Interesting Birthday Fun Facts

• Birthday shopping is a $10 billion business.

• Birthday cards are 62 percent of the everyday occasion card industry.

• Approximately 1.2 billion birthday cards are given each year, according to Hallmark research.

• About 5 million people celebrate birthdays in the U.S. each week; an average of 700,000 birthdays occur each day.

• 11,000 baby boomers turn 50 each day, and will for the next 10 years. America tends to focus on boomers because there are 76 million of them.

• The average American receives eight birthday cards and four gifts a year.

• More people are born in August than any other month (9.07 percent). About 21 million Americans have birthdays in August.

• In recent years, July ranks number two in birthdays (8.80 percent of births) and February is last (7.55 percent)

• Consumers write additional messages inside a birthday card 70 percent of the time.

• For Americans, birthdays are the #1 reason to party.

• Children's birthday parties are increasingly important, especially party themes. Partyware featuring licensed character designs are hot sellers.

• 50 percent of all partyware is for birthdays, and 65 of that 50 percent is kids partyware.

• Birthdays have been celebrated only since invention of the calendar in 4000 B.C. Only kings celebrated their birthdays in ancient times because no records were kept on common people.

• The first birthday card originated in England in 1850.

• Belated birthday cards are better than no recognition at all, but the actual date of birth is the one that carries the most impact.

• Birthday cards reflect the times: the workplace, blended families, spirituality, multicultural influences, hot licensed properties, positive outlook on aging, etc.

• More than a fourth of all birthday cards are given to friends.

• About two-thirds of birthday cards are mailed, according to Hallmark.

• After the 25th birthday, the milestone birthdays – 30th, 40th, 50th, etc. – begin to take on different meanings according to one's lifestyle, mental state, values, work status, etc. For example, the 30th or 40th birthday may have a different meaning for a single person than for someone married with children.

• Middle age changes according to life expectancy: As life expectancy and longevity increase, middle age tends to be older. With more people living beyond 100 (108,000 and that number is projected to double by 2010), 50 seems "young." (Only about 10,400 people were 100 years old in 1960.)

• Today, the nation's median Birthday age is about 35.9.