Throwing a Birthday Party

I love birthday parties! I am always amazed with parties celebrated grandiosely extravagant by celebrities and the elite people just like what I see on TV.
Birthdays are very much celebrated for both the young and old. Regardless of your economic status, we always make an effort to prepare something special for the occasion, usually with a party.
By the way, October 3rd is Paris Nicole's birthday. She's my niece. We made sure to celebrate it the way she would love, enjoy and will always remember.

When I was younger, birthday parties are much simpler than these days but they are just as fun.
The day usually starts going to church as a way to thank God for another year.
My birthday parties were usually held in the house where relatives and friends gather to eat, drink, and have fun. Usually, a noodle dish is prepared to symbolize long life for the birthday celebrator. The most common is pancit guisado, a native Filipino noodle dish flavored with pork and mixed vegetables.
My mother would choose from pancit canton, pancit miki, pancit bihon and pancit sotanghon. She also prepare spaghetti instead of pancit. In parties hosted by rich families, lechon (roasted pig) is usually served.
The highlight of the party is the singing of the birthday song, with or without a birthday candle to blow and a cake to slice. I would take the center seat as people around sing the birthday song, in the local language.
Gifts are given, that's what I love the most. The most precious ones were usually given by my ninangs or godmothers and ninongs or godfathers.
Birthdays nowadays, on the other hand, are celebrated much like the way people in Western countries do. Usually, the parties are themed and formal invitations are sent to guests. Many of these parties are held in restaurants and other commercial venues. The highlight is the blowing of the birthday candle while guests sing the birthday song.
After a day of celebration, we'll always be looking forward for another 364 days to celebrate our birthdays...and be a year older.