Ulang Tahun

In Bahasa Indonesia, Happy Birthday is "Selamat Ulang Tahun." If literally translated, Selamat Ulang Tahun is more or less "Happy Repeating the Year".

Reaching quarter century, I was wondering why "Ulang Tahun?" why "Repeating the Year?" I haven't done substantial research on it, so here's my own interpretation and a support from here.

I would say "Selamat Ulang Tahun" is not about repeating the previous year. It is a shorter way of saying "Selamat Ulang Tahun Lahir." In English, "Lahir" is "Birth". What is interesting is that, in Bahasa Indonesia, we are explicitly using the word "Ulang." In my opinion this is asking us to psychologically repeat the year of our birth. Repeat in our mind that years ago, there was a woman struggling emotionally and physically to give us to the world and the world to us. That years ago, there was or was not a man and some relatives struggling emotionally upon the moment of our existence or non-existence in this planet.

So this year, I again psychologically repeat the moment of my birth. This time, being (a bit) far away from them, I would like to repeat it and write it down.

Quarter century ago was a tough struggle for my mother, father, and some relatives. Of course I won't be able to thank them enough for such struggle. Such struggle that allows me to taste the world and countless things that life has to offer. But, I can and do LOVE them. And it is an irreversible LOVE!

Picture is taken from here.