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Birthday parties have changed, and how!

I grew up in Chandigarh in the late 1990s, when virtually every birthday party was organised at home. We had the luxury of living in spacious bungalows with verandahs and lush-green lawns. Musical chairs, ‘pass the parcel’ and treasure hunts...
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I grew up in Chandigarh in the late 1990s, when virtually every birthday party was organised at home. We had the luxury of living in spacious bungalows with verandahs and lush-green lawns. Musical chairs, ‘pass the parcel’ and treasure hunts were par for the course at birthday parties.

My maasi was a prolific baker. She made all our customised birthday cakes. I was amazed at how indefatigable she was — there was always a rocket ship or car or plane or princess or some other such impressive creation in colourful icing. All the party food was home-made.

Party return bags or party favours have become victims of competitive evolution. When we were growing up, party favours were nothing more than a pencil, eraser, ruler and two or three toffees at best — inside a small, nondescript bag. The winner of a party game would almost always be the proud recipient of a 5Star chocolate bar or Nutties, which were all the rage well into the late 1990s and early 2000s.

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Thanks to easily available streamers, balloons and other decorations in those days, the whole birthday party affair was always a family occasion — easier to plan and execute with multiple hands on deck to help out at minimal costs.

The majority of today’s youth are no longer living in sprawling houses and have moved out to condos or apartment blocks in the country or abroad. The joint family concept has somewhat faded, giving way to nuclear families living away on their own and learning to wean themselves from the comforts of daily familial help.

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Outsourcing of birthday parties is almost inevitable for most expats living in condominiums and apartments. The existence of so many entertainment options today also makes for an easy hook for parents, who already have a lot on their plate and are willing to take the easier way out.

My son turned six last year. He and his friend were adamant about a combined birthday party in a trampoline park, followed by a pizza-making experience. It turned out to be a great success; apart from the cake and party favours, all we needed to do was show up. The dotcom generation of today is much more aware and independent than we were at their age. I don’t remember being asked what kind of cake I wanted or being that involved in the nitty-gritty of the party planning process. Or even being asked what I wanted to wear at my own party. I was told what to wear and how to tie up my hair and it was done.

The story is very different now. Party gifts are a far cry from our 5Star, Nutties and eraser-pencil days. As we continue with the daily hustle to do the best for our children, glaringly aware of the inability to do what our families did all those years ago, the fatigue of expat living kicks in. And I am hit by waves of nostalgia for those simpler times gone by and the acute awareness of these new tides we must learn to ride.

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