The year is about to end, and I will start my last year in my 50s this week. Why do we celebrate birthdays, and why are they so important? I started my research by reading books on the subject, searching the internet, and asking people I know. This is what I came up with: - Birthdays help us recognize any growth and lessons we may have learned. - Birthdays give us the opportunity to reflect on what we have done throughout the past year.