How did you celebrate your 21st birthday?

If you don’t want to drink alcohol, you don’t have to. That being said, go to bars!

I went skiing – my birthday being on 12–31.

If you don’t want to drink, then you don’t have to drink. If people try to make you, just stick to your principles. Don’t do something you don’t want to do.

Having said that, I like alcohol. So on my 21st birthday my best friend threw me a party with a ton of our friends and we just hung around, joked, laughed, played games, (mumbles) skinny dipped in late December… all that stuff. The next day I went to the bars with my close friend from out of town and she bought me a few drinks. Then she went around the bar telling everyone (and I mean everyone, even strangers) that it was my 21st birthday and THEY bought me drinks.
I liked my birthday party much more, but the bars were fun and I’ve been since and would go again.

Just do what’s best for you. You can find activities that don’t involve alcohol at all. Go paint balling, or golfing, or to an amusement park where alcohol isn’t allowed. Just find something that’s fun for you.

@jfos I realize I don’t have to, that’s not the issue. The issue is that I will be looked down on for not doing it, I live in a german town so drinking is very much a part of the culture.

@Allie I summarized your answer before it existed.

J0E, Does it really matter if you’re “looked down upon”? How much of an effect does it have on you mentally? Do you feel that you’re bringing others down by not drinking alcohol?

@jfos Kind of. I didn’t tell him to go to the bars though. I said I did that and liked it. I told him to find something to do that doesn’t involve alcohol.

Also, @J0E, if you do end up having a party or something and people are giving you a hard time about drinking, think about doing what I used to do before I stared drinking (yes, there was such a time). If someone gave me a beer, I’d excuse myself to the bathroom, pour it out, and fill it with water. Bottles are usually colored so you can’t tell the difference, and you can’t see through cans anyway. Maybe you could try that.

I think one of my friends I lived with gave me a surprise party? I know she game a surprise party when we were in school, and I think it was for my birthday?? 21 wasn’t that big of a deal to me, when I grew up you could go out to bars and drink when you were 18 in Washington DC (I lived in MD right outside of DC and I didn’t drink anyway) and in school everyone was allowed to drink and go out to the bars even if you were under 21.

I probably went dancing at the Rathskeller, which was the on-campus club, or I went dancing at Big Daddy’s Lounge or possibly I went to “Thousand Technique Night” at the dojo where I studied karate. However, oddly enough, I don’t remember at all what I did. I have a summer birthday and went to summer classes throughout my university career, so I was definitely at school. However, by then I had moved off campus so I would have had to actually drive somewhere.

I remember a lot of other birthday celebrations, however. For my fifth birthday my mother did a Bastille Day theme, using colored paper computer tape strung in the trees in the backyard. For my sixth birthday she made me a blue and white castle cake.

In any case, just because you are holding a drink doesn’t mean you have to actually drink it, nor does it mean you have to have another one. Figure out something you love to do, invite some friends that like to do that, too, and then go do it.

@Darwin did you go to penn state?!

@Allie LOL, that sounds like something from a movie, I’m not going to do that.

@jfos Yes, I have feelings, I don’t like to be looked down upon. That being said, it doesn’t bring me to tears or anything, it just creates uncomfortable situations.

Don’t drink if you don’t want to drink. That would just be stupid.
My 21st has yet to come, but I will probably just go to a restaurant with my man, and enjoy not having to finagle alcohol.

Find some people who don’t drink and party with them.

One of my friends in high school shared my birthday; however, she was one year older since I started young. She lived in Nevada when our birthday rolled around, so we met in Reno so I could do my first gambling. I dropped a dollar in a slot machine at midnight, then ordered a drink at the bar. It was a great weekend.

My bday is January 1st so I celebrated by watching the ball drop on new years eve with my family and friends. I wasn’t a big fan of getting drunk either but I toasted with some champagne. Maybe you can get your best friends together and go out to a fancy restaurant. Then go out afterwards and do something really fun…bowling? Rock climbing? Something you don’t normally do.

I went to Atlantic City and did a little gambling; then my bf at the time and I participated in other “adult” activities ;-)

@Facade I don’t think you understand just how big a deal drinking is in my town. All of my friends, except one, have been drinking since they were 17. Everything I try to do with them always ends up having to involve alcohol.

@Joe I agree with @Facade I went to Michigan State University, EVERYONE drank at my party, but I didn’t. They know I don’t drink.

@J0E Why is it that you don’t drink?

My 21st birthday was this past August, it was on a Saturday for me. I drove to my parents house 4 hours away to spend it with them and my younger sister. My Mom cooked a meal of my choosing and made a cake. We had a great time playing games and chatting had a glass of wine with dinner and then did the cake thing.

I’m not a big drinker either, so when I do it will have maybe a glass of wine or 1–2 beer, nothing monumental ;) If you don’t like to drink, don’t give in to peer-pressure. Just be you and spend your special day in a way that makes YOU happy!

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY! :D – LB

@jfos I wish I knew. I’ve grown up with it my entire life but for some reason I have this huge aversion to it. It has confused me for quite some time now.

@J0E: I am soon to be in the same boat. My 21st is about 3 months away and I do not drink. I know that people will expect me to and that some of them will be mean and angry when I say I don’t want to. My plan is to have a birthday party someplace where there isn’t alcohol available. I’m thinking laser tag because it is geared towards younger kids and thus no alcohol will be available or tolerated. That way, when people ask what I’m doing for my birthday, I have a good answer ready and I can head them off before they tell me I have to get drunk.

@JLeslie Yeah, a few of my friends go to MSU so I definitely know all about that.

@J0E Having minority beliefs (i.e. you not drinking when everyone else does) does come with a price. You can either cave and conform, or you can stick to your guns. You don’t have to have a celebration for your 21st birthday. It can be a normal day.

@JOE I doubt it’s just your town that has lots of underage kids that drink. Many towns are like that. I know mine is. But that doesn’t mean you have to join them. It’s your life. You’re in control. If you feel that strongly about not drinking then let your friends know ahead of time that if they’re coming to celebrate your bday with you, there will not be any alcohol involved.

@Facade That’s exactly what I want to do, but it isn’t easy when everyone around you wants you to go get hammered with them.

@ItalianPrincess1217 My town is notorious for drinking, you’d be suprised at the amount of people who have received more than one MIP’s while still in high school. If Ivan sees this question he can attest to it.

I went out with some friends at midnight, as soon as it was officially my birthday, and got completely and totally trashed. My birthday landed on Mother’s day, so the next morning I had to get up and drive 40 minutes to meet my mom. I had to pull over to puke on the freeway. Twice.
That birthday taught me a very important lesson in moderation.

If you don’‘t want to drink, don’t. Go out to dinner or something with friends, and if you feel like ordering a legal glass of wine, you can. Or not. It’s your birthday,

I’ve never consumed alcohol, and I’m 15 years older than you. If you don’t want to do it stick to your guns and tell people it’s not your thing. Many times drunk friends of mine tried to get me to party with them, only to admit the following morning they’re sick and tired of it but can’t work up the courage to quit the whole ‘party scene’.

@J0E You might just have to be blunt and stern to get your point across.

@J0E Ultimately, there are 2 feasible options:
1) Don’t drink, and tell your buddies to drink for you, i.e. “Have a extra drink in my place.” This will a. appease the peer pressure you may receive and b. have them experience a positive effect from you not drinking.
2) Try it once or twice. Some people get hung over, some people don’t (I don’t =D). Some enjoy it, some don’t. Maybe you originally didn’t want to get in trouble for drinking underage, and now you feel like since you haven’t done it yet, why do it now. If you can’t think of any reason not to, I invite you to give it a shot at least once or twice.

(I can feel the negative comments coming)

@jfos I never said I haven’t done it before, and I didn’t even have a bad experience when I did.

@J0E when you go out with your friends now do they drink and you don’t? Why is this day any different. Do you WANT to go out to a bar or have party (even if you don’t drink)? Or, would you rather do something else? What do you want to do for your 21st birthday?

@jfos Why are you encouraging him to drink? It’s not a new vegetable; it’s alcohol. Something unnecessary.

I was home with my sick 4 day old baby. No drinking was involved.

@J0E Fair enough.
@Facade I’m not encouraging him to drink. Up until he said that he ‘never said he hasn’t done it before’, I thought he had never drunk alcohol. I was encouraging him to try it once or twice if he didn’t have any reason not to.

@JOE It seems like there have been a lot of helpful posts but you shoot them all down. Do you actually want our help or not? If you honestly can’t work up the courage to stand up to your friends and make it clear you aren’t looking to get wasted on your bday than stay home. By yourself.

@Facade By new vegetable, did you mean a newly discovered vegetable, or just one that he has yet to try?

@JLeslie What do I want everyone to do? This is one birthday that I wish everyone would just forget, and leave me alone.

Boy, don’t I sound like fun :)

@ItalianPrincess1217 There have been very helpful posts, I’m not shooting them down.

@J0E don’t be forced into anything. It’s your birthday. Tell them you don’t want to, or you’d rather not.

You could even make something up to shut them up.
ex: “My grandpa was killed by a drunk driver so why dont you stfu”
While this may seem childish, peer pressure is also childish, real friends would respect your decisions and wouldn’t force you to conform.

seriously though, be friendly but stern. Unless your freinds are total assholes they will respect you enough to have fun with you, regardless of who’s drinking

I only drank once (i’m 19) and it was on my wedding night just over a month ago, I had ¾ a bottle of champagne because we couldn’t figure out how to re-seal it. I got the worst headache ever like 10 mins after drinking it. Worst idea ever.

well I’m excited that you’re turning 21, yay! secondly people who drink will make you feel bad for not drinking and that sucks – I’m an adult, a parent of two and I get bothered constantly for my reasoning to not drink (people really need validation for their stupid habits, don’t they?)...when I turned 21 I went to Amsterdam with a college friend, Peter and he and I visited the Penis museum – I took a picture next a gigantic penis and proceeded to go to a sex show where a woman put two bananas into her hoo-ha

@jfos But there is no reason at all why someone should need to “try it once or twice.”

@patg7590 They aren’t forcing me to drink. Just imagine you wear blue shirts but everyone else wears red. Everywhere you go you seem to be the only one wearing blue. While you may not care what people think, you will still notice them looking at you and wondering why the hell you don’t just wear red.

@ItalianPrincess1217 Why the hostility?

@J0E If you want to give in to peer pressure, it won’t be the end of the world…unless something horrible happens.

@FutureMemory No hostility here. I’m just wondering if @JOE even wants to celebrate his birthday. Seems like he’d rather not but is getting pressured into it.

@Facade I agree, that’s kinda what I was arguing earlier.

46 responses in 45 minutes, that must be a record..?

@Facade @jfos If I wanted to give in to peer pressure why would I ask this question?

You are shutting down every helpful response and saying how you want to “wear red” so wear red.

@J0E So don’t give in to the peer pressure. But everyone has basically given the best advice there is…if you don’t want to drink, don’t drink. Your friends should understand and if they don’t, they aren’t real friends.

Here’s a summary of this thread J0E:

Do what YOU want to do, it’s your birthday and YOUR life. Work up the courage to tell your friends you don’t want to do it. The End.

@Facade Thats what I’m saying…I wasn’t trying to be rude but every post we’ve written has been quickly shot down. So what’s the point?

@all I’m not “shutting down” or “shooting down” anything, I’m just further explaining my situation. I really do appreciate the helpful responses.

@J0E Now, I’m not saying that you want to give in to peer pressure.
...
But, I could understand someone who either hasn’t done something before or hasn’t done something in a long time, and even though he may want to, he uses the period where he hasn’t done it as an excuse for not doing it.

And sometimes it is hard for people to change style, whether it be lifestyle or rhetoric or anything.

So, yeah, don’t drink if you want to. If you do, it’s okay to “wear red” once in a while.

Either way, I recommend that you listen to the song “Safety Dance”.

I can’t remembe my 21st birthday which i think is a testament to how much money my friends invested in alcohol. Considering that we grew up with a legal drinking age of 18 we had some experience in the field… i do remember waking up on a diving board (not a high one.. just above pool surface) in my boxers and knowing onluy about half the people that were passed out and in varying stages of undress around the pool are we seemed to invade. I have seen pictures of what apparently was a San Diego pub crawl all around the gaslamp quarter… shenanigans at Balboa park… and many many other things which i will refrain from posting. To this day i still don’t remember it happening.

Fun times.

@J0E What is it that you would like to do for your birthday? You must have at least one friend that won’t give you a hard time. I would hang out with that person.

I had just found out that I was pregnant when I turned 21 and I hadn’t told my family yet. They threw a surprise party for me at a bar that a family friend worked at. I went, my husband drank my beers that I pretended to sip on, my sister came in dressed as a clown and we all had a great time. I was questioned why I wasn’t drinking that much, I just told everyone that I wasn’t feeling very well.

@J0E You have to take control of thing. Plan what you want yourself. Would you be ok with dinner and a movie with a friend? Or maybe going home to be with your family?

@jonsblond I’m sure that was such a sacrifice on your husbands part, to drink those beers ;)

This question is getting a response per minute

@casheroo lol! He wasn’t complaining, that’s for sure.

@deni – No. University of Miami.

@JOE – I never drank in college. Sometimes folks would twit me about it, but if I simply fixed my own drink no one ever knew, and after a while, no one cared. Have a “virgin” Rum and Coke (basically just a glass of coke), or Sprite with a slice of lime (a “virgin” Gin and Tonic that tastes better than tonic alone), or a glass of juice with ice. Or just simply tell them you don’t drink for whatever reason.

And as others said, you can also choose to do something other than go to bars for your birthday.

slight side track

It’s really great to see so many people offering advice in such a sincere and caring manner. Such a far cry from other sites where you’d see something like “wtf man? r u Amish or something? rofl!!!!11”

I never smoked pot, but almost all my friends and siblings did. I was always pressured to try it, but I always told them I didn’t need it, so why do it? To this day (I’m 43), my siblings will offer me the pipe when passing it around at a gathering. I just hold up my hand, and it passes by. I have different friends these days that don’t smoke, so I only get offered any when with family. Different drug, same pressure. Just say “no” if that’s your decision.

I didn’t do any sort of drugs, either, and since I didn’t drink, my friends soon realized that they had a built-in designated driver, even though I didn’t have a car. They would get blasted and then hand me the keys. Once they realized that I could save them from getting a DWI or a bad accident they stopped bugging me about not drinking.

@Darwin I was the DD also.

First off, the worst thing you can do is succumb to peer pressure. If you don’t want to drink, don’t drink. Having said that, I wanted to drink, and now that I’m older, I’m over it. So, what I did won’t be much help, but for what it’s worth, here’s what I did.

My parents took me to North Dakota, I live in Minnesota, and I had one main reason I wanted to go there…to obtain some Everclear…the kind that is 95% alcohol, which is unobtainable in Minnesota. I brought that to a party about 6 months later and found out that if you drink it straight, it’s like raking a white hot fork down the back of your throat. But while we were there, we went to a couple of restaurants, one with a DJ, and stayed in a hotel. That was my fun day, and I enjoyed it, had a couple drinks in the bars, didn’t get stupid drunk, but just was able to enjoy being able to try a couple things I’d always wanted to try. But the point was, I was the one who wanted to try them.

The closest I can relate to you is that I’m not a beer or whiskey fan, and those are what most of my friends and family drink if they are drinkers. I always went in for the sweet froofroo drinks that made people question my sexuality. I live in an area where manliness is valued over individuality, but I chose to retain my individuality and decide to live by a simple code, “fuck what people think.”

And I’d suggest you live by the same code. Just say you have no desire to drink, don’t put yourself in a situation where you think it will be forced on you (like don’t let your buddies hijack you to a bar with the intention of getting you drunk). I’d suggest if there’s something you enjoy doing, be it with people or by yourself, THAT’S what you should do. Enjoy your day, it’s your day and if they really are your friends, it’s not like they’re going to abandon you if you don’t drink, if they do, then they really aren’t your friends.

My friends and I went clubbing in Chicago for my 21st. I danced on top of a huge speaker!

In our family, whenever anyone turns 21 they go to a Casino and have at it. They usually start out with around $100, so unless they are very careful, their fun is over pretty fast.

Since most of the kids have been going to the ‘party’ (kids play section) casinos ever since they were small, they are pretty good at making the money last most of the night.

I went to see Barbra Streisand in concert. Best birthday present EVER!

I don’t remember what I did; I had been married for almost a year at that point, so I suppose we went out to eat…. This really seems to have turned into a discussion of drinking vs. not drinking, anyway.
@J0E, why do you want everyone to forget this birthday?

I want it to be like any other day.

@J0E I hope you get your wish. Only you can make it happen. Happy early Birthday!

My own story: I was still in mourning over the loss of my husband, and taking care of a 5 month old baby, so I don’t really remember – plus is was 45 years ago.

@YARNLADY Oh no. I had not realized you lost your husband so young. How awful.

I had a me themed party. There were masks of my face and my friends were encouraged to dress up as me. There was drinking but there was also lots of me centered activities. Sure it was self centered but if you can’t be a narcissist on your birthday when can you?

Two words…strip club!

This reminds me of how I was getting freaked out around my 18th birthday when my friend said he wanted to take me to a strip club…luckily that never happened. :)

@JLeslie thank you for the kind thoughts – I also lost my second husband just before my 30th birthday, you’d think I dread birthdays, but I don’t

@saranwrapper – I’d never heard or conceived of a “me” themed party, sounds like a riot. I did however hear about a costume party one time in Jersey, where everyone was supposed to dress up as an emotion. When the host opened the door, his first guest was a man dressed head to toe in green, and he asked, “OK, what emotion are you,” to which is friend replied, “Hey, I’m envy over here…” Next guest was dressed in blue from head to toe and when the host asked what he was supposed to be, he said, “Yo, I’m sadness, bada bing.” Third guest comes to the door dressed in red head to toe, and the host by this time has the hang of it, and says, “Lemme guess, you must be rage, am I right or am I right”, and the guy says, “look at you, you’re too good, fuggedaboutit.” So then when the door rings a fourth time, he figures he’ll be able to figure it out, but then he sees this guy who is stark naked, except he has a bowl of custard strapped around his groin. The host tries to figure it out, but finally says, ‘ya got me, what are ya s’posed to be,” to which the naked guy replies, “I’m fuckin’ dis custed”

@dalepetrie,-LOL except when I heard it, it was a pear instead of custard.

@ccrow – dis pear…never heard that version, thanks!

I shot a man in Reno. . .

. . .just to watch him die.

and I threw a HUGE, drunken fit at Dennys because it was after midnight and they wouldn’t give me my free birthday meal…

I don’t remember…

You could come over here, I’m not going to pressure you to drink.

@Ivan . . . That’s the same thing your mom told me. She lied.

I partook in the consumption of an illegal substance which resulted in 5 hours of hallucinations. Never again!

I had fun though.

Stayed up all night studying for a biology exam on my 21st.

Or you could drink but only have a beer or two. There is a distance between abstaining from alcohol and getting trashed. Since I’ve turned 21 I’ve been getting drunk less but enjoying just two or three beers. (Maybe I’m old?)

I’m not there yet. I’m considering some real absinthe and some of my more artistic friends, or I may do a quiet affair with my best of friends, some of my favorite cigars and some various bourbons.

One glass of wine a week has been shown to be healthier than no glasses of wine. So maybe have one glass? And that’s that?

@Kraigmo does that mean you have to make up for the 1092 glasses of wine you missed out on before you turned twenty one? cause I like that idea.

I am not 21 yet, but seeing as how my birthday is during the summer, here’s my very tentative plan (requires a handful of good friends):

—Drive over to Cali during SDCC
—Arrive early or stay later for Disney + Knott’s + Six Flags (or 2 of 3)

Re: drinking, my grandma and I have plans to try some of the sweeter/froofier drinks after I turn 21, but not as a drinking-thing, but as a see-if-this-tastes-good thing.

I was working that night, when in came an extremely large brown Gorilla dress in a light pink tutu followed by my mother, aunt and daughter. It was an awesome sight. I was a waitress at Sambos and I too didn’t drink but a lot of my friends did. I don’t remember anyone trying to pressure me into drinking. Nor should you…..

I was a student. I had a party with other students. Loud music. Dancing. Fun.

@sccrowell: So, was the gorilla cute? And was he en pointe?

I went for dinner with my then partner (we were very poor at the time). Being in the UK where you can legally drink from 18 onwards 21 was no biggie in that sense.

My 21st birthday was yesterday. I dont really drink either. I went out for sushi with my girlfriend and family. Had some sake.never had a chance to try it before Went home.

to me, my birthday is just another day of the year.

@uberbatman Usually I enjoy my birthday, but I think this is the first one I have dreaded.

@J0E if your friends give you that much shit for not drinking, i really wouldnt consider them friends.

A couple of my friends are Irish, they drink A LOT, but its always understood i dont really like drinking so they never give me shit for it.

@J0E No one is really giving me shit, for the most part they are really good about me not drinking, I just have a feeling that is going to change once I’m 21.

@uberbatman happy belated just another day!

@uberbatman happy belated!

@J0E If they dont give you shit about it and theyre really your friends, then they probably understand that you dont drink because you dont like to drink, not because its an age thing.
@Likeradar & @casheroo thanks! :)

If your friends brought you somewhere and insisted on buying you drinks until they got you drunk, you could pull the waiter/waitress aside, ask that person if there was anything they made both an alcoholic and non alcoholic version of, then tell the person who’s going to wait on you, “OK, that’s what I’m going to order, I’m just going to order it regular, but I want you to bring me the non alcohol version…I’m playing a trick on my buddies and I want them to think I’m drinking, but I really need to stay sober for this trick to work. If you cooperate, you can keep the difference between the cost of the real drinks I order and the virgin drinks you give me as a tip for helping me out.” Then pretend to act drunker and drunker as the night goes on, the whole while you can keep saying things like, “I really don’t think I like drinking that much, I don’t think I’m cut out for drinking.” And they keep egging you on, so after you’ve had like a dozen, excuse yourself to go to the bathroom (shouldn’t be a problem after 12 beverages). That’s when you down the bottle of Ipecac. When you get back to the table, barf all over your friends. They’ll never try to force you to drink again, and if you do, you can remind them what happened the LAST time they tried to get you to drink.

@dalepetrie Yup, definitely not doing that.

ohhh come on joe, thatd be epic

Aww, c’mon, it might look something like this

+1 for @dalepetrie ‘s idea

One of the reasons I never drank or did drugs when I was younger was the possibility of throwing up, or doing it to withdraw after an addiction. It is a major deterent for me, seems ridiculous to suggest it as a fun thing to do.

@JLeslie – #1, think about it though, you do it once, you’re never expected to get sloppy drunk again, kind of like ripping off a band aid. And #2, most jokes are meant to be ridiculous.

@dalepetrie but you talked about not drinking and then taking something to make you puke. Or, did I misunderstand?

@J0E i just realized above when you responded to me here you were talking to yourself heh

@JLeslie – yes I did talk about that. It was meant in jest. I wouldn’t REALLY think anyone would actually DO that. It’s just a funny idea.

@uberbatmab woah, that’s weird.

damn auto correct

Everything is happening exactly as I expected, except it’s relatives who are being pushy, not my friends.

@JOE; Now that you are officially an adult, you are free to tell your less-than-well-meaning relatives to get stuffed.

Repeat after me; “Get stuffed, please.”

(I am an ordained Fluther Minister and therefore have the right to order you to do this.)

Happy birthday, again., Gail

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAY-ZERO-EEE!

one word…ipecac….

have a drink on me. or dont :]

My best friend took me to Reno so we could legally drink in the Casino’s and eat up all kinds of delcious restaurant buffet. The bummer part was my then bf who happened to be at the UNR dorms had forgotten it was birthday and was running around drunk with female dorm mates, naked like. Heartbroken, I loped along behind my best friend and his then gf (who later turned out to be a cheating whore) and got to watch them all smooshy and goober. Gah.

@hungryhungryhortence Actually, it turned out that the then gf was already cheating on someone else to be with me, then cheated on me later. Sometimes, I really wish I could turn back time…

@ru2bz46: think of all the food and alcohol we could’ve had!

Tell me about it, @hungryhungryhortence, tell me about it!

There have been over 100 responses, so I’ll ask a side question: Have you (like me) already forgotten what your 21st birthday was like?

@Zen: I am the same age as you are and I remember my 21st Birthday quite clearly. Much of what has happened in the 2 decades since is blurry, though.

@hearkat—Shhh. They don’t have to know we’re 60 years old.

Thanks for sending me this Q @J0E. As you might know, I don’t drink either. It’s just never been something I’ve wanted to do. Most of my friends understand and respect that, some of them are the same way and there’s a minority that might say something about it. Luckily, I know how to shut them up very fast =). Like @uberbatman, I am not the biggest fan of birthdays. I prefer celebrating friends birthdays a lot more than my own. Plus, seeing that I am born on Christmas means that the city is pretty much shut down anyway. Sooo my 21st was celebrated by going out to dinner with mom on the night before, her cooking a wonderful feast for me on the day of, few friends came in the evening and we watched a movie (Coraline), and shopping on the day after christmas. I don’t get to celebrate my birthday with most friends since they have to be with their family for christmas.

So when I return to school after break, we are planning a dinner followed by a house party at our place. There will be alcohol of course. I might be persuaded to drink one glass of wine or something similar to celebrate the meaning of 21st, but nothing more.

What about you @J0E? Do you feel that there’s been a change in people’s reactions about your drinking since you turned 21?

It’s weird, my friends are much more understanding than my family members. Regardless, I haven’t had any alcohol since my birthday. There has been a change in their reactions, but not big ones.

The popular practice of drinking 21 drinks on one’s 21st birthday is dangerous and should be discouraged. http://www2.potsdam.edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/1109125356.html

I was in Egypt on a river boat on the Nile and we had party. I didn’t drink too much. It was fun.