Made famous by
Alice in Wonderland, the practice of celebrating an un
birthday was something that
Lewis Carroll/
Charles Dodgson actually did in
real life. Rather than give presents only on expected gift-giving days, Dodgson would surprise friends with gifts on other, random days.
In the
Disney movie, the unbirthday discussion occurs during the
Mad Tea Party. In the book, though, it's a conversation with
Humpty Dumpty. Once again,
philosophical and
linguistic themes show through:
(Humpty informs Alice that the
cravat he is wearing was an unbirthday gift from the
White King and the
White Queen. Alice says she prefers
birthday presents, and Humpty rebuts this with the argument that you can get
unbirthday presents 364 days a year, birthday presents, only one. He
concludes triumphantly:)
"There's glory for you!" "I don't know what you
mean by 'glory,'" Alice objected. Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously.
"Of course you don't--till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice
knock-down argument for you!'" "But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice
knock-down argument," Alice objected. "When I use a word," Humpty
Dumpty said, in a rather scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it
to mean--nothing more nor less." "The question is," said Alice, "whether
you can make words mean so many different things." "The question is,"
said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master--that's all." Alice was too
much puzzled to say anything . . .