Milestone Birthdays: Memorable Presents for Every Decade

While each birthday is as important as the last, there is something a little more special about milestone birthdays as you make the transition from one decade to the next. These momentous occasions usually require more celebration and more extravagant gifts than others to truly mark how important they are.

Finding the perfect milestone birthday gift can be difficult. From jewellery to clothing to experiences, there is something available for everyone when it comes to seeking the right milestone birthday gift. It’s all about finding balance and understanding the type of person you are offering the gift to.

We will look into milestone birthday gift-giving and offer you some per-decade recommendations that could make someone's special day even more memorable.

16th Birthday

The first milestone birthday of people’s lives is typically their sweet sixteenth, as it celebrates adulthood and marks the end of childhood. Many possible gifts for someone’s 16th birthday can give them a sense of becoming more of an adult, such as a wallet or purse, gift card, or brand new phone.

18th and 21st Birthdays

These two ages go hand-in-hand, as they both offer different benefits based on which country you live in. For example, the legal age for certain activities is 18 in the UK compared to 21 in the US. As both of these ages can drive in most countries, a car could be the perfect milestone birthday gift. Other good birthday gifts for these milestones include vacations, unique experiences or planning a surprise birthday for your bestie.

30th Birthday

Celebrating a 30th birthday can be a bittersweet experience as you leave your 20s behind and start a new decade of life. There are several routes you can take when choosing a gift for someone’s 30th birthday, as you can either go serious or funny. Some recommendations include special jewellery, once-in-a-lifetime experiences or a pearl necklace if you want to be traditional.

40th Birthday

Relaxation should be at the forefront when it comes to choosing a gift for someone's 40th birthday, as they are reaching the age at which they start to chill out more. Booking someone a vacation or spa day could be the perfect treat for them. Rubies are the most traditional gift that is given to someone when turning forty, so you could treat them to some ruby jewellery.

50th Birthday

Vintage presents could be the way to mark someone’s 50th birthday, from vintage jewellery to a vintage car, there are a lot of different choices. Experiences can also mean a lot for those who are 50 and over, so why not treat them to a gift card for their favourite restaurant or book them a trip away? You can also buy them a gold watch for the traditional option.

60th Birthday

When someone turns 60, they are likely to spend more time indoors relaxing. This could be the perfect opportunity to gift them household items that can help them create a relaxation haven. For example, you could order them a variety of different sofa cushion covers to spruce up their living room. The traditional gift for a 60-year-old is both diamonds and roses.

70th, 80th and 90th Birthdays

Gifts that evoke nostalgia would be perfect for someone’s 70th, 80th or 90th birthday, as they have spent a lot of time gathering memories throughout their lives. You could create them an album of photographs from throughout their life, as a lovely sentimental option. For tradition, 70-year-olds should receive platinum and 80-year-olds should receive oak.

100th Birthday

If someone reaches a century of age, they should be treated to whatever they want, within reason. Perhaps the perfect gift is getting all of their loved ones in one place to celebrate their birthday and give them a big occasion that everyone will remember forever.