Day: February 6, 2025

A birthday is a special day when a person commemorates the anniversary of their birth. This is typically done with family and friends at a party where the celebrant receives presents, usually a cake. It is also common to give a person a card with a message in honor of their birthday. Some people, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, do not celebrate birthdays.

A common birthday tradition is to sing a song. The most well-known is probably “Happy Birthday to You,” which was written in 1893 by two sisters, Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill, who were teachers in Kentucky. The song was published in a book for school teachers and quickly became popular. It was also adapted by composer Robert Coleman into a popular version with additional lyrics.

In modern times, many people give gifts to others on their birthday. These may include money, food or drink, clothing, books, electronics, jewelry, or other items. The most popular gift, however, is a birthday card. A message in the card may wish the celebrant happiness, love, luck, health, or good fortune for the year to come.

The history of birthdays is somewhat unclear, but they were originally believed to be a celebration of the birth of a god. This practice probably originated in ancient Egypt, where large celebrations were held for the coronation dates of the pharaohs.

During the first few hundred years of the Christian Church, members considered birthdays to be Pagan rituals and refused to allow them. This changed around the fourth century, when Christians began to celebrate the birth of Jesus, known as Christmas. This change was partly enacted to attract those who already celebrated Saturnalia, the Roman holiday.

A person’s birthday is a time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the future. This can be a great time to set goals for the year ahead and consider ways that one can improve themselves. It is a great day to give thanks for all that has been given and show gratitude to those who have supported them.

It is also a good opportunity to express pride in a person’s accomplishments and successes. This is especially true when the milestone is a significant event, such as finishing high school or college, buying a home, starting a business, growing a family, or reaching a personal achievement, such as running a marathon or reading 50 books in a year.

If you work with the birthday celebrant, you can add a personal touch to your greeting by acknowledging the contributions that they have made to your workplace. For example, a colleague who is an excellent manager can be wished happy birthday by expressing appreciation for their guidance and leadership. It is a simple way to show that you care about the person and wish them success in their career.

Museums, from the National Museum of American History to the California Afro-American Museum and the Oneida Historical Society, interpret America’s past for millions of visitors each year. This work is an important part of the museums’ tax-exempt mission, yet these institutions must continually innovate if they are to attract and keep audiences.

Exhibits, whether temporary or permanent, provide the public with a glimpse into the past and are one of the best ways to convey history to diverse audiences. They can inspire awe or controversy, celebrate common events or memorialize tragedies or injustices. They often present a specific point of view and encourage informed discussion and debate. Exhibits may also challenge the viewer to consider how the past informs the present.

Many museum exhibits, especially those that are interpretive in nature, have a substantial history component that requires careful consideration. The exhibits are the result of a process that involves selecting themes, photographs, objects, documents, and other materials and making interpretive judgments about cause and effect, perspective, significance, and meaning. Attempts to suppress exhibits or impose an uncritical point of view, even when widely shared, are inimical to the public’s ability to learn from the past.

History is more than dates, battles, and dynasties; it includes personal and communal histories and the everyday lives of the people who lived in the past. The complexities of the human experience lend themselves to exhibitions about a variety of subjects. Rites of passage, such as birth, death, marriage/joining, and coming of age, can be compelling topics for displays, as do the ways that communities organize around abstract ideas, such as home, freedom, faith, democracy, and social justice.

When designing an exhibition, historians must also take into account the constraints of the historic building in which they are working. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has changed the way in which historic buildings are adapted for accessibility. This requires careful planning, and it is helpful to consult a preservation specialist and/or architect early in the design process. It is important to follow the basic principle of “do no harm.” This means that historic structures cannot be fastened to walls or anchored to floors and, in general, any new construction must be reversible.

Each year, hundreds of major history exhibitions are curated and presented in museums across the country. These works of scholarship are important sources of information and contribute mightily to the field’s understanding of the past. Yet, until recently, few publications recognized them or published reviews of them. Publishing exhibition reviews creates a record that will outlive the life of the exhibition itself and make it accessible to future scholars. It will also help to develop a common vocabulary and methodology for reviewing the content and form of museum exhibitions. We hope that this column, which appears in each issue of Perspectives, will be an important element of that effort.