Lucy, it's your birthday!

Birthdays in the office are always a fun affair. Especially if there are cupcakes. Today we indulged in the Hummingbird variety, for our editor, Lucy Yeomans.

I have worked in a few places now and enjoyed these celebrations to varying extents. My time at the Cancer Council NSW, back in Oz, was over-run with birthdays. It seemed there was a party every week – or sometimes more – and at each event we’d have cakes and chocolates and sweets and biscuits and crisps (chips!) and dip and all the rest… Our initial excitement was always dulled by the sugar-headaches that invariably followed when we’d resume our seats. And raised insulin levels meant that by 2pm our heavy heads would be lolling in front of our computer screens. But we enjoyed ourselves all the same, and eagerly awaited the next (ever-frequent) bash.

In New York, Bridal Guide’s parties served decidedly less food. It wasn’t a Devil Wears Prada-office at all, but our goodies-selection was always limited, and everyone took to the food table tentatively. The birthday girl (yes, it was an all-female office) would squeal a little in protest of our singing her praises, and then we’d sing, off-key to be sure, and she’d turn red. Then we’d eye each other out around the circle, shift from leaning on one hip to another, before some brave soul would take to cutting the cake; always the same charade.

I find it interesting that the planners of these in-house dos always seem intent on keeping them a secret. Honestly, after one person’s birthday, everyone knows that something’s going to give when it’s his or her day to turn another year older. And yet, without fail, the group emails alerting employees to the time and place of the ‘party’ never include the birthdayee, and said-birthdayee always responds to the subsequent request of their presence around the cake table with a look of ‘surprise’ and an exclamation going something like, “Oh no, no, no, you mustn’t… Oh no, I’m so embarrassed.” Like anyone’s going to let a birthday slide…

But do we celebrate because of our genuine love and affection for the person, or do we put on these parties so we can get ten minutes away from our desks? Either way, I say, "Eat cake and be merry?"