16th Birthday: Not Your Ordinary Birthday

More popularly known as sweet sixteen, the 16th birthday is a momentous event in a girl's life. Once you've turned 16, you are no longer a child, but you're not an adult either. Still, you are in that “in-between stage,” which makes you qualified to be called a woman.

Men don't generally celebrate their 16th birthdays, since they more commonly save the big celebration for their 21st birthday. Not all cultures, however, celebrate 16th birthdays. Some people pay more attention to their daughter's 18th birthday, which is also considered a coming-of-age moment.

Previously, people celebrated their daughter's sixteenth birthday as a sign that were now all grown up and available for marriage. In the past, women were encouraged to marry as early as 16 years old. If you were 27 and still had no husband, you were deemed to be a spinster for life.

Today, though the tradition of celebrating a girl's 16th birthday still continues, the manner of celebration has changed. Also, sixteenth birthdays are no longer celebrated so that celebrant can find a husband. Instead, these are celebrated merely to mark the transition period from childhood to pre-adulthood.

If you're turning 16, you don't need to make your celebration a grand ball or an extravagant party, unless you want to. There are other ways of celebrating this milestone in your life.

You can simply have an intimate dinner with your family or friends. You can also opt to have a party. There are many themes you can choose from to spice up the party. You can choose everything from tropical island themes to movie themes.

Another option is celebrating your birthday in the bowling alley or skating rink with some friends. It would also be memorable if your birthday bash were a slumber party.

No matter how you choose to celebrate your birthday, be sure that you have clean fun. Remember, you may be turning 16 years old, but there are still some things you are not legally allowed to do—like drink alcohol. You might end up with men in uniform crashing into your party.