Fidel Castro 85th Birthday: Facts About The Former Cuban Leader (PHOTOS)

PHOTOS: Fidel Castro Turns 85

Cuba is reportedly set to mark the 85th birthday of Fidel Castro with a spectacular fete called La Serenata de la Fidelidad, or "Serenade to Fidelity," but whether or not the former leader -- who has been seen less and less in public in recent years -- himself will attend the celebrations remains to be seen.

Cuba's enigmatic leader was the world's third longest-serving head of state by the time he announced his retirement in 2008, but illness forced him to hand over control of his country to brother Raul Castro in July 2006. Still, as the Associated Press reported earlier this year, the Communist Party website continues to list him as first secretary. These days, he continues to speak out via his blog, "Fidel's Reflections."

Some locals will ring in Castro's birthday in less traditional ways, though: a Havana-based transgender woman and a gay man reportedly announced plans to wed on Saturday, calling their nuptials "a gift" for the former leader.

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