From Cakes to Clicks: How we grew up with our Birthdays

When we were little, birthdays meant waking up to the smell of chole bhature, dressing up in new clothes, and inviting the entire building—even that one aunty who always pinched your cheeks too hard.

Fast forward to now, birthdays look very different. Teenagers today are swapping big birthday bashes for cozy hangouts, OTT parties for aesthetic café plans, and return gifts for BeReal posts. To understand what’s changed, I spoke to teens across different age groups, and their answers were funny, nostalgic, and surprisingly honest.

You had a party if you had a bouncy castle.

“I still remember my 7th birthday. My mom booked one of those community halls, and there was a giant inflatable slide,” says Ananya, 18, grinning. “We had Domino’s pizza, Rasna, and samosas. Peak happiness.”

Most kids from the 2000s and early 2010s grew up with birthdays that were loud, colourful, and extremely parent-driven. Themed cakes, games hosted by your over-enthusiastic mausi, and enough chips and Frooti to last a week.

“My dad hired a magician who kept forgetting the trick mid-way,” laughs Rishi, 14. “We didn’t care. We were too busy stuffing cake into our faces.”

And of course, the beloved return gift, a pencil box, a toy car, or a pack of Munch bars, was a bigger deal than the party itself.

Now it’s just me and my people.

As kids step into their tween and early teen years, the parties shrink, and things get more curated.

“After I turned 11, I didn’t want a cake with Barbie on it,” says Rishi. “I just wanted to go out with my three best friends, eat momos, and take selfies for our spam accounts.”

For a lot of teens, birthday plans are now about close friends, good food, and good vibes. Some do house parties with homemade pasta and Spotify playlists. Others go out to cafés with fairy lights and “Instagrammable” walls.

“My friends took me to this new place,” says Raj, 17. “We didn’t even cut a cake. I just ate sushi, made some dumb jokes, and took some bad photos. It was the best birthday I’ve had.”

Less noise, more meaning.

While childhood birthdays were about quantity, more people, more balloons, more noise, teen birthdays are becoming about quality.

“You stop caring about who shows up for the cake,” says Ananya. “You care more about who sends you that one 12AM text or makes a Reel with embarrassing photos.”

Many teens say they’ve moved away from flashy celebrations because they don’t want the drama or the pressure. Instead, it’s about comfort, whether that’s celebrating with two friends or not celebrating at all.

“Honestly, I skipped my birthday this year,” shares Rishi. “I just wasn’t in the mood. But my best friend showed up at my house with one piece of cake and a card. That meant more than any big party.”

Enter the Internet: The New Birthday Venue

Of course, no teen birthday in India today is complete without social media. Posts, DMs, group stories, it’s all part of the experience.

“My cousin made a full Reel with our photos from the last five years,” says Raj. “I cried. It was better than any gift.”

WhatsApp family groups also explode on birthdays, with 20 “God bless you beta” messages and blurry cake emojis by 8 AM. And don’t forget the classic tradition of changing your DP to a throwback birthday pic, just for the day.

The heart of it hasn’t changed.

Despite all the changes from homemade gulab jamuns to store-bought cheesecakes, from themed parties to thrifted outfits, the essence of birthdays remains the same.

“Whether it's my nani singing for me on a video call or my best friend sending me a voice note, I just want to feel remembered,” says Ananya.

In the end, whether it’s celebrated with a massive guest list and paneer tikka or a quiet walk with a close friend and kulfi on the side, birthdays are still about love, laughter, and that sweet feeling of being a little bit special.

And really, what more could you ask for?

Written by Sanjana N.