Milestone Birthdays

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There are multitudes of ways to celebrate milestone birthdays. One caveat: Always remember that the purpose of the celebration is to make the guest of honor feel special. Tread carefully when it comes to jokes about age – in many cases people have mixed feelings about reaching certain points in their lives. Focus instead on the richness of the person’s life so far and on what he/she has to look forward to.

“Over the hill” theme
Our earlier caution aside, for a 30th birthday it’s often acceptable to have a little fun with the “over the hill” theme since the birthday boy or girl has barely reached the hill yet! Black balloons, geriatric products, messages of condolence can all be part of the gag.

	“I don't see why not, young man. You look reasonably fit to me.” Winston Churchill, when asked by a photographer who was taking his picture on his 80th birthday if he might return to take Churchill's picture on his 100th birthday.

“This is your life” theme
For 40th birthdays and beyond, a “this is your life” retrospective can be funny, touching and entertaining for everyone. Put together a slide show with photos and remembrances of the guest of honor from infancy through adulthood with the help of friends and family and run it during the festivities.

“Mid-life crisis” theme
For 40th and 50th milestones, why not pre-empt the stereotypical mid-life crisis? Indulge the guest of honor by setting up a mid-life crisis adventure: This could be a group gift of a vacation, a sports car rental for a week, a skydiving adventure, or signing him or her up for lessons in something he or she has always wanted to try. Present the gift at a party where guests dress in their best “denial” clothing – outfits they’ve borrowed from their teenagers’ closets.

“ Remember when” theme
Set the party around the decade the person was born, or better yet, the decade in which he or she was a teenager. Guests can dress according to the decade. A 1970s theme would include disco music, smiley faces, fondue and tie-dye, for example. A 1950s theme could include a jukebox or 45s playing at the party (music is key to conjuring up the right feeling), guests dressed in poodle skirts and bowling shirts, and hula hoop, limbo and twist contests. How about cheeseburgers, fries, root beer floats and Bazooka bubble gum on the menu? For more adult refreshment, mix up pitchers of manhattans, grasshoppers and martinis (LINKS).

Party atmosphere
For milestone birthday invitations, include a photo of the guest as a baby or young child. For decoration, have photo albums, collages and old yearbooks set up around the room for guests to enjoy. You might even scan some photos into a slide show or videotape and have it running throughout the party. Ask guests to bring photos of themselves from years ago with the guest of honor.

Another idea is to ask each guest to bring a white candle – any size or shape will do – and set them up around the room. Once the party has started, each guest lights his/her candle and while doing so, shares a special or funny memory about the guest of honor.