Being born in December can stink for a lot of reasons – especially for children. For one thing, the closer the birthday falls near Christmas, the more the birthday is overshadowed by the holidays. Many kids who have December birthdays don’t really get birthday presents and Christmas presents, but get a combination of both all bundled up in one gift that is normally wrapped in holiday paper. The poor kids who have December birthdays also get cheated because it’s hard to plan parties with all the festivities that people have planned. And, the people that can show up – won’t, because they are too worried about having enough money to buy holiday presents for their family not to mention a random birthday gift for a friend.
Even worse, is that many people simple forget or overlook the birthday. Even though the entire family may be gathered together for a celebration – the focus is not just on the birthday boy or girl, but the entire family. And, so many December born babes end up with birthday cakes that are holiday themed, and have to celebrate at venues adorned with mistle toe and garland rather than balloons and streamers.
Making December birthdays special is not an easy thing to do. Even parents are guilty of allowing the holidays to overshadow the birthdays. But there are a few things that you can do to ensure your December born child is celebrated exactly as much as they deserve!
- Depending on when the December birthday is, try to make a tradition of not putting up any holiday decorations until it’s over. Obviously, if your child’s date of birth is the week of Christmas – this is impossible. But for those that have early December birthdays )or late ones), wait on decorating the house and trimming the tree until the birthday is over – or take it all down before the birthday so you an concentrate on just one holiday.
- Plan birthday parties early or late. If your child is born during December, it can be hard to get their friends together to celebrate. But there is nothing wrong with celebrating the birthday in November, or even waiting until January to host a party. This way the focus will be on the birthday and the child can enjoy a party that is birthday themed rather than holiday themed.
- No matter what – do not bake or order holiday cakes and cupcakes to be used as the birthday feast. Your child deserves a full-fledged, colorful, character adorned birthday cake with all the decorations. Having a cake with a Christmas tree or picture of Santa that says, “Happy Birthday Sara,” is not a good idea despite the fact that it may be a little cheaper. Because of the holidays, you will likely have to order these far in advance because most bakeries are so ultra focused on pumping out holiday-baked goods. And whatever you do, don’t forget the candles.
- Don’t combine a birthday present with a Christmas present. You don’t do this for your child born in July, so you shouldn’t do it with your child born in December. (It’s not their fault they have a December birthday!)
- Speaking of July, think about doing a half-year birthday party. Another reason that December birthdays can be terrible is because the weather is so awful that all the fun venues and attractions for hosting parties are closed. There is nothing wrong with having a summer birthday party in June or July for your kids. You could even come up with some creative banners and festivities to celebrate the half-year mark. This way, your child gets to see what its like to have a birthday celebration that is separate from the holiday celebrations.
- Don’t be afraid to give money for the birthday present. Most kids born around the holidays end up with a lot of gifts at once. If your child is older, then it might be a good idea to give them a fist full of cash and then let them go on a shopping spree after the holidays so they can get what they really want.
- Don’t buy just winter gifts! Again, people get tons of slippers and scarves and sweaters and snow boards during the holidays. But there is nothing wrong with buying your child a spring or summer related gift for their birthday. This way, when the weather turns, they will be able to remember their birthday gift and get to celebrate it in a whole new way.
Of course, not everything about having a birthday during the holiday season is a bad thing. If you were born between Thanksgiving and New Years, chances are you will see more family members during those few weeks than most people will see the entire year. While your grandparents may send a check for their grandchild with a May birthday (or nothing at all), there really is no excuse for not bringing a birthday gift during a face-to-face visit. Plus, all those distant cousins and relatives that only come around once a year will likely be bearing two gifts. One for the holidays and one for Christmas.
In the end, you are born when you are born. Nobody can choose their own birthday. If your child was born during December, then while the holiday birthday season may be a little more stressful and financially straining – the truth is it gives you even more reasons to celebrate the season. And think of it this way, at least you get all the spending and gift giving over in one month.
