to tell you why having a December birthday is shit (lighthearted)

[cjt110]

My birthday is on the 22nd of December. This year I will have suffered 31 of the blasted seasonal things.

Its rubbish because:

This year it's on a Friday. People will, as they usually are, be finishing ogg their last minute Christmas bits/going on Christmas do's etc and so won't be available for a get together.

Even if they were, the places will be packed as it will be "Mad Friday"

Because I want to buy all sorts of stuff, as I do every year, but can't incase they get bought for me for Christmas/Birthday. This time of year I usually end up wanting to buy duvet sets. pjs etc for myself but have to hold off til after Christmas to get hem incase someone has got me some for Christmas.

As they're so close together, I never know what to say when people ask for gift ideas.

....Add in your suggestions to counter to above, or reasons why your December birthday is rubbish.

Mines that same day as yours. It’s shit.

I have a friend who a few years ago decided December was far too expensive to get me two presents any more, so told me on my birthday that she was just getting me a joint Christmas/birthday present in future. Only her brainwave was that as is was to cover two events, I wasn't getting it on my birthday, or on Christmas Day, but on the 17th, midway between the two dates! She's lucky I love her and laugh about it!

Also recall my mum taking a brand new birthday present off me when I was about 7, to frantically wrap in the kitchen and hand to another little girl who had unexpectedly turned up on the doorstep with a Christmas gift for me. She promised me a replacement the very next day, which of course was forgotten in the Christmas whirlwind, and never happened. It was a doll I had really, really wanted, and come Christmas day, when I unwrapped the huge box from the girl, and removed all the tissue paper, all she'd given me was a pen. A fucking biro.

I never, ever let my mum forget it. I got about 30 years' mileage out of it whenever we had an argument though; it was a fantastic trump card!

People that think it's acceptable to write "Oh & happy birthday for 7th Bernard's" on the bottom of Christmas cards (whether they come before or after the 7th). Tight wad, if you don't want to buy me a card fine but don't put that on the bottom as an afterthought

My DDs is 29th Dec. I know it’s not ideal, but think there are some good points:

-she will always have her birthday off from school, then hopefully be able to take it off from work by just taking a couple of days annual leave between Xmas and New Year like many people do.
-people are still in a good mood as New Years Eve is yet to come, prolonging the festivities.
-when she is older she will be able to spend her birthday money on sale stuff if she wants, getting better value.
-maybe it’s just the circles we move in, but most people we know don’t go away for Christmas. We’ve arranged a party this year on the 30th for her and invited all the girls in her class, expecting that not many will be able to attend. Amazingly all but 3 have accepted. Perhaps organising parties/meals out mega early is the key?

I do tend to think that January is worse as New Year has been and gone so everyone is broke, blue and dieting and back at work.

DS was born 7th December, he'll be 6yo this year.
Apart from separate presents on the days with appropriate wrapping paper, what could help him as he gets older?
I know the date isn't as awkward as some of yours -21stDecember-1st Feb all sound like they suck!
He has already asked for the tree to go up soon (NO chance in November, laddy!). It usually goes up av day or two aftet...

elQuintoConyo just tell him he has the best birth date? No honestly it's not that bad as long as you do keep things seperate. The thing that used to bother me as a child was I didn't get anything to unwrap for 11 months of the year then 2 lots within the space of just under 3 weeks. I should count myself lucky really as I was due Christmas day.

Jpaula inappropriate posts --> that way.

Thanks Bernards . we are in Spain and thev6th and 8th of December are both holidays. Companies and schools often take an extra day off as a 'bridge' day. This year that means 6/7/8 are all holidays! He'll have a 5-day weekend.

I have already been told on a Christmas thread that i was cruel for buying him a bike 2 weeks ago (cos his broke) and telling him itvwas an early birthday present. But we can't afford €50 (it was a 2nd hand bargainous bargain - fab untouched bike with gears!), €50 birthday present then €100 or whatever for Christmas!

We are lucky with the weather and his birthday will be in a big park on a Sunday morning with all his mates on bikes/scooters

eitak22 Oh god yes, your birthday presents being wrapped in Christmas paper is so rubbish.

My DD's birthday is 19th December. Yes, it's an annoying time of year to have a birthday because you have to book stuff 6 months in advance, but OTOH, people are usually up for a party and DD hasn't had any more than 1 or 2 refusals in 15 years.

My SIL and nephew, however, have summer holiday birthdays. Nobody was ever around for parties and a fair few of those were ruined by the weather despite it being 'hot July'. At least in the winter you know the weather's going to be crap and you can plan accordingly.

28th of December here. You couldn’t have said it better, OP! 😂

I'm a Christmas day baby... always celebrated on 24th as a child and this is something my dp has continued now we have our own children. It's only a couple of hours in the morning and then we start Christmassy things, ginger bread house ECT
It doesn't bother me anymore although I do wonder what an actual normal birthday feels like sometimes.

Surely the worst thing about December birthdays is the dreaded 'birthday and Christmas joint gift!'

I have several friends with children born in December, and their brothers and sisters (the kids uncles and aunts,) often buy 'joint gifts!' So rude.

Like what if one of my friends said to them 'I haven't got your son a gift for his birthday, as I am getting him a joint birthday/Christmas one in December...'

'But his birthday is in August.'

'SO.......?'

I mean, no-one would buy a joint gift for birthday and Christmas if the birthday was in summer, so why do it JUST because the birthday is in December?!

I also know several people whose birthdays are January 2nd to January 12th, and they often get forgotten; especially the January 2nd one. (It's my cousin's daughter actually....) Very sad.

I also know several people whose birthdays are January 2nd to January 12th, and they often get forgotten; especially the January 2nd one. (It's my cousin's daughter actually....) Very sad.

January birthdays are really, really shit! 😡

Mine's towards the end of January and it's rubbish.

Skint after Christmas, most people buy a prezzie in the January sales, if they have the money. They tend not to though and by the end of the month, the financial pips are squeaking.

This has made me realise that a November birthday (shitty weather) isn't so bad after all

I love my early Dec birthday. In my mind, its all part of the same excitement, just a wonderful time of year. My mum always went to great lengths to not start Christmas until after my birthday though, so no decs or anything until week after when birthday cards have come down and we stick to that too now.

My DD is January too, but the second half. Fond memories of being on mat leave over Christmas and when everyone else went back to work, I had a couple of bonus weeks of sitting on my bum eating Christmas chocolates and no need to worry about dieting!

My DD's birthday is 23 Dec. She's coming up for 9 now and even trying to arrange a little party at home becomes a complete mission because of the time of year.

We put the Christmas tree up on 24 Dec so there is separation between her birthday day and festive stuff. I also pounce on any presents given by others wrapped in Xmas paper for her birthday and re-wrap.

My DS birthday is Xmas day! He was supposed to be born on the 8th January. I do think he will hate it when he is older but I was pleased it wasn't January as i have friends and a nephew who have birthdays at the beginning of January and they are forgotten about.
We did say we could always celebrate his birthday a bit earlier but he wouldn't get his birthday presents from us until his actual birthday, and he could just open presents from friends.

20/12 here. Joint presents aargh "its for Xmas and your birthday", ok then, I'll remember that in July for yours.

Christmas cards with ps Happy Birthday on the bottom. I wouldn't care if you bought me the cheapest card going I just want separate ones!

It's my dd's birthday on the 22nd too. She loves it. She's really existed to be college this year on her birthday. I think in her entire life she's spent 2 half days in school on her birthday. Because it's just before Christmas everyone is still buzzed and exited and in the party mood when her birthday arrives.
Dd2 on the other hand her birthday is the 27th. Although she loves her birthday where it is it's always a bit of an anti climax when her birthday arrives. We're all a bit shattered tbh. Hardly nobody comes to her parties because many go off to extended family just after Christmas so many of her friends just arn't around on her birthday.
As I said though she loves it, she loves she's never in school on her birthday.
She loves that after Christmas she can go out and buy everything she didn't get for Christmas with her birthday money. Maybe she might feel different when she gets older but imo dd1 has the advantage with hers being just before.
Me on the other hand I'm exhausted betime new year comes. It's also my dp's on the 17th and my bloody dogs on the 20th!
I also work in retail too so it's not like I get any spare time to organise anything

Another good thing I've found about Xmas birthdays is they're never forgotten and also people include them into there Xmas budgets. I've been asked a few times of people if they would like 2 small presents or 1 big one. I'm not too fussy about it nowadays I was when dd1 was small. The people who do usually buy one big present genuinely do buy something that otherwise would deem too expensive for one gift. Ie if aunt Jane usually spends £20 on gifts she will spend £40 if it's one for both so sometimes it works out better.

I wonder if anyone has done research on the impact of 'afterthought birthdays' on the psyche. It is one of the things you cant change about yourself - when your birthday is.

Not the impact of one ruined birthday but the year in, year out relentlessness of having an 'afterthought birthday'.

I’m gutted. My son was due in Feb but he came in December. Literally just days before Christmas. We’ve got all this to come!

I have a December birthday. It sucks for all the reasons already mentioned! I have two children, both born in the spring. I carefully calculated this, because I didn’t want either of them to go through the same! (Okay, it’s very minor in the grand scheme of things, but I was fortunate in being able to plan their arrivals to an extent).