Most people have a day all to themselves to celebrate another year of life. All the attention is put on them. They receive all the facebook greetings, the family well wishes, and celebratory birthday cake.
But if you’re really lucky, you’re born with a best friend who shares that special day with you. Two really is better than one.
From the time we were conceived, Ashley and I became genetically prone to questions ranging over various topics.
Can we sense each other’s pain?
Do we know our twin’s location at all times?
Who is older and by how much?
Are you fraternal or identical?
The questions seem to become more frequent around our birthdays for some odd reason and then we get an added bonus - all the birthday questions.
While we’re not much different from other people, we recognize there are some differences in regards to our birthday that aren’t common sense to anyone other than twins.
Well, without further ado, here is anything and everything you need to know about twins celebrating their birthday.
1. It is both of our birthdays - SHOCKER
Yes, I still seriously get asked if my twin sister and I share birthdays. I’ll let it go since some twins don’t share the same birthday. Just don’t ask if we have the same mom...ever.
2. No, it’s not weird for us to share birthdays
It’s not weird for you to not share your day, it’s not weird for us to share ours. We’ve never known any different and we don’t resent that. Also, if one of you is introverted, you get to share the attention and that’s always a plus.
3. It will be weird when we celebrate our first birthday apart.
Almost 22 years and we haven’t really celebrated our birthday apart. I think the first time we do, it’ll probably be a bittersweet day filled with a lot of phone calls and tears. Sorry for whoever has to endure that, but we enjoy hanging out on our day. It’s our special holiday.
4. Yes, we want to celebrate our day together.
We do a lot of things together. Our birthday isn’t different and it shouldn’t be. It’s seriously a day set aside to celebrate the double miracle of life that we are.
5. But remember we’re individual people celebrating our birthday.
While I don’t think it’s weird we share a day while others have their own, I still like to have my own things on my birthday. Separate texts, calls, cards, etc. Please don’t tell me to wish my own sister a happy birthday for you. She deserves her own greeting.
6. Heads up! We read each other’s cards.
We’re just wondering if you said something different. We appreciate different writings because we’re individual people. Identical cards make us laugh.
7. No, we don’t care if we get a gift or not.
This one seems weird, but we actually get this a lot. Some people think twins are extra greedy and we expect more because there’s two of us. False!
Just because we’re twins doesn’t mean we’re extra and need some extravagance. We’re not expecting some extravagant gift. If you want to give us a gift, we love you and appreciate you. If you don’t, we still love you and appreciate you. Twins aren’t any different from others.
8. Just be sure you don’t get one of us a gift and not the other - especially if you know both of us.
Yes, this has happened before and yes, it is as awkward as it sounds. If you really want to get us a gift, there are BOGO deals for that.
9. Growing up, we would get double everything.
Sometimes we get two cakes to eat or two gifts to share. We’d even get double the clothes growing up because we share closets. What was mine was hers and what was hers was mine.
Some may see it as double the trouble with all the expenses, but being a twin really is a blessing.
