Many happy returns of the day!

"Many Happy Returns of the Day!" by Ellis Parker Butler is a humorous essay written in the early 20th century. The book reflects on the nature of birthdays and the human tendency to perceive them as reminders of aging and mortality. Butler challenges this viewpoint by emphasizing the joy and significance of celebrating life rather than dwelling on the passage of time. In this lighthearted narrative, Butler shares personal anecdotes and humorous observations to convey his philosophy on birthdays. He reflects on his own birthday experiences, the societal practices surrounding birthdays, and the widespread negativity associated with aging. Through witty storytelling, he illustrates how some individuals treat their birthdays as gloomy reminders of mortality, while he suggests that they should be viewed as personal celebrations of life filled with gratitude for another year lived. Ultimately, he advocates for a joyful and optimistic approach to birthdays, encouraging readers to view each birthday as an opportunity for joy and reflection rather than despair. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Ellis Parker Butler was an American author. He was the author of more than 30 books and more than 2,000 stories and essays and is most famous for his short story "Pigs Is Pigs", in which a bureaucratic stationmaster insists on levying the livestock rate for a shipment of two pet guinea pigs, which soon start proliferating exponentially. His most famous character was Philo Gubb.