The majority of children’s birthday parties held in Luxembourg are nothing but an excuse for parents to excessively drink in the middle of the day, according to recent findings.
A report published by the University of Wiltz claims that 84 percent of parents in the Grand Duchy say they would never organize or accept an invitation to a children’s birthday party if not for the prospect of alcohol being freely served.
One mother admitted to offering Pepsi, juice, and coffee to parents who attended her six-year-old son’s afternoon party — when in truth her refrigerator contained nothing but bottle upon bottle of crémant that she had resolved to finish with her guests.
“Few parents say no to booze when they’re in a confined space for two hours with 14 kids running around high on sugar,” she said.
Patricia Calvo, whose son has celebrated turning eight years old on 10 separate occasions since September, says that at first the other parents were confused why she was throwing yet another party for him.
“In the beginning, they’d ask if they were supposed to bring another present for Thiago, and I’d say no, just a bottle of something good and strong,” she said. “Then they understood.”
“Between us parents, we try to organize a kid’s birthday party every weekend, and we love it,” she added. “Sometimes we have two or three in one day alone.”
Hesperange father Stelios Galanis says that he now finds himself canceling plans to go cycling or watch football with friends whenever his 10-year-old daughter gets an invitation to a birthday party.
“It’s fun to show up at a kids party, make small talk with other bored parents about the price of housing, politely accept a beer, and then five hours later wonder why you and the other fathers are dressed in gorilla costumes and running through a potato field while being chased by police.”
