By Dan Corbett (in Ireland)

The atmosphere of birthday parties in Ireland is often very specific. Large gatherings of gift-bearing family and friends are accompanied by plenty of food and drink along with joyful singing, dancing, and story-telling. Old Celtic symbols are on display, time-honoured toasts are preserved, and deep-rooted Irish traditions are followed, regardless of the age being celebrated. One such tradition involves holding the birthday child by their hands and feet and bumping them gently on the floor. The amount of bumps the child receives corresponds to their age and as well as an additional bump for good luck.

While this exciting and jovial occasion is anticipated every year by children and teenagers all over Ireland, not all have this privilege to look forward to. For those living in poverty, birthdays can be ruined by the worry of money. Consider the case of Matthew, an 8 year old boy from Dublin who spoke up in a classroom discussion on poverty. “I was pretty sure I was going to get a bicycle for my birthday,” said Matthew, “just like the really cool one Peter has at school. It’s red and green and has these brilliant lights that look like they’re straight out of a spaceship. I think it’s the best bike I’ve ever seen”.

“But whenever I mention it to Dad” Matthew continued, “he starts talking about how much it costs and do I realize how many bills come in the door every day and Mam says I’m to talk about something else”. Matthew is left to accept the harsh reality that “Mam or Dad haven’t said anything but I’ve a feeling I won’t be getting that bike for my birthday”.

For young people like Matthew, poverty means not experiencing the everyday things that other kids his age have in their lives. It means being looked down upon and having to deal with the embarrassment of being asked by other kids what presents you got for your birthday. The joy and anticipation that has been associated with the traditional Irish birthday party are replaced with feelings of worry and shame. According to recent research, 13% of families in Ireland are unable to afford birthday parties for their children.

In order to cope with this and provide their children with some semblance of a special occasion, many parents in Ireland resort to using moneylenders to cover the costs of a birthday. The problem is that parents incur massive interest rates that only prove to make their dire situation even worse. Take the report of Joanne, a single mother of two children under 10, for example. Struggling to cope on minimal social welfare payments, she felt forced to avail of moneylenders in order to buy birthday presents for her children. She has no choice but to accept an interest rate so high that not only was she in debt of €6,000 ($7,406) already, but for each €500 ($619) borrowed, she is paying €300 ($372) in interest.

Currently in Ireland, St Vincent De Paul distributes food, toys, and money to poor families at Christmas. There is, however, no equivalent operation like Cheerful Givers to help parents living in poverty to give their child a gift for their birthday.

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