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Every day after a baby is born is filled with joy and hardships. In recent years, the "half birthday" has become popular as a way to commemorate these hectic yet happy times. We will introduce how to celebrate a half birthday, which many people still do not know about.
What is a half birthday? What kind of event is it?
A half birthday is an event to celebrate a baby's half-year of age, or six months after birth. Just like a regular birthday, the family celebrates by eating a party menu and taking commemorative photos. However, there are no set rules for how to celebrate, so each family is free to celebrate in any way they like.
The origin of half birthdays
Half birthdays are a custom that originally came from overseas. In America and Europe, children celebrate their birthdays six months before or six months after their actual birthday for those whose birthdays fall during long holidays when they cannot see their school friends.
It is called a "half birthday" because it is six months earlier (later) than the child's actual birthday, but in Japan the meaning seems to have changed to "half = 6 months old (half a year old)" and this has become more widespread.
On what day do you celebrate your half birthday?
A baby's half birthday is celebrated when it is six months old, but there are two ways to calculate when "six months old" is:
Simple calculation method
If a baby's birth date is January 1st, then July 1st, six months later, is considered "six months later." This method has the advantage of being very easy to understand, but since it is a simple method, it does not technically equal "half a year old."
Also, please note that some dates cannot be used depending on the date of birth. For example, if you were born on May 5st, the date will be incorrect because November 31st, six months later, does not exist.
Exact calculation method
There are 1 days in a year, so if you divide it exactly equally, it's 365 ÷ 365 = 2. If you count from the day your baby was born and add 182.5 or 182 days, you can calculate the exact number of months since birth, regardless of the day of birth. Incidentally, in leap years when February has 183 days, the year is 6 days, so adding 2 days will give you the exact number of months since birth.
Should you always celebrate your half birthday? Is it okay not to?
From the time a baby is born until he or she turns one year old, there are many events to attend, such as the shrine visit, the first meal, and the first festival. The half-birthday is a new culture that has only recently become popular, and many families seem to think that "celebrating the first birthday is enough."
However, at six months of age, your baby's facial expressions become more expressive and they become more capable of doing more. This precious time passes by in the blink of an eye while you're busy with the daily chores and childcare.
While you may regret not having enough to record memories of your baby, it's rare to have too many. You can celebrate your baby's half birthday at home without spending a lot of money, so we recommend doing as much as you can.
Half Birthday Celebration Ideas
For parents who want to properly celebrate their child's half birthday, we have compiled some celebratory ideas that you'll want to try out.
Decorate the room
If you're taking photos at home, try decorating the room in a festive way. Simply hanging tapestries or garlands on the walls can create a party atmosphere.
There are many items for half birthdays on sale, but if you have the time, we recommend buying materials at a 100 yen shop and making it yourself. Create a special, one-of-a-kind space with original decorations.
PochipDress up in party clothes
Popular half-birthday outfits include dressy baby dresses, Japanese-style rompers, and mascot costumes. Calorie Half's mayonnaise-inspired outfits, a play on the word "half" (half), are also gaining attention on social media. If your baby is too fussy to dress properly in a party outfit, simply adding a hairband or ribbon to their head is a cute option.
PochipA little twist on your usual baby food
Some people think, "My baby is still on solid food, but I want to give him something celebratory." "Character baby food" can be made to feel special by freezing regular baby food in cute shapes or writing letters with vegetable paste.
By freezing the porridge and vegetable paste in a round mold and then decorating it, you can make a ``half birthday cake'' that even babies can eat.
Adults celebrate with cake
Although the main focus of a half birthday celebration is the baby, there is a tendency for people to prepare a decorated cake for mom and dad as a way to celebrate. Be careful not to feed cakes meant for adults to babies, as they may become ill due to allergies or indigestion.
Take handprints and footprints
Many parents probably took handprints and footprints immediately after birth, but taking and comparing handprints and footprints on the half-birthday day will give you a good idea of how much your baby has grown. It's a great opportunity to look back on the past six months of childcare, recalling things like, "He was so small," and "So many things have happened so far."
PochipBe careful when uploading photos of your "butt art"
One idea for a half-birthday photo shoot is to create butt art using the baby's bottom to represent the number "1/2." It's an easy and cute way to take photos, and many people upload these to social media along with photos of the celebration.
However, there are cases where nude photos of babies are used for child pornography, etc. To protect your precious baby from such harm, be careful about which photos you choose to upload to social media.
Is it okay to celebrate a friend's or relative's child's half birthday?
Half birthdays themselves are a relatively new culture, so it's safe to say that there are still few cases of people celebrating a baby that isn't their own. However, it's not uncommon for people to send messages like "Happy Half Birthday" on social media.
If you want to celebrate in some visible way, such as giving a gift, it's a good idea to check with your parents and ask, "Is it okay if I celebrate in this way?"
Celebrating a half birthday also means thanking mom and dad for their hard work over the past six months. It's important to celebrate in a way that makes mom and dad truly happy.Half Birthday MessagesIf you are having trouble, please refer to this as well.
Sample messages for half birthdays in Japanese and English Create wonderful memories by celebrating your half birthday
Taking care of a small baby can be hard work, but each experience will become a precious and irreplaceable memory. Try to capture these wonderful memories so that when your baby grows up, the whole family can look back on them and smile.
"PR"
