Elmo's birthday is Feb. 3, and everyone's invited!
How old is the lovable, furry red monster? The same age he's been since he joined Sesame Street in 1980.
When Elmo and his dad, Louie, stopped by the TODAY studio to discuss their reaction to the sweet viral tweets they put out into the world a few days earlier, Elmo started planning his celebration in real time.
Hoda Kotb noted, "You have a birthday coming up! Oh my gosh! On Saturday, you're going to be 3 and a half again!"
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"That's right! Elmo's going to be 3 and a half," Elmo said, "just like last year and the year before and the year before."
Why is Elmo 3 and a half years old?
According to a Sesame Workshop spokesperson, Elmo's age is extremely specific for a reason: "The 'half' language was introduced (because) kids often mark their half-birthday milestone to make them feel older."
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Hoda asked Elmo, "How are you going to celebrate? What are you going to do?"
"Elmo's having a party if you want to come by," he said. "Daddy, can we have a party?"
Louie said, “Sure! Are going to invite all 40,000 of those people who responded," referring to Elmo's viral tweet.
“Yes, everybody’s invited! Come on over!” shouted Elmo.
“We gotta get more paper plates,” sighed Louie as he put his head in his furry hand.
Don't worry if you can't make the party. You can still sign Elmo's birthday card here.
Birthdays and ages for all the Sesame Street friends
Elmo isn't the only Sesame Street character with a specific age. Here are the ages and birthdays of some of Elmo's best friends:
- Big Bird is 6 and a half years old; his birthday is on Mar. 20
- Abby Cadabby is 4 years old; her birthday is Oct. 21
- Snuffleupagus is 5 years old; his birthday is Aug. 19
- Rosita is 5 years old; her birthday is Dec. 7
- Rudy is 3 years old; his birthday is June 1
- Zoe is 3 years old; her birthday is Sept. 1
- Julia is 4 years old; her birthday is Jan. 24
- Gabrielle is 6 and three-quarters years old; her birthday is Nov. 18
- Tamir is 8 years old; his birthday is Feb. 23
Sesame Street also has a number of "ageless" characters. But don't worry — they still celebrate their birthdays! (Well ... most of them do. You might want to think twice before wishing Oscar a happy birthday.)
- Cookie Monster's birthday is Nov. 2
- Oscar the Grouch's birthday is June 1
- Bert's birthday is July 26
- Ernie's birthday is Jan. 28
- Grover's birthday is Oct. 14
- The Count's birthday is Oct. 9
- Baby Bear's birthday is May 12
- Telly Monster's birthday is Sept. 29
- Gonger's birthday is June 8
And let's not forget Tango, Elmo's puppy! His "Gotcha Day" is July 12.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
