Your Sweet 16 Does Not Have to be Grand

By Iniya Nathan
Layout and Design Editor

There are many milestone birthdays: 18, 20, 21, 30 and every decade onwards. You step out of your teen years into adulthood, you’re able to legally drink and you’ve survived decade after decade.

There are so many reasons to celebrate each birthday.

But more specifically, when turning 16.

You can legally drive without an adult hovering over you, which I think is a grand reason to look forward to your 16th birthday.

When I turned 16, I had a Zoom call with my friends because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, even if I were able to celebrate my birthday to my liking, I would not have thrown a big, flashy birthday party or gone out to a fancy, fun and extravagant place.

My 16th birthday party was to be a celebration of me, and I preferred to do something less excessive and more personal. All of my birthday parties are a celebration of me, and my 16th birthday was not any different.

Of course there are many people who throw big birthday parties every year because that’s their way of celebrating themselves, and that’s great.

However, I believe your 16th birthday is just as significant. Throw the same big birthday party every year, or try something new, but on the same scale as the year before.

There is no need to outdo yourself because you turned 16.

Your birthday is a celebration of you, it does not need to follow society’s standards.

So, do YOU, on YOUR birthday.