Ever heard of a 'birthday basket?'

I won’t be celebrating my birthday this year. Oh, before you classify me among countless Cathy cartoons and withered actresses who refute growing older simply by not celebrating the passing of any more years, let me explain. With my birthday of April 16, occasionally (exactly six times in the past and coming 20 years - including this year) my day falls on Easter weekend. When this happens, those closest to me know I defer my observance by one week. So, you see, although I won’t be marking my birthday this year, you can bet your bottom dollar I will be celebrating my birth.

As an only child, it’s said of us that we don’t know how to share. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I know how to share. I just prefer not to. And certainly not with Jesus. Easter is one of my favorite times of year. Aside from it being the highest of Christian holidays and all contained therein, it also ushers in white clothes, sleeveless tops, warmer weather, greener grass and relief from out under the cruel, oppressive winter. There’s enough going on that I feel no need to throw something else on that day’s plate.

In an effort to be clever this year, I went in to my profile on Facebook and changed my birthday by one week to April 23. I’m serious — anyone who wishes me “happy birthday” next Sunday will be met with a polite yet distant smile and nod. I will have my heart and mind on something far greater and I want everyone else to do the same. It allowed me to update my birthdate easily enough - suppressing those known both well and hardly at all wishing me sentiments - but then once complete, a message popped up saying “just a warning…you are only allowed to change your birthday so many times.” So, for those of you playing at home, the score is Valerie-0, Facebook-1. Well played, Zuckerberg.

Nevertheless, I wish you the happiest of April 16ths and a Happy Easter. It is indeed a day worth celebrating. 

Just remember to mark down April 23 this year, too. ;)

Wondering how Easter works? It’s simple, really:

In 325CE the Council of Nicaea established that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. From that point forward, the Easter date depended on the ecclesiastical approximation of March 21 for the vernal equinox.