Why You Need To Start This Simple Birthday Tradition

When it comes to your birthday, the options are endless. Throw a party, go out to dinner, or treat yourself to a nice gift. While you can do all that and more, don’t forget to buy yourself a birthday card, too — an idea that many TikTokers are falling in love with.

On Jan. 20, creator @serenalalani posted a haul to show the cute items she picked up for herself on her birthday, like a cute sweater, new glasses, and a planner. She also got herself a card. It was covered in an adorable strawberry print and said, “Another year full of growth. I am so proud of you.” Somehow, it felt more special than everything else combined.

In her comments, someone wrote, “I love cards, my friends say I’m the card queen… why have I never thought to get myself one?! That’s such a good idea!!” Serena replied to say, “Hiiii card queen. You absolutely should get one for yourself!! Such a meaningful way to remember your year / dream for what’s ahead.”

Plenty of others like to get themselves a birthday card, too, like @naomileanage, who writes a card to herself for the following year. “There’s this cheesy thing I’ve been doing since I was 24 years old, and that’s write birthday cards to my future self,” she said in a clip. “In these cards, I basically write where I’m currently at in life, my thoughts and feelings, and my hopes and dreams for how the next year of life is going to go.”

In her comments, someone said, “It’s my birthday today and I’m running to do this rn.” Another said, “Wait, this is so cute! Gonna start this for my 30s.” Here’s why everyone should hop on this tradition.

Get Yourself A Birthday Card

Think back on all the cards you’ve gotten for other people over the years. It’s always so fun to stand in the card aisle and pick one out that has a fun design, meaningful words, or a joke that feels perfect for their personality. Now, imagine doing the same thing for yourself.

It could quickly become part of your birthday tradition; something to do when you’re bopping around town getting a birthday coffee, lunch, and a treat at your favorite store. Why not pop into a stationery shop as well?

Getting yourself a birthday card fits in so perfectly with some other current trends, like the resurgence of pen pals and the desire to write real letters again — something that feels wonderfully analog and offline. The art of writing a card, especially if you use your fave pen, is the perfect way to slow down and celebrate yourself.

Courtney Morgan, LPCC-S, a therapist and founder of TherapyList, says she also likes how this trend allows you to reflect, and maybe even fight off a few birthday blues. “I’ve found that people can be very critical of themselves on their birthdays by thinking they ‘should’ have accomplished more by their age,” she tells Bustle. “Using a birthday card as a way to celebrate all you’ve achieved throughout the year can counteract this.”

If nothing else, it’s a simple way to add more meaning to your day, she says. While it’s nice to get cards from others, getting one just for you is a simple yet significant way to show up for yourself. Whether you look back on the past year or ahead to the new one, it’s an undeniably adorable tradition.

Writing Your Card

To try this trend, start by making a big deal out of going to the card store. Peruse all the options and imagine how each one would look displayed on your fridge. Read what they have to say, and see which message resonates most. Alternatively, you could crack open your craft supplies and make a beautiful card by hand.

Next, think about what you’d like to say to yourself. If it’s your birthday today, write a note just like you would to a friend. Congratulate yourself on an amazing year, wish yourself a fun day, or simply remind yourself that you’re amazing. If your birthday isn’t for another few months, think ahead to what you’d like to read on the big day, just like creator @naomileanage does.

Naomi goes out the week of her birthday to pick a card for the following year. “I treat this like an act of self-care and make a whole afternoon out of it,” she said on TikTok. “Going to the store to pick out my favorite card, not being afraid or ashamed to spend like $10 on it, and then taking time to fill up the card while listening to my favorite soundtrack.”

If you’re writing to your future self, list what you’ve accomplished over the past 12 months, pat yourself on your back for getting through something difficult, or dream up a few goals for the coming year.

As Morgan says, it can be big milestones, like landing a new job, as well as smaller things, like being more positive or going out and having more fun. “Even if you didn’t have any huge accomplishments to celebrate, I guarantee you’ve learned something or grown in some way,” she says. Once your birthday rolls around, open the card and read it.

Naomi will also reread all the cards from previous years, as a way to see how far she’s come. Imagine reading about an impossible goal you had at 25 and realizing you actually accomplished it by 31. That would be the best birthday gift. “Whatever age you’re at, it’s never too late to start [doing this],” she said. “I cannot recommend writing a birthday card to your future self enough.”