Benincosa-Fest... How to celebrate your birthday Cosa style.

As some of you may know, birthdays have become quite a big deal in my family.  I don't even know how far back this goes, but we've always had great traditions for each birthday.  Growing up with five siblings, it seemed we were celebrating all year long!

(Gina, VJ, me, Pop and Traci.)

A couple of things that are mandatory in the Benincosa family are as follows -- and this pertains to the birthday girl/boy:

* You get to pick what Mom is cooking for dinner!  Not to mention what kind of cake you want!  (Mine is always chocolate with chocolate, plus Extreme Moosetracks ice cream).  I remember having Top Ramen every year for a while until my mom introduced us to an amazing chicken taco salad, which I've had pretty much ever since.

*  Gramma ALWAYS called on your birthday and sang you the Birthday Song.  This has become more of a tradition as we now all call each other and sing.

*  After the Birthday Song is done, and you've blown out the candles, you get to stick your finger in the part of the cake that you want to be your piece!  This has become VERY fun since we have come to try and shove the Birthday Boy/Girl's whole hand in the cake ;)  I'm not sure how this started, but I'm pretty sure I may have had a part in it...  Now you have to try and do it as fast as you can so your whole hand doesn't get cake-ified!

*  The last piece of cake is YOURS!  No matter how long it takes you to eat it, it is yours.

These are the main traditions we have had growing up and still practice to this day.  But there have been some improvements to the Cosa Birthdays....

It all started with my brother when he was, I think, in high school.  He began calling his birthday VJ-fest and taught me that it was ridiculous to celebrate your birthday on just one, single day.  And thus, it has become a week long celebration!  After all, when you have several groups of different friends, you must celebrate with each of them!

The next tradition started in about 2001, but I am not quite sure.  (I had to call my sister Traci to verify, but that's what we've estimated.)  When it is time to sing the Birthday Song, everyone sings it in their own way, own tempo, and own volume.  That's right.  A few of you have even been fortunate, or unfortunate, to experience this song.  It is an amazing event to be had, let me tell you.  Just think of an orchestra warming up before a big show and that's us!

(Mom, Tiffer, Pop, Me, Ash, Gina, Traci - Some things never change!)

And so goes the birthday festivities in the Benincosa family.  AND, somebody's birthday is coming up soon!!!  (That would be me, if you didn't know)  :0D