Birthdays in the falling city

When the world threatens to kill you with just one false step, being in the wrong place at just the wrong time, birthdays are an important tradition to many to celebrate living through another year of hardships. There are many different ways to celebrate turning one year older, but there are a few traits that they have in common across almost the entire city, of which the most obvious is the special birthday rations every family gets when a member is celebrating. The kit contains more food than the average ration and includes among other things the basic ingredients to a cake which can then be flavored and decorated as much or as little as the individual family wants. Almost everyone has a different tradition making these cakes, and while some similarities can be found within similar cultures, it is such a highly individual tradition that you could ask everyone in a building how they make it and not get two of the same answer. the celebrations usually involve getting a family together for the occasion, ranging from just the family you live with to some inviting relatives from all over the falling city, usually meeting up at restaurants or other places with more space than the average home. Due to the limited resources in the city, traditions of gift-giving have largely died out, but many still give something extra during a special anniversary birthday like when someone is considered a legal adult or when they celebrate turning an even decade. The gifts are usually more simple, but with a focus on giving something that the person will truly love and use in their everyday life, whether that's a necklace with a special meaning or actual tools that can be used within their line of work or for their hobbies.