Time Newsfeed reports that researchers studied 2,000,000 people over two decades and found we are more likely to die on our own birthday than any other day of the year.  The study, published in the journal Annals of Epidemiology, uncovered that people over 60 were 14% more likely to die on their birthdays than any other time. The most common causes of birthday deaths were heart attacks, which rose 18.6% on birthdays, and strokes, which were up 21.5%. There is also a 34.9% rise in suicide, and a remarkable 44% jump for deaths by falling down.

Prof. Richard Wiseman, a University of Hertfordshire psychologist, explained to The Daily Telegraph:  “There are two camps of thought – one suggests you eat too much and you’re getting on a bit and that causes you to die. The other is a placebo effect. You are knife-edged on death. And you kept yourself going until your birthday. You think ‘that’s it, I’ve had enough, I’m out of here.’”

Whatever the reason, that’s an amazingly sad statistic.  Let’s start countering that trend.  No more boring or excessively expensive or stressful or death-causing family birthday celebrations.  Let’s get a plan.  Here are 5 ways to make family birthdays outstanding.

Huddle up with your children tonight and ask them:  “What was the best birthday you ever had?  Why?”