Transform your Next Birthday through Photography and Creative Well-being
I wrote this blog not to brag about my birthday, but to invite you to reflect on yours. As we were all born with a culture and a name, that does not mean we need to identify with those. One can learn a lot from questioning its own culture and traditions. And this is what I did and invite you to do. Why to do that? Let’s get into it!
Moving from Romania to Finland changed my birthdays. I had fewer friends in Finland, and learnt that birthdays in the North are celebrated differently that I was used to. I am here to share the main birthday customs I identified of both Romania and Finland, along with my journey of transforming my birthday into a creative well-being retreat. I did this because I am a believer and practioner of intentional living and got a lot of well-being benefits from it.
May, 2024, Finland
Cheers to positive change!
Birthdays in Finland
In the last 5 years of living in Finland, I had time to ask my Finnish friends, watch Finnish movies, and studied the Finnish culture at my own pace. This is what I learnt about the nordic way of celebrating birthdays:
The Gatherings of friends and family are usually small in size. Birthday celebrations in Finland tend to be more intimate, with close family and a few friends. Large parties are less common.
Sauna is part of any celebration. Sauna is a big part of Finnish culture, and a birthday celebration might involve a relaxing sauna session followed by some drinks and snacks.
Gifts do not need to be physical. Gifts are usually practical and thoughtful, rather than extravagant. Homemade gifts or experiences are also appreciated. For instance, going to a special sauna together, a movie or a cottage can be a well-received gift for a friend or family member.
Lower Key is the Key. Birthdays are generally celebrated in a more low-key manner compared to some other cultures. The focus is on spending quality time with loved ones.
Birthdays in Romania
Back in Romania, people put a special accent on how the others perceive them - at least this was my personal experience. A birthday in Romania is a special event where people need to think and plan well beforehand how to organise this celebration.
Large celebrations are usually the way to go. Birthday celebrations in Romania are often bigger affairs, with extended family, friends, and colleagues attending. Romanians like to gather in big groups of family and friends and celebrate together with lots of music and good food.
Festive Atmosphere is part of the birthday experience. The atmosphere is typically lively and festive, with music, dancing, and lots of food. Buying a destined outfit for a birthday of a friend can also be possible. Most of Romanians do care about how they are dressed and perceived in their society, so they do spend time and money on their clothes.
Gift-Giving is important. Gift-giving is more prominent in Romania, with elaborated gifts often being more elaborated than in Finland. One can receive for his birthday an expensive perfume, clothes or elegant home decorations. Fine wines and champagnes are also given as gifts.
The focus is on fun & memorability: The emphasis is on having a lot of fun and memorable time, with lots of laughter and celebration. A photographer can also come and document your event or one can buy a private photo session for their birthday.
An hour of introspection: On my birthday, I shed distractions and turn inward, seeking clarity on the person I aspire to be in the coming years
Living with intention
I must confess: At first, I felt lonely in Finland on my birthdays. Then I realized this was an opportunity to create my own traditions that better reflect who I want to become.
In the past, my birthdays involved a lot of pre-planning, stress, worries, alcohol, unhealthy foods, and restaurant reservations. I have never questioned the way how I celebrate my birthday when I was living in Romania. Instead of clinging to the past and feeling sad that things are not how I am used to, I decided to intentionally choose how to celebrate my birthday, blending what resonates with me from both cultures.
I designed a new birthday tradition that focuses on well-being and creativity.
Sharing some yummy pineapple juice and non-alcoholic champagne with my partner in the yard. Cheers!
My Healthy Birthday List
Here's my new approach to birthdays, aligned with my current values. I leave them here hoping that you can use some of these to create your next birthday celebration with more intention and creativity:
Extended Celebration: My birthday is now a birthweek, allowing me to celebrate at a slower pace and reducing the heavy load that usually affects my neurodivergent brain in a split of a second.
Healthy Indulgence: I enrich my body with healthy foods, indulging in exquisite fruits I usually don’t buy.
New Experiences: I try something new instead of buying something new, like a sport, a place to visit, or a fun family activity. For instance, this year I tried to go to an extreme adventure park for some climbing and zip lining. I will never forget this extreme and unique experience!
Family Time and Privacy: I focus on family and privacy and avoid social media on my birthday. I might share some content after IF I feel it might inspire or help someone in any way.
Reflective List: I write a long list of things that made me genuinely happy the previous year and think about what I would like to try out more the following year.
Intentional Reflection: I reflect on what I’ve learned in the past year and envision how I want to grow and what feelings I want to nurture in the coming year.
Memorable Photography: I take memorable photos that reflect my current well-being choices and brand-new adventures. I usually like to use my classic Polaroid camera for my birthday and add them later to my family album.
Love, Rest, and Recharge: My birthdays are now all about self-love, family love, rest, and recharging.
The Birthday Photo-Game
I invite you to embark on a creative photo journey for your next birthday using this game I designed for you.
Here are the steps:
Put some music you really like (MJ albums always inspire me and energise me!)
Take some time to go through your photo archive a couple of times before your birthday (can be from your phone, camera or both). My recommendation is to go from present day until your previous birthday month.
Here is the trick: Choose the photos that reflect the person you want to become in the future. Maybe you choose the photos when you went swimming to that nice place or the photo with that nice dinner you had with your family or the photograph with those nice flowers you found in your last hiking trip.
Buy a photo album (or if you want to play with your creativity, you can make your own DIY) / Make a video slideshow with some nice music with your birthday photo collection.
On your birthday, enjoy your chosen photo collection as a video slideshow or a physical photo-album with your family, friends or by yourself. Take your time to fully enjoy your memories.
Finally, write down a letter to yourself with all the things you are grateful for from the previous year and select your intentions for your next year.
The most important thing to remember
Sometimes I forget this myself: You are the ONLY one responsible to create a meaningful life that inspires and empowers you. This game is an invitation to explore new and creative ways to transform your life and explore more your passions, personality, and hobbies. I wish you a warm summertime and a lot of fun and rest!
#birthday celebrations #Finland #Romania #well-being photography #intentional living #neurodiversity, #healthybirthdayideas #birthday traditions
Write me in the below comments section and let me know how this article resonated with you. Did you got any inspiration for it? Did you learn something new? What are your thoughts on macro photography?
For more tips and inspiration on how to improve your well-being with the help of photography, follow @creativeharmony.art on Instagram! Subscribe to the new Creative Harmony Youtube channel where I share insights into Finnish culture, creative photography tips, and glimpses into the artistic life of me and my partner - two international creative entrepreneurs working, creating and living in Finland.
