Turning 16 is a tumultuous time for many teenage girls. Although there is the influx of hormones, there is also a potentially life-altering choice to make: how to celebrate the 16th birthday itself. 

I remember last year, before I even turned 15, my mother had asked me a not-so-simple question: “What do you want to do for your 16th birthday?” I was under the impression that I had only two options: a massive Sweet 16 party or a vacation with a friend. 

After months of weighing my options, I decided against an extravagant party; I noticed many of my peers began to make the same choice as well. Although they opted for small, intimate gatherings with their close friends rather than a vacation, there was certainly a transition in the mentality of teenage girls in how to celebrate their 16th birthdays. Long gone were the days of poofy dresses, DJs, and cocktail hours at high-end venues; now, small groups of friends made their ways to picturesque locations for a fun dinner. 

But why? Why are girls shifting their celebration style? The first thought, in my case, was cost. As posted on Best Sweet Sixteen (bestsweet16.com) on Oct. 5, 2022, depending on size and cost, a Sweet 16 party can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $9,000. Many, including myself, would rather diverge those funds toward a memorable vacation. 

There are also the stress and questions involved with planning such a large-scale party: Who should you invite? Who will get offended if you do not invite them? Which venue is the best for the party size? What songs should you include on your playlist? What will the menu look like? Who will you ask to light your 16 candles? I began hyperventilating the moment I had to consider an invite list and the people I would dedicate my 16 candles to, so I finally opted for a vacation with a friend instead. 

As aforementioned, however, there is a third option: a small dinner with friends. Two sophomores, Jillian Festa and Alexa Levine, took this route. Levine’s main considerations for her “mini party” were who she wanted to celebrate with, activities she thought all her invitees would enjoy, and which restaurants had a menu that teenagers would eat from. “It was exciting to pick a fun activity and beautiful restaurant everyone enjoyed. Personally, I also prefer celebrating in a small group where everyone gets to enjoy everything together rather than a large party where I would have been overwhelmed,” Levine said. 

Festa shared similar feelings of possible overwhelm that may have been caused if she had a large party instead. “The big party is too over the top, and I know I wouldn’t have fun; I also don’t like having the attention on me with all those people,” Festa expressed. 

Both Festa and Levine have noticed the shift in 16th birthday celebration methods as well. Levine noted the excitement involved with having a smaller party. “Each person can pick their own unique activity to celebrate with. Each [smaller party] is different from the next,” Levine said. 

Festa agreed that more excitement came out of her own small party, along with the mini Sweet 16s she has attended thus far. “You can do many different activities to celebrate. Having fun with a few people and taking pictures in aesthetic places leaves happier memories rather than the classic big parties. The small party seemed more fun and memorable,” Festa shared. 

In a changing social climate, there is intense pressure on teenage girls on how to celebrate their 16th birthdays. Knowing the stories of 16-year-old girls and their birthday celebrations, it is clear that the retirement of the once timeless Sweet 16 is for the best.