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We will always have a small celebration the day of. I think we will have big parties on big years (5,10...) and let them choose bigger party/bigger gift for the rest.

My family always had a party with all the cousins, grandparents, aunts uncles, etc for every single persons birthday. That meant about once per month we were getting together to celebrate! It was awesome. Then kids would have their own friend birthdays as well. DH and I moved a few hours away, brother moved across the country, and everyone is older now so we don't do them as much. Hopefully when we have LOs we will start it up again - big family bash one day and kid party another

We will probably have at least 2 parties for all birthdays. For DD's first we did a party back home with my extended family and then a party at our house for close friends. For DD's second birthday we just did a party with family.

Once we were old enough to have friends, we'd have an extended family party and a friend party (so probably like, 1st grade on?) Sometimes my sister and I would have a joint family one since our birthdays were a month apart. Both would be on the weekends though-- a day time party for fam and usually a sleepover with friends. Actual birthday night was usually cake with parents and siblings only.

We live far away from family, so our friends will sort of be like family for LO, so I think we will just have one party.

@Thehistoryofus: We just celebrated DS's first birthday. We went out to eat at our favorite Italian restaurant by our house, just the three of us, and I gave DS his first taste of tiramisu. Needless to say, the face was priceless but so was spending that time together, celebrating his birth and our anniversary of becoming a family. Then about two weeks later (due to schedule conflicts) we had a get together for him at my parent's house with the extended family and friends in attendance.

I think this how we'll do it from now on because like you, that's how I grew up too

I did not have many parties since my bday fell on a holiday weekend before school started. My mom usually took me on a vacation. However, my brother almost always had parties. Our immediate family would also celebrate on his actual day with cake and whatever he wanted for dinner.

For my own children, we will definitely celebrate on the actual day, but like me growing up they won't be near much family or close family-friends. Those celebrations will be small. I imagine once my child starts K or 1st grade birthday parties every year will be something we do. I like the idea of celebrating with an experience, so I imagine not hosting too many of the children parties at the house.