40th Birthday Ideas
A Few 40th Birthday Ideas You May Not Have Thought About
Birthday ideas aren't usually too difficult to think of, although 40th birthday ideas, or ideas commemorating any "round" birthday may take a little more thought. What's so special about the 40th birthday? Depending upon how you look at it, the birthday person is at the point where "life begins", or is hitting a mid-life crisis, entering middle-age, or as some would think, entering old age. For some, the 40th year is one of the tougher ones to face. Maybe it's because by the time we're 50 or 60 we've become resigned to the fact that we really are not immortal. This is seldom the case at 40. Still, 40 is a time for celebration, and maybe also a time for a little teasing.
Milestone Birthdays - Milestone birthdays, especially the "round" birthdays, are a big thing in some countries. Not so much in the United States perhaps, although celebrations for the 40th, 50th, 60th, etc., years are becoming more popular. So instead of a quiet dinner in front of the TV, even if that's what the birthday boy or girl might really like, it's time to give some thought for something special, some very special 40th birthday ideas. As noted in the opening sentence, 40 years can be a rather special time in a person's life. So let's get on with it.
40th birthday ideas can center around the number itself, life looking backwards over the past 40 years, or with a little dark humor, looking forward into the descent into middle age, and the slippery slope heading towards old age. Unless it's going to be a celebration for two, get in touch with one or more of the birthday boy's or girl's friends and do a little brainstorming on what the theme of the day should be. Of course, you're probably quite capable of dreaming something up on your own, but it's nice to know that the invitees will take to the idea and go with the theme.
Gift Ideas - A party or celebration doesn't have to totally focus on the number 40 of course. That might be a little hard to do. But some gifts could do just that, like a $40 gift certificate, or a box of 40 $1 items from the Dollar Store, or a package of 40 of anything, be they packets of seeds (for the gardener) of 40 pair of white socks (for the person who uses lots of white socks). Or, just ask guests to bring a gift that has something to do with the number 40 and see what happens! Let them worry about what to bring.
Gift certificates seem to be more and more popular as gifts these days, and they make very fine ones. If $40 is too much to ask of a guest, have several of them chip in. You can purchase gift certificates at the store, over the Internet, even at supermarkets, so it's really quite an easy thing to do, and wrapping certainly isn't a problem. Or just find 40 items, some nice, some on the tacky side, and put them all in one gift basket.
You do want to make a special occasion of it though, and that usually means having a few (not necessarily 40) friends along. Dinner could be at a favorite restaurant or a favorite hangout that serves beer and burgers. Take a look at some of the birthday boy's or girl's favorite eating spots, and make a reservation. Or have dinner at a restaurant where you've always wanted and intended to eat at, but never quite seemed to make it. Call ahead and reserve a specially prepared dinner. Maybe the chef and serving staff will sing Happy Birthday while bringing out the flaming desert.
If it's to be a surprise, you'll probably need to let the honoree in on it, and avoid the situation of the honored guest being somewhere else when the dinner or party is scheduled to start. You just don't have to let them know who's invited, or how many, just that it's a surprise party - so act surprised!
If it's a party, there doesn't absolutely have to be a theme, and if there is one, it doesn't absolutely have to have anything to do with being 40. But if, for example, life-long friends are the guests, each could bring a memento of times past to share, whether it was some great accomplishment or adventure, or something a bit on the humiliating side (not funny at the time, but worth a laugh now). A special treat could be a surprise guest or two that hasn't been around for a number of years. A somewhat eclectic assortment of people can make for a very interesting time, as there are usually one or two who can contribute a great deal to helping a party get started. (continued...)