DNTO May 22 (The Birthday Show)

Some people just aren't that crazy about celebrating their birthdays. DNTO producer Lauren Burrows explains why her aversion stems back to her 7th birthday... and what it taught her about why our birthdays matter so much to us.

For Jean Yoon, celebrating her parents' birthdays isn't just about getting the right gift... it's about getting the right day. And it's a little more complicated than just writing it in her date book.  She'll explain why.

Sook-Yin's friend Mark Hartmaier is a pretty remarkable guy. So when he decided to surprise his mom on her birthday, he decided to REALLY surprise his mom. He'll tell us the story of traveling cross-country just to stuff himself inside a box.

It's easy enough to complain about a lousy birthday gift (maybe not very gracious, but easy). But what's the worst gift you ever gave? Sook-Yin takes her mic to the street for your confessions.

It takes talent to ruin a birthday party from across the country. Doug Holmes will explain how he did it.

"I'm not making any age-related jokes because I genuinely feel bad about how old you are." Well, it's about time birthday cards said what we're really thinking. Sook-Yin will chat with Brook Lundy, co-founder of the successful (and hilarious) online greeting card site someecards.com.

Nothing says you care about a friend on his birthday like faking a violent crime. CBC Radio 3's Pedro Mendes tells us how his slightly-too-clever prank ended with the cops crashing the party.

So you're working on your birthday. But hey, your co-workers remembered, and that's great! Or maybe it's not. Clare Lawlor looks into the strife and drama of the workplace birthday.

You celebrate your birthday because it's your very own "special day," right? So what happens when your "special day" is everyone else's "special day?" Dawn Dumont shares her weird tale of birthday disillusionment.

Few things test a relationship like a birthday. How much is "too much" for a gift? What if the party you planned tanks? And why does Lisa Schwartzman keep getting dumped on her birthday? We'll talk with relationship expert Josey Vogels about the best approach to celebrating a birthday with your special someone.

It's a pretty normal question - "how old are you?" But it's a difficult question to answer if you really don't know. That's what it's like for Mijok Lang - who is also known by his rap name, Hot Dogg. He's one of the group known as "The Lost Boys" - survivors of the civil war in Sudan. And when he was resettled in Winnipeg, part of the process included getting a new birthday. He'll tell us his story.

When you're a kid, your birthday party is pretty exciting. It's also usually largely out of your control. So if kids got to pick their own festivities, what would they choose? Sook-Yin sits down with her pals Nazere (age 12) and Christian (age 11) to find out.

Sometimes on your birthday, you're looking for gifts that mean a little bit more than a loud necktie or another set of scented candles... especially on those birthdays that you consider milestones. So for her 40th birthday, environmental activist Margery Moore asked her husband to accompany her on a special trip - to see the tarsands development for themselves.



And here's this week's playlist:

Maiko Watson - "Sweet Vibrations"
Wintersleep - "New Inheritors"
Maylee Todd - "Summer Sounds"
Dinah Washington - "Make Me a Present Out of You"
The Weakerthans - "Left and Leaving" (Live)
The Beauties - "Fashion Blues"
Morrissey - "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore"
OK Go - "This Too Shall Pass"
Hot Dogg - "A Lost Boy" (live in studio)
The Sadies - "Another Year Again"