How do you celebrate birthdays?

Simmerville · February 2020

I believe this might depend on whether you play legacy or on rotation, but even if playing a larger number of houses you might spend some time on certain families and their growing ups.

I just prepared my next rotation, I always check who will have a birthday before I start the round. It's my year 223 and I'm shocked to find that half of the 23 birthdays are elders! Looks like I'll have a large number of grey haired sims ruling the future ground... Of 23 birthdays, 12 are elders, 5 young adults, 4 children and just 1 sim will become a teenager.

I normally bake the cake (is there any other way?), but I hardly ever decorate and invite for a party. I normally don't give the sim birthday gifts either, but I love spending some time adjusting looks, clothes and think a bit over what interests and goals this person should have. I plan outfits and might give them a new hairstyle (normally not), plan hobbies, education/skills, dreams and goals, career, and life in general. If it's an elder sim, I might rather look back, reflecting a bit over what they achieved and if there is anything more they should do, if they actually have contact with their own grown up kids and grandchildren, etc. If they need to write a testament, move to smaller accommodation, retire, etc. So they all get some extra attention, just not necessary a grand party.

How about you?

haneul · February 2020

I think I'm similar to you. Most of the time, someone will bake the birthday person a cake and whoever is in the house at the time will come to the kitchen for a small celebration. Then, I sort out their looks/clothes if aging up didn't go well for them. Occasionally, I will throw a party, but as having tons of birthday parties feels repetitive normally only one sim every 28-56 days gets one. I generally have my sims who are turning into elders retire, but I've never moved them out of a legacy home or anything.

calaprfy · February 2020

I throw a rockin' party, usually at the sim's house, have them open presents, etc.

I don't like how a birthday party needs a host and they get to invite their friends though.

Sindocat · February 2020

Volunteer as a Family, then a cake.

My Founders are absurdly well-to-do now, but Avery, my woo-woo yoga-loving Aquarian Sim, is all into the lost lore of The Watcher, and the forgotten Peteran teachings, and believes in bringing his boys up to look for ways to help others, so this is the thing they do.

DoloresGrey · February 2020

When I used to play TS3 I alway threw a party. I decorated their house. I loved to place the balloons at the front door. Everything was perfect.

Now I don't bother and I just let my sim blow the candles and enjoy their cake.

RedDestiny92 · February 2020

Depends, when I rotate and sometimes in a main house I get the cake, put everyone in a group and have them walk toward it so they celebrate with the one aging up. Some sims get an actual party at home, when I use mcc I keep everyone connected so whoever is calling can invite friends who matter. Then there are venue parties usually a restaurant depending on the size either they all eat or I just bring out a cake and they party from there.

Sharonia · February 2020

I usually throw a party for most sims except babies if they have friends to invite over.

CaprianaB · February 2020

I'll invite a few Sims over, bake a cake, and try to complete all the tasks. I've never decorated.

Simmerville · February 2020

It's cool to read your various ways of celebrating! Seems like I'm not the only one taking easy on this, with a few exceptions though.

@DoloresGrey Ha! I laughed reading that you let them enjoy their cake, because in fact, I don't always even allow them that

If another sim in the household will grow up in a few days, I might actually remove the candles and put the full cake in the fridge to reuse it instead of baking a new. I don't think there is any restriction to how many sims can grow up from the same cake, as far as nobody goes to the fridge to get a piece when I'm not watching...

@haneul I agree birthdays feel a bit repetitive. Wish there were alternative ways to do this. Serving something else than a cake or simply having the guests sing a song to the sim growing up, or throwing him/her in the air etc

There's easily too many cakes in this game...

@RedDestiny92 Ah, I constantly forget that a birthday can actually be celebrated in a restaurant, or on any other community lot for that matter. I did a restaurant only once, it felt a bit wrong having them first eat and drink, and then serve them the cake when their hunger bar was all in the green. My sims never exercise, hehe...

RedDestiny92 · February 2020

lol, mine usually don't exercise either, the most recent time I did that I took my sims to an ice rink I threw together so most of them could skate together after get a little exercise just because it was available. I find it's okay to treat a birthday like a "cheat" day let them go nuts, same goes for weddings.

phantasmkiss · February 2020

I bake a cake and throw a party, and immediately after aging up, my Sim gets a makeover. I've forgotten a couple times and my poor Sim got that "forgotten birthday" moodlet. I'm so sorry little Sim!

I don't decorate, past putting out a bar. I tend to keep the bar and coffee maker in the family inventory so my Sims aren't always making drinks, but they're good for parties.

popstarsley · February 2020

I wish the Birthday pop-up would come up bigger and brighter so I wouldn’t forget! I usually see the “It’s almost so-and-so’s birthday!” but then get distracted and entirely forget until they age up on their own and are devastated their bday was a bust.

I like to at least make a cake for a normies. For more favored Sims, I throw them a party at a Sulani or Windenburg bar. Then I immediately haul them into CAS!

mia_noelle97 · February 2020

Normally I'll just bake them a cake and then once they age up I give them a makeover and possibly redecorate their room, depending on their age. Occasionally I'll get them a "present" as well, like if a sim is aging into a teen I might get them their own laptop or if it's a child I might get them a dollhouse or an activity table if they don't already have one. I rarely ever throw birthday parties anymore because a lot of my sims end up not having very many friends, and if I'm playing a large family that's just too many parties. Sometimes I will let them have their birthday at a restaraunt though.

Karababy52 · February 2020

Always bake a cake and have anyone home help celebrate. Sometimes they get to eat a slice, but I usually just have someone place more candles and back it goes into household inventory to use for the next birthday. I've never held an actual birthday party for my sims, should try it at least once I guess. After they age up, it's off to CAS for a makeover. For Sims aging to child/teen/YA, their bedroom usually gets updated as well.

ChampandGirlie · February 2020

It's usually just a cake with the household and maybe a few important relatives.

I'd really like to be able to choose who to invite to a party from the entire household, not just one sim.

Anyway, it's usually lower key. I do change up what cake they make based on the personality of each sim. Maybe it's a chocolate cake party or a coconut one or a winter cake or blue confetti ... living dangerously with the cake choices. I typically toss the cake out when they are done, if they are lucky, they get a slice.

There are parties for very established households with a lot of contacts, but most sims just want a quiet cake evening. I rotate and see a lot of birthdays.

VicariousHuman · February 2020

I usually try to throw a birthday party event for my current active household members.
It's not a parteh without cake of course!
After the aging animation you are gauranteed to have to repick better clothes.

I think it's hillarious to run into elder sims when playing on rotation that still have the same hairstyles and clothing when you made them as young adults.

Gandma Ethel isn't againg gracefully in that hot pink miniskirt. :o

drakharis · February 2020

haneul wrote: »

I think I'm similar to you. Most of the time, someone will bake the birthday person a cake and whoever is in the house at the time will come to the kitchen for a small celebration. Then, I sort out their looks/clothes if aging up didn't go well for them. Occasionally, I will throw a party, but as having tons of birthday parties feels repetitive normally only one sim every 28-56 days gets one. I generally have my sims who are turning into elders retire, but I've never moved them out of a legacy home or anything.

I do the same thing

Kimmer · February 2020

Usually just bake a cake and have the household gather together when the birthday Sim blows up the candles.
I rarely have a birthday party. If I have one I hardly ever do a prestige party, I don't like to be forced to do things while partying and I don't need the rewards.
After the birthday I go to CAS and change the clothes and hair if needed for the birthday Sim.

SoftSilk · February 2020

It usually depends on the sim's age for me. When aging up teens, I usually like to throw a large party with their family and friends since usually after they age up, I make them move out either to university or just a new house, so it is kind of like a goodbye party as well. Sometimes for kids, I like to have their friends over (In The Sims 3, I make them have slumber parties). I don't have parties for other ages, but I still edit them in CAS and maybe buy gifts for them. :)

Terpsichore_ · February 2020

I usually have one of the Sims in the family bake a cake, throw in a fire or two depending on their baking/cooking skills, sing a song and that's it. Oh, sometimes there are gifts, like a pear or a lemon, because they rarely have anything else in their possession, but I don't make a whole shindig out of it

ArcherDK · February 2020

I usually have a simple birthday party (one I had to do it alone) and then I take my sims to the club or something. Now granted, I use adult mods so it gets interesting very quick, but still.

CaprianaB · February 2020

Terpsichore_ wrote: »

I usually have one of the Sims in the family bake a cake, throw in a fire or two depending on their baking/cooking skills, sing a song and that's it. Oh, sometimes there are gifts, like a pear or a lemon, because they rarely have anything else in their possession, but I don't make a whole shindig out of it

Throw in a fire or two 😆. Also love the fruit gifting ritual. I might need to try that.

mintycupcake · February 2020

when I remember, the Sims get to blow out candles on the family cake because I don't want to have to deal with pouty sims. And by family cake, I mean I have a sim make a cake and it's only used for blowing out candles, then it's hidden away in the family inventory so no one can eat it and it doesn't go bad.

TheRepoManSam · February 2020

I play on rotation, but all of my families are in one saved game. I don’t allow them to age unless I am actively playing with them. That way I don’t miss a single birthday!

Although I really do wish there was more to do on celebration days to make them more special other than being able to change locations.

texxx78 · February 2020

I usually bake a cake, blow candles and have the family eat the cake all together. Sometimes i'll throw a party, but not very often. And i always forget about gift giving!

I never thought of this whole planning thing over birthday, but it makes a lot of sense actually. I've started a legacy challenge (the everything challenge) where i master all traits, complete all aspiratios, have my sims die using all kinds of deaths and so on in the least number of generations ... this is being really funny. First time i'm having real fun with sims 4 for a loooong time... and i think i'll start making this plans over birthdayd. It will def help me achieve my goals in the least generations possible.

ldmarko · February 2020

I keep them pretty simple. They blow out the candles right after midnight, especially for children & teens, because it gives them the day off from school. Sometimes, especially if there's multiple birthdays in one day or within a few days, I'll add a present pile for them to open. I usually also give them a holiday cracker, and for children, a voidcritter packet.

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How do you celebrate birthdays?

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