Thousands of self-invited guests overwhelm social media user's birthday bash in Mexico

MEXICO CITY - A 15-year-old girl's birthday party in north Mexico that was inadvertently announced to the world over social media unexpectedly drew thousands of guests on Monday and turned out to be both happy and annoying.

That probably first came as a happy surprise to the parents, since more than a million Facebook users accepted the video invitation that quickly went viral earlier this month.

Mexico's major media outlets covered the day's events, with at least one of them even providing minute-by-minute live updates starting from mid-morning, as the birthday girl, Rubi Ibarra Garcia, was dressing up for her big day.

The sudden and unexpected online fame turned out to be both a blessing and a burden for the Ibarras.

Rubi and her family were showered with gifts and attention, mostly from complete strangers.

Her make-up was applied by none other than Alfonso Waithsman, "the make-up artist of Angelica Rivera," Mexico's first lady and a former television actress, the daily Milenio reported.

However, the thousands of self-invited guests, as well as the big number of reporters sent to cover the social media sensation, appeared to have marred the celebration.

A video posted online showed dozens of camera-toting news photographers pushing and shoving to get a better shot, leading Rubi's mother to lash out at the reporters in exasperation.

When Milenio asked the young girl for a comment, she said: "I want you to please leave me alone," according to the daily.

Chaos often reigned during festivities. The event can serve as a cautionary tale to discourage those who use social media to occasionally turn on their privacy settings.