To expect parents not to have child’s birthday party on Xmas Eve

[I88l]

One of my daughter’s school friends has a birthday party on Xmas Eve.
i think the idea of inviting school kids to a birthday party on Xmas eve is pretty odd, because Xmas Eve should be spent with family.

I have a Christmas day birthday, never got to have b/day parties, but if I'd had one on Xmas eve it would've been a birthday to remember!!

So I would most definitely send my child for a couple of hours as I know how much it'd mean to the birthday child.

And gives me time to shop / wrap etc!! Win-win to me.

(And if its little kids & you have to stay then I'd plan around it & take the hit on my time).

As a Christmas Eve birthday myself I recommend tickets for something the following year as a good gift. It gives them something to look forward to and by the time you add lunch/dinner/overnight stay if required then it becomes a special day in its own right

Would the OP be any happier if the child's birthday was 25 Dec and wanted a party ON their birthday, or would that also be "unacceptable to them"?

Maybe 24 Dec is the only date close to the child's birthday that a party is possible for the family.

Whatva horrible post. Calling the poor child's parents stupid and hard of thinking. Then you have the cheek to say be nice. Maybe practice what you preach. What you have written about the parents is just nasty.

As a lifelong December birthday sufferer! I feel sorry for the child. For the rest of their life people will be too busy / too financially stretched to fully embrace their birthday!

I have often considered having a June official birthday like the monarch!

as a Xmas even baby it’s really unfair to the child. I’m 39 this year and have never ever managed to have a party. Even when tried to have a few days earlier, people don’t want to come at Xmas. Sadly the child doesn’t decide when they’re born. Would it really affect your life if your child is at a party for 2 hours?

@Vikkiwikkiwoos my mum was born on Christmas Day too , she said only recently aged 89 that she had never had a birthday party and was sad about it even now. We have always made a fuss of her on Christmas Day and we do her birthday before the Christmas stuff starts but it obviously stays with you.

My mum's a NYE baby. She's in her 90s now and has always been sad that at Christmas as a child she'd get one present from aunts and uncles etc. who'd tell her it was for her birthday as well. She hated it. I don't think it helped that her cousin was born mid January but didn't miss out because by then Christmas was well over.

I've always tried to make a big thing of her birthday, but it's difficult because on NYE places are geared up for that not a birthday afternoon tea (something she'd love). Which a lot of nice hotels do most days of the year.

We did try having a half birthday and one year she went up in a hot air balloon, but she just wanted to have a nice birthday on her birthday really, as anyone would.

@EggNoggin bless her! That's so tough and I'm also guessing 90 years ago when she was a child, money was possibly tight and few toys about.

It bazaar that some people still have the same logic. I can see the point if it's genuinely something much more pricy than 2 individual gifts but really it's unfair.

Yeh I wouldn't do it.... I'd be worried no one would turn up!

Yeah DS birthday is a week after xmas but one family member always showed up with a few gifts wrapped in xmas paper then announce 'I guess one can be a birthday present too, just save it for a few days'. We never knew what was what so often it would be a selection box with santa on or something.

Only that one person has ever done stuff like that though.

My birthday is beginning of December and I remember these times quite well.

Also, always the same relative.

Back in the days of sheets of birthday paper I could understand people running out of birthday paper and improvising with Christmas paper but we live in times with rolls of birthday paper. Who doesn't have a stock of birthday paper?

”because Christmas Eve should be spent with family”…in your opinion. What if the kids birthday is Christmas Eve? Do they miss out every year?

The only childhood parties I remember going to (I went to a lot) was a lad in primary school who had a Christmas Eve birthday. The parties were great fun and Santa always made an appearance. Thinking about it my Mum must have loved it too as she got a bit of respite.

I think maybe DM made more effort to get me to the party (she doesn't drive) because she also has a Christmas birthday, albeit on Boxing Day and never had any celebration until she married my Dad. Whatever the reason, there is nothing wrong with having a birthday party at any time during the Christmas season. For everyone luxuriating in 'family time' on Christmas Eve many people will be working, some may not a family with which to spend time and some may simply not celebrate it at all.

It’s up to them of course but I’d fully expect most people not to turn up. Unless you don’t culturally observe Christmas Eve, it is usually a day spent together as a family.

I'd quite like that if it was in the morning (wether i have to stay or get to just drop off)
It would be a good way to tire them out and take their mind off waiting for the followinf day. Gives lots of time to be together for the rest of the day too.

My birthday is the 23rd. And what a non event it always is! Everyone is too busy doing Christmassy things to bother with it. Even my parents post my card, and I'll get my "joint" present on Christmas Day. My Daughters birthday is around Easter. One year it was Easter day and she she wanted a party. I thought no-one would be bothered. Well every child in the class showed up, it was a roaring success. Not every family does "family things" you don't have to go if you don't want.

It sounds good to me. Get the child out of the house for a couple of hours to do some calm Christmas Day prep.

As someone whose birthday is Christmas Eve, I can tell you it is the second worst birthday after Christmas Day.
Didn’t have a birthday party until my 18th because Christmas was always a priority.
Imagine that was your child and their birthday always came second, wouldn’t you try to make it special as best as you could?
You can always decline the invitation, but personally if it were me, I’d give up 2 hours of my day to make a child happy. I’m sure your child will enjoy themselves too.

I'd love to have my kids out of the house for a few hours on Christmas Eve - We will happily accept the invitation in your place 😀
My birthday is in the middle of the summer; my parents always struggled to give me the party I requested due to my friends being on holiday or not being sure where people lived to post invitations. It's a sad world if an adult doesn't agree a child should be allowed a party on their birthday just because it's Christmas time.

Don’t go if you if do not want to 🤷🏻‍♀️ upto them when they have a party! It will go one of 2 ways- be really popular or hardly anyone will go due to other arrangements. Personally I’d be too busy/stressed to throw a party then but would happily take my child to one

Thanks for working those days. It's not usually fun and whatever you are doing is important or you wouldn't have to work then. I send appreciation to you and all others giving up their 'family time'.

Is the only point of a birthday party to be something kids talk about in school? Very sad attitude.

Yep, some dead guy gets all the birthday presents instead!