Did I forget how old I am?
This sounds like a really stupid question but if I’m right, I’m not the only person who has done it.
If I was born in say, 1961, my first birthday was in 1962. So, I’ve been thinking I was 49 since last spring, but haven’t I really only had 48 birthdays?
Someone I know was born in 1950 and therefore has been thinking he’s 60, but hasn’t he only had 59 birthdays?
Tell me if I’m wrong. I would much rather wait another year for the big 5–0— if I can.
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You have actually had 50 birthdays – the day of your birth plus 49 anniversaries of it. ... I think.
@perg , but on my 1st birthday I was “1”
I completely agree with the way you think because I think the same way. However, you are not taking into account the 9 months that you were in the womb.. and parents for some reason like to count in months for the first year which means that by the time you are one years old you are actually 21 months old and when you are two you are 33 months old which actually makes you 2.5 years old.
@mrlaconic , so how old am I now? I’m even MORE confused??
Everytime we celebrate a birthday, we celebrate an anniversary of emerging from a womb. On your 1st birthday, you celebrated one year’s time of already being outside the womb and the next day entered into your 2nd year. Your 50th birthday will be an acknowledgement you have lived outside the womb a full 50 years.
I always look at it from the number of years since the cord was cut but technically I have been alive about 9 months more. Now I really feel old X0
How old are they by normal standards?
@Judi, “they” are going to be 50 next spring now “they” need to deal with it!!
Here in the US it is generally traditional to celebrate the anniversary of your birth without counting the original day you were born. So… exactly one year after your emergence you are considered 1 year old.
Your culture may vary…
I think @Neizvestnaya explained it perfectly! When we turn 1, 2, 50, whatever, we are saying that we were born that many years ago. So our on our 1st birthday, we were born 1 year ago, so we have been alive for 1 whole year. On our 50th, we were born 50 years ago and therefore have been alive for 50 whole years.
It’s the same way for anniversaries as well. If you got married 1 year ago today, then today would be your 1st anniversary. You are celebrating the past year that you have now completed.
Ahh now but in doggy years….....that’ll be, err…....!?!
“If I was born in say, 1961, my first birthday was in 1962. So, I’ve been thinking I was 49 since last spring, but haven’t I really only had 48 birthdays?”
Let’s simply that.
Let’s say one was born in 2001.
Let’s say that their first birthday celebration was in 2002.
They’ve been 9 since last spring.
They’ve actually had nine celebrated birthdays: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.
40+9=49: when calculating the number of celebrated birthdays one has had, the first birthday is included in the count.
In your example, you were calculating the number of celebrated birthdays after your first one.
Like fine wine and cheese….Aged to perfection.
(Just for the record, any parts that worked at 49 will work at 50, if you keep them well oiled.)
Your age in years is how many full years you’ve been alive. It’s not “1” until you’ve had your first birthday (which marks the completion of one full year of life). Until then, it’s less than one year: it’s counted in months.
If you were born in 1961, your birthday in 2010 is your 49th. That means you are 48 years old until your 2010 birthday and 49 after your 2010 birthday. On your birthday in 2011 you will reach the age of 50.
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