Like several of the others, our Christmas decorations have to work around birthdays. They go up well after my BIL’s Dec. 6th birthday, and come down before my son’s Jan. 10th birthday.
The other thing we did for my son - we make his actual birthday evening a special evening for him - take him out to his favorite restaurant (Chuck E Cheese when he was small, Chili’s these days), and spend it with the family; then, he gets to do something special with friends of his choosing on a weekend after his birthday. This puts it out from Christmas a bit more, and makes it notably different from Christmas (which is traditionally just family).
That last one was a great idea about the friend weekend thing! I love that for when she gets a bit older.
Part of the reason I ended up posting this question was because both grandparents neglected to get her birthday presents to her in time for her birthday. Also, last year, husband’s mom gave her 6 books–NOT the gift that I’d have chosen for a 3 year old. The unfairness between the older daughter’s birthday in June and the younger daughter’s birthday in January just seems way too blatant to ignore. Both grandparents have gotten phone calls indicating concern–NOT that I want her to be “thing” oriented, but if they can do it for the 6 year old, they should certainly be able to do it for the 4 year old!
My bday especially sucks because throughout my school years, no matter what day of the week it happened to fall on (excluding weekends) it always ended up being on the last day of school before winter break. Back in high school, on the last day of classes before break, everyone would bring gifts and flowers for their friends, so the fact that it was my actual B-day just kinda blended in. In college, there was always finals on my b-day. Now, our office Christmas party always falls on my b-day. Just can’t win.
I’m also a victim of the “joint present.” I always felt that it was increadibly tacky, not to mention cheap as hell. My dad used to always do that. My friends this year all gave me b-day gifts which was thoughtful, but I think they felt like that “excused” them from getting me anything for Xmas, since I didn’t recieve a single gift from friends.
Upon viewing, that seems really materialisic. I don’t careif I get gifts from my friends or not, it’s just the fact that it’s because of the timing of my b-day that irritates me. I didn’t ask to be born when I did.
I was just touched that people remembered my b-day this year at all. They usually always forget b/c they’re so caught up with the holidays. I’ve had a birthday cake on Christmas more times than I’d like to remember. From the same people who didn’t even bother to call on my actual birthday. They could never understand why I was always less than thrilled to see that cake.
My mom always was and still is great about trying to keep the two seperate. She always hangs the birthday banner up before I come over (I always have dinner with her on my b-day) and refuses to put up my stocking until the day after. Gotta love a mom who cares.
On the upside, having your b-day a week before Christmas makes for some great re-gifting opprotunities.
I knew a woman whose son was born on December 25th.
She just decided that they would always celebrate his half-birthday on the last Saturday in June. Big party with an extra “1/2” candle on the cake, birthday cards all had an extra “1/2” penciled in after the age etc. It was fun and funny and the kid loved getting gifts at the beginning of summer (bikes, basketballs, etc) that he could use all summer.
I don’t remember exactly, but I think she said she always gave him a little birthday cake on December 25th, but that was it.
December 16th birthday here. Lot’s of great answers, and I’ll give a big “me too” for the wrap presents in birthday themed paper and birthday cakes without Christmas Trees or Santas.
There can be a positive side to having a winter birthday, though. Activities for birthday parties can be a lot of fun. I’ve been ice-skating (instead of the usual roller-skating) at a Christmastime birthday party. One of my best friends growing up had a December 31st birthday and her family made a tradition out of having a birthday party for her and afterward tons of people would go tobogganing. It was something a lot of us looked forward to as much as Christmas. Starting your own tradition might not be a bad way to go.
My BD is 12/23 and my wife’s is 12/24.
Combined birthday and Christmas presents suck major ass. I always felt gyped by people that did that. The money amount doesn’t matter, it is the present count that is important to a kid.
I don’t think that the type of paper is that important (it wasn’t to me) by the lack of a seperate present was.
My mother talked about the 1/2 birthday thing, but we never did it. From DMark’s post it looks like it could be fun.
My suggestion would be, if you choose to stay with the Jan birthday, make an extra effort to make sure kids attend the party. Have you ever tried to get a party together 2 days before Christmas?
From DMark’s post it looks like it could be fun.