30th Birthday Ideas
30th Birthday Ideas - Hard To Come By?
While birthday ideas aren't usually too difficult to think up, 30th birthday ideas, or ideas tied to any specific year for that matter, are a little more difficult to come by. The 1st birthday, 21st birthday and the 100th birthday are probably easiest, maybe the 50th birthday as well, but the 30th?
Milestone Birthdays - In Europe, milestone birthdays, especially the "round" birthdays, are a big deal. It doesn't necessarily matter which round birthday, 30th birthday ideas aren't apt to be much different from 40th, 50th, or so on. You invite family and friends over for a feast, perhaps with entertainment, perhaps not. But it is a way of honoring the birthday person. Birthday ideas are meant to honor the person and the day. Even goofy gifts and ideas have that meaning behind them!
Some will tell you that at age 30 a person becomes an adult, instead of at 18 or 21. That isn't a rule, in fact you probably know some people who never quite seemed to become adults, or at least mature. But, if we have to pick an "official" age to become a full-fledged adult, 30 is probably as good as any. By the time you've reached 30, you've probably somewhat settled down, have a mortgage, kids, and you may even be starting to get a little set in your ways. While most 21 year olds love a good party, by the time one hits 30, parties may not seem all that necessary any more. Some even come to dread them, which can make having one all that much more fun.
30th Birthday Ideas - There are several general themes you can build a birthday around, think of a couple and then go into more detail as to what might be done for each theme. 30th birthday ideas can revolve around the number 30. A gift certificate of $30 would be an idea here. Or look into what was happening in the world 30 years ago, including how people dressed, or what movies or songs were popular, and use that as a party theme. A party theme could be the entrance into adulthood, or the leaving behind of a happy youth. Another theme could be based on things the birthday boy or girl experienced over their 30 years of living. Once you've set upon a theme, friends and family will often be only too happy to join in, and contribute their own ideas as well.
What can you (and your party guests) bring as gifts commemorating the number 30? We've already mentioned the $30 gift certificate, and getting several of those would be fine gifts indeed. Several guests could go into purchasing a gift certificate if $30 is too steep a price for one person to pay for. For the guy, gift certificates from a sporting goods store, a home improvement center, or for books or coffee would probably be appreciated. For the gal, gift certificates from a clothing or department store, a garden shop, book store or again, for coffee, would be great. They don't have to be for $30, but that's a nice round number for a nice round year. How about a bag containing 30 golf balls? They wouldn't even have to be premium brands, just something to practice with. Or 30 fishing lures, or just 30 fish hooks for the fisherman. Several guests could go into a Dollar store and collectively purchase a box of 30 items, at a buck a piece. Something the recipient can use is always nice of course, but a few things on the goofy side are OK too. Thirty pair of white cotton socks might be a bit much, but would at least be practical.
What about holding a party with the 30th birthday ideas centered around the theme of what the world was like 30 years ago. Bring out the baby pictures, do a search for newspapers printed on the honorees date of birth. Music from that time may not evoke any particular memories, as we don't usually remember hearing popular tunes the year of our birth. But you can still feature some music of the period, and maybe get a DVD of a movie or short subject from that time. A theme that might be a little easier to work with would be the time period when the birthday boy or girl graduated from high school. This would be a perfect time to invite some old high school friends, who've been out of the picture since graduation, plus those who have kept in contact. A combination birthday party and mini class reunion could be the basis for a super party.
In truth, you'll probably come up with the best 30th birthday ideas if you don't get too hung up on the number 30. Maybe you can come up with one gift with 30 as the theme, or just mention it in the birthday card, then put the number 30 out of your mind and plan the day. Now you can focus on what the 30 year old man or woman in question likes to do, or would get a kick out of, and go from there. You have a ton of ideas you can pick and choose from. You'll find many 30th birthday ideas on the Web in articles or blogs, and you'll note that most of them have nothing to do with 30, but are wonderful ideas nevertheless. (continued...)