Welcome Wednesday: Birthdays Near Holidays - Good or Bad?

[#1]

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Today is the official start of my Christmas holidays! I'm also celebrating my daughter’s second birthday! My wife and I are making a conscious effort to make sure that she will always have a birthday party that is celebrated separately from Christmas celebrations.

My question this week is mainly for those of you who have a birthday that falls on or around a holiday. Is it a good or bad thing for you? My dad was born the day after New Year’s so I can understand the difficulty in trying to buy both a Christmas and Birthday gift for someone who's celebrations are so close to the holiday.

But, how does it feel to be on the receiving end of this? Do you feel like you don't really get as much of a special day? Or do you feel like you get a bigger birthday celebration because of it.

Let me know in the comments below.

Have a great rest of the week!

[Barbara Szczesniak]

Well, my birthday is on Christmas, so I guess I'm the demographic you're shooting for.

In my life, I've had 1 birthday party with friends—a week before Christmas the year I turned 7. 

My family always tried to make a little separation in our celebrations. At my grandma's, we did Christmas presents, dinner, clean up (yes, my oldest cousin made me help clean), then birthday cake and birthday presents. We still follow a similar schedule, but they won't let me help clean up.

When I was a kid, I always wanted to get presents some other time of the year. And I can't tell you how many times a boyfriend asked, "Do I need to get you a birthday present and a Christmas present?" 

As an adult, though, I have been happier with the date of my birthday. I am always with my family on my birthday. Even when I lived in other countries, I always came home for Christmas. If my birthday was on another day, I would have been by myself.

[Amanda Barber]

I'm the opposite of the target demographic, haha. My birthday is in the middle of June. It was always nice having gifts twice a year, almost perfectly evenly split. 

Now, as an adult, I'm grateful for a summer birthday because it's my preferred season, but I can see @Barbara Szczesniak point about knowing you'll be with family around the holiday to celebrate!

[Craig Nodwell]

I'm in the target demographic.  My birthday was just this past Sunday.  Much like @Barbara Szczesniak I had one yes 1 birthday party as a child, unlike my siblings who had one every year.  Coming from a large family I without a doubt felt this.  As an adult raising children the focus was on them.  As an empty nester we try to plan the family get together with all the kids and grandkids as close to my birthday as the calendar will allow.

I've found my own remedy to bring joy.
This is all me, no wigs no fake beard.

[Nimrod Nyongesa]

Happy birthday

[tsmith]

My birthday is 4 days out from US Independence day. My sister's is 4 days out from Christmas. I think I only had one birthday party as a kid and I don't remember her having any. I think it was more about our parents being extremely introverted vs overshadowing by the holidays!

My Christmas sister is pretty laid back and has never expressed frustration about her proximity to the holiday. But the family is cognizant of making sure she has a separate birthday cake and separate presents, so she has always seen the effort we make to distinguish her birthday.  

My birthday isn't near a gift-giving holiday so I don't have that issue. I enjoy the leftover barbecue as a birthday snack. :)

[Summer Hogan]

Happy Birthday to everyone who has birthday's around this time! My late husband's birthday is on Dec 23rd and so is my nieces. My husband always hated having his birthday around Christmas because he got combined gifts. Starting at the first birthday I was with him for and everyone after that up to he died, I always made a big deal of his birthday and never combined it with Christmas! My sister does the same thing for my niece.