cupcakes that you could open up into a doll & they smelled amazing? I’m sure one of my fellow 80s babies know what I mean!
Strawberry Shortcake?
i think they were just called cupcakes, the wrapper folded down into the skirt and the frosting was a hat. i hated the smell, to me it only smelled like perfumy rubber
@SimplyPodLogical The fast food chains with "play pens" or slides and games are very common on Central America, and having a birthday of one is a daily thing. It was so interesting to hear it's not like that in Canada 🎉
I was born and raised in Vermont so this makes my heart happy! What we call the people seeing leaves are "leaf peapers"! I love that people come to Vermont to enjoy the leaves plus it's a great part of the Economy in Vermont! But man, some of these people drive so slow that the natives get irritated!!
Thoughtful, consumable gifts are always nice- like food/drink, a sweet card, something that is meant to be consumed and used up in a short amount of time.
I was not expecting the scanner to be for emailing your friends/family 😂 I was totally picturing scanning magazines to make digital collages, etc. Or scanning your butts.
Thanks for choosing my question, loved this episode! 🥰
Even in NE Georgia where it's relatively warm all year the leaves change color in Autumn. It's less dramatic then in, say, Minnesota where it gets cold suddenly and the leaves all change at once, whereas in Georgia some trees begin changing in early Sept while others wait until late Nov. For the last 30 years of my life, it isn't Thanksgiving unless the Elm trees are brilliant yellow.
Indiana is absolutely beautiful in the fall even in the northern part. So is Illinois. I was also just in the one & it was beautiful over there too with the changing colors. Mostly Midwestern states I've been to in the fall definitely have changing leaves!
West coast US does have changing leaves as well. I am in UT and we have a vast leave changing season, lots of mountains with all kinds of trees.
Yeah, in my part of Minnesota, we have some evergreen, but a fair amount of mixed Fall changing trees. Not as pretty with a colder start to October, but still have had several yellows, oranges & reds. Someday I want to check out a Vermont Fall.
I’m in Georgia and I can tell you we have some beautiful fall leaves and mountains 💚🍂
I had no idea some parts of the US don’t get leaf colour changes!! That sucks for them - learned something new today thank you
the ending of this podcast, i'm crying 😂😂
Lmao I can’t relate to all these birthday party comments about family COMING from out of town for birthdays 🥴 I barely got a phone call lol
If you liked Vermont, you should see West Virginia in the fall 🤩🍂
I’m a twin so naturally growing up my sister and I always shared a birthday party. I remember one year it really upset me having to always share a birthday with her so we had separate parties and I didn’t invite her to mine 💀 I honestly don’t remember any other parties from our early childhood so I’m assuming we went back to sharing them after that. In hindsight I think I was less upset over having to share and it was more that birthdays and parties were incredibly overwhelming for young me. It always ended in me crying and hiding in my room because too much was going on. Towards the end of the middle school and through out high school we never had parties because it wasn’t a bit deal to either of us. Now I’d much rather spend the day with just her than have a party.
My birthday is February 6th & I LOVE surprise parties
The best is the Menchie loaf in the center 🤣🤣🤣
My sister's birthday is exactly a month after mine and we never had a joint party. But we never had any family coming in from out of town for either of our parties so I guess they weren't big deals. They still aren't a ~huge~ deal, but they are definitely a special day where everything is about the birthday person lol
Happy Birthday bday twin! I turned 30 for the 9th time 🎉😂
The leaves absolutely do change here in the Carolinas - more in the mountains but I’m mid state in SC and have red leaves on the tree in my yard 🍁
Team foliage! Living in New England is really nice for season changes except for slushy snow season, that’s a lot less magical
My brother and sister have birthdays 13 days apart, so they always did a joint birthday party when they were little. We would literally have a cake that was half for my brother and half for my sister (either we'd get two small cakes, or 1 big cake in a flavor they both liked but half decorated for each). We'd also do the decor 50/50 in the party room.
With the Cheesecake Factor at the Yorkdale Mall, from what I've heard is apparently it's supposed to be the test restaurant for Canada, and if they're successful enough over the first so many years, then it might be more likely that they'd open more restaurants in Canada