Sweet 16s

[milos_mommy]

Ok, odd question: I know other areas HAVE sweet 16s because of MTVs "my super sweet 16". But...are they common?

I just realized I've never seen any of the teens I know in other states talk about or share pictures of sweet 16 parties. Here, they're a huge deal. Most girls (I'd say about half) have very large formal parties at a rented hall. I've even heard quite a few stories of parents taking out loans to fund them (same with weddings, I don't think that's common though). Most high schoolers attend at least a handful of these parties.

I've heard people say it's a Long Island thing, but I thought they were just being pretentious...but now I'm wondering, what are 16th birthday parties like elsewhere?

 

[Saeleofu]

My 16th was just like any other birthday...

 

[ruffiangirl]

Yep mine too, no big party, well not an organized one by my folks anyhow, my friends and I partied.

 

[BostonBanker]

I got my very own plastic pitchfork with my initials carved on the handle for my sweet 16. I think I should have made my parents watch that MTV show before it.

I have never known anyone who has had anything more than a normal party for their sweet 16. It just isn't a thing in this area, I don't think.

 

[Airn]

Mine was normal. Usually not a big deal unless you're getting a car.

15 is a big deal here as we have a lot of Mexicans. The girls get all dolled up and it's a very formal event. They love to party

 

[Southpaw]

I never had birthday parties... my 16th was no different.

Whenever I watched that show on MTV I always just figured it was a rich person thing, didn't think region had anything to do with it. I don't know anyone who's had a party like that.

 

[CaliTerp07]

I had a soccer tournament on my 16th birthday, then my parents took me out to dinner (same as any other birthday).

 

[sassafras]

It's not a thing here. Like Southpaw, I always kind of assumed it was a socioeconomic thing rather than a regional thing, though.

 

[ThatCrazyGroomer]

I had a sweet sixteen "kickback" more than a party. My family got a bunch of my friends together and we all sat out in the back yard eating pizza, drinking pop, playing guitar and singing, and then my dad handed me the keys to the truck we'd spent a year restoring together. I went to a friend's super formal sweet 16, but I liked mine better.

 

[milos_mommy]

I don't think it's an economic thing...even the middle/lower middle class girls here have them. One of my close friends who grew up with very very little had one, her mom saved up to rent the VFW hall on a weeknight and made her dress. Kids who had them at home still had formal dress codes and DJs or bands, catering, etc.

A lot of my wealthier friend's sisters instead took a vacation with a few closer friends...but honestly that doesn't seem like it could be much more costly than some of the parties.

I wonder how the tradition developed. Not everyone has one, my 16th birthday was about 10 friends playing foosball in my basement.

 

[Beanie]

It's a thing around here but only for the rich kids. Nothing like on the TV show obviously, if there were anybody THAT rich around here they wouldn't be going to the public schools. But big parties, and always a brand new car.

Not the sort of people I hung out with to the point of being invited to their super fancy birthday parties, but people heard about them through the halls of school. A few girls had their parents book hotel rooms for them and their friends in bigger cities (Chicago or St. Louis) and they "did Chicago" or whatever.

I don't even remember my 16th birthday. I think I went to the mall with my best friend maybe?

 

[Julee]

Not a thing around here. I hung out at the lake with my dog and friend.

 

[ACooper]

I didn't have one, just a regular birthday. Generally speaking, we don't do big birthday parties for our kids either.......cake, ice cream, gifts and whatever friends/family happen to be hanging around ATM.

For our two girls (now 20 + 21) they had the choice of a big 16th birthday party or take a few close friends to a hotel for a night. They both picked the hotel.....fine with us! LOL, we saved $ AND mom/dad had more fun at the hotel too! (the hotel had ping pong, air hockey, video games, pool table, pool and jacuzzi right outside our room)

And I know boys don't have 'sweet 16' but since we try our best to run a house of equality, we gave our boys the same choice the girls had. Ironically, both boys (we have 3 but one is only 13) picked party over hotel! Oldest son had the skate park rented out for the day and had a huge party, and the middle boy had a huge cook out at the park with lots of friends and, of all things..........LARPING even took place! LOL

If I had predicted, I would have totally thought the girls would do parties and the boys would have picked hotel. I honestly can't say which way the remaining boy will go, but I'm hoping HOTEL! LOL

 

[sparks19]

My 16th birthday I just had a bunch of friends over in my basement and we all just hung out. Another year my best friend and I threw ourselves a big birthday bash (our birthdays are two days apart) in the backyard. We brought my stereo out and hooked it all up and put up lights and stuff and had a bunch of friends come and hang out. Nothing fancy.

When the time comes if Hannah wants a party she can have one but it will be Friends come over, have food, cake, hang out and do whatever. Again, nothing fancy. or maybe we'll just go to Disney for her sweet 16 LOL