For some, birthdays are no big deal. They're just another day, with the exception of officially turning a year older. My birthday, however, is my second-favorite holiday (the runner-up to Halloween).
Every time March rolls around, I start organizing the annual event. If my friends want to surprise me, I make every effort to ensure that the party will be a success through occasional snooping and eavesdropping.
I might be an extremist, but everyone - at least during their collegiate years - enjoys a birthday celebration. So I've tried to compile a few of my favorite memories to guide you in planning a surprise birthday party.
Scavenger hunt
It might sound corny and a tad prepubescent, but scavenger hunts can be a fun way to surprise your friends. In high school, I planned a day hunt for my best friend Michelle. A few of my girlfriends and I picked up various gifts - tank tops, frames, makeup - and hid the wrapped presents around Michelle's neighborhood. Included with each gift was a clue leading her to the next hiding place.
For example, after she found her tank top, she read, "Now that you have something to wear, look in the place where you brush your hair." Michelle then found the next gift under her bathroom sink.
The final clue led her to her main present - a trip in which we took her to Mountain High, a small ski resort north of Los Angeles.
College is an ideal setting for a scavenger hunt. You can hide presents under Jumbo or in Dewick. You can have a dorm hunt in which gifts are stored in the rooms of mutual friends.
While you may not be able to go skiing at the end, there are many other possibilities for a grand finale: End your hunt in the dorm common room with a picnic of your birthday buddy's most beloved foods. Or finish at a house with pizza, drinks and a group of friends.
You can even take the surprise one step further and have the final clue at your friend's favorite restaurant, bar or night club. Regardless of how the hunt turns out, your friend will truly be touched by your effort. I know Michelle was.
Asian invasion
Being from Los Angeles, I must admit that I'm a bit obsessed with "the sush" (pronounced "soosh"). One of my favorite birthday memories was a "Japan Night" my friends prepared sophomore year.
I was pleasantly astounded when I walked into the room on the fifth floor of Carmichael: On the desk, there was a party plate of sushi prepared by Yoshi's, a few bottles of sake and Asahi, and plastic cups filled with chopsticks.
Asian lanterns adorned the walls and my friends yelled out "Konnichiwa!" upon my arrival. After dinner they sang "Happy Birthday" while presenting me with my cake, which was composed of Americanized moch - rice balls filled with ice cream. Although we stayed in the dorm the rest of the night, you can extend the Asian theme by going to karaoke after dinner.
Beach party
The winter chill can often lead to the birthday blues. So why not warm up your friend's night with a beach party? First, find out your friend's favorite beach; then plan accordingly.
For instance, one of my favorite beach party themes is "Miami." If I were planning my own party, I would serve mojitos and black beans and rice while playing salsa on my iPod. Another option is a Cabo getaway with margaritas, coronas, quesadillas and palm-tree-shaped lights.
For New England natives, plan a preppy party with Cape Codders (cranberry and vodka), shrimp cocktails and polo shirts - collars up, of course. Or, for a humorous soiree, throw a Revere beach rendezvous, complete with Doritos, 40s and wife-beaters. Whatever the theme, make sure to turn up the heat and request appropriate attire: Bikinis and swim trunks only, please!
Little Italy
When I was growing up, I always felt sorry for those of my classmates who had summer birthdays. They were never able to bring cupcakes to school or have a party with all their friends.
Sophomore year, I decided to throw my college classmates with summer birthdays a half-birthday bash to compensate for not celebrating with them on their real birthdays. Because it was a last-minute event, I didn't have much time. So I decided to do Italian.
My non-summer-birthday friends and I picked up large loaves of bread, olive oil, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and red wine at Trader Joe's. We then took out the George Foreman, made paninis, poured the wine and bellissimo! We had a small Italian feast.
It was the perfect pre-party event to show our friends with birthdays during the summer months that we hadn't forgotten that they have birthdays, too.
