Since hanging around here and hearing that you don't plan your own bach party because you don't throw parties in your honor, I've been thinking about how this relates to birthday parties. Then it got explicity brought up in the 15yo MOH post that you shouldn't throw your birthday party either because it's also a party in your honor.
But umm, I DO throw my own birthday party. I've never thought anything of it, and most of my friends (Chilean and gringo) do the same. It's usually going to dinner or a bar/club or just having people over. If we go out, everyone pays their own way rather than paying for the birthday girl/boy, and presents are usually kept to a minimum (bottle of wine, chocolates), but they are there. So do I just know the rudest people ever, is this a case where etiquette says one thing but it's become accepted to do another, or are birthday parties somehow different?