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Original poster

To worry about my child being born around Xmas

167 replies

hnbnb · 05/10/2025 23:06

I am pregnant and due right in between Xmas and NYE, so a baby born between let’s say 23 Dec and 2 Jan is looking like a very real possibility. I know how due dates work, I know baby might come November or might stay in till later in Jan but… likely scenario is those dates.

for those born on Xmas Eve / Day or Boxing Day or NYE / NY Day, or perhaps if you know people well born on those dates, how bad is it? Is it an issue at all? What did you like or dislike about it as a child? Adult?

I just worry that the baby (once they’re no longer a baby, obviously) will dislike that their bday party will always be far from actual birthday, that it’ll inevitably mean less presents as people will clump bday and Xmas gifts as one, or that people are never really celebrating their birthday, more celebrating Xmas or NYE if they’re born on 25 or 31st.

OP posts:
Cathmawr · 05/10/2025 23:45

I was due and started being born on Christmas day, but didn't arrive till the 27th (sorry mum!). I won't lie, it is a bit shit. That's mostly my perception as a very outdoorsy person who would love to have a birthday celebration outside and have never managed it. But it's not a big deal and definitely not worth worrying about ❤

Rachie1973 · 05/10/2025 23:47

hnbnb · 05/10/2025 23:06

I am pregnant and due right in between Xmas and NYE, so a baby born between let’s say 23 Dec and 2 Jan is looking like a very real possibility. I know how due dates work, I know baby might come November or might stay in till later in Jan but… likely scenario is those dates.

for those born on Xmas Eve / Day or Boxing Day or NYE / NY Day, or perhaps if you know people well born on those dates, how bad is it? Is it an issue at all? What did you like or dislike about it as a child? Adult?

I just worry that the baby (once they’re no longer a baby, obviously) will dislike that their bday party will always be far from actual birthday, that it’ll inevitably mean less presents as people will clump bday and Xmas gifts as one, or that people are never really celebrating their birthday, more celebrating Xmas or NYE if they’re born on 25 or 31st.

My eldest is New Years Day.

we never got a combined present unless it was something expensive he specifically requested.

We generally took decorations down New Years Eve to switch it to birthday mode.

as soon as the Big Ben Bongs ended we sang Happy Birthday.

PrivateMusic · 05/10/2025 23:49

Honestly, it’s pretty crap. Worse as a child, not so much now I’m an adult.

Rachie1973 · 05/10/2025 23:49

Thinking about it we seem to fit a lot in that week lol.

Nephew 28th, brother and another nephew 29th, my son 1st, other brother and FIL 2nd

IlFestivaldelGelato · 05/10/2025 23:50

DC1’s birthday falls on New Year. I can’t say we’ve experienced any issues with it really. We tend to have 2 birthday ‘celebrations’ - a little party with family for their actual birthday and then one with friends the weekend after they return to school after Christmas. Needless to say, it’s my DC’s favourite time of year, as they have about a week-long celebration and it prevents that post-Christmas lull!

Friends and family have always given separate Christmas and birthday presents, although maybe as they get older DC will prefer a bigger, combined present, we’ll see. DC tends to enjoy “experience” gifts for the birthday such as a theatre tickets or a concert, otherwise it is an overwhelming amount of stuff in one go!

DC2’s birthday is in the summer so we do give a little half-birthday present to each of them, they seem happy with that.

It’s normal to worry (I know I did!) but it’s what you make of it. I don’t think there’s an ideal time of year for a birthday anyway.

clary · 05/10/2025 23:56

I have a NYE friend and a NYD one - both ok actually as there is either a party on your b/day or everyone is off work and you can all go out fir a giant hangover lunch.

January birthdays (I have one) are worse as ppl are doing dry Jan or have no money or are all done with celebrations or are on a health kick. But it is what it is.

Chr Eve is fine, lovely day; Chr day must be a pain but you have to divide into bday and Christmas maybe. Party can be on 27th tho - IME parents are glad of something to do at Twixmas. Ds1 had a mate with a Christmas Day bday and that’s what they did.

Please ask people if buying a gift to get a separate one and NOT wrap it in Christmas paper (my Jan bday pet hate).

HelenaWaiting · 05/10/2025 23:58

GarlicBreadStan · 05/10/2025 23:11

I was due on around Christmas but was born on the 15th January. My mum always held birthday parties for me in the summer. Because she explained why, I was totally okay with it (according to her, anyway).

Honestly as long as you explain to your child why you're throwing a party in the summer instead of the winter, they'll understand. But, you can always throw a party on or around their actual birthday and just have it indoors!

My brother's (born Christmas Eve) "unbirthday" was always in the middle of June.

OSTMusTisNT · 05/10/2025 23:59

I had a mid-December born, its fine but worth buying cards, wrapping paper, cake decorations, paper plates, napkins etc by September or you'll get no bday options in the shops.

We always bought outdoor things e.g first bike in late spring though as its frustrating if they get gifts and can't use them so we hung on to any Xmas money and used it a bit later in the new year.

There was confusion when DS was about 3 and insisted everyone sung Happy Bday at the Xmas dinner table 😆.

Its perfect for sale shopping though as you buy winter cots for the following year in the January sales 😉.

DublinLaLaLa · 06/10/2025 00:07

DD is a December baby. She loves it! Her parties are always Christmas themed. She encourages Christmas jumpers/attire/tinsel in hair and doesn’t give two shits about Christmas paper. Parties always well attended. No issues here.

My DSis is also a December baby. When she was a junior at work she loved it as it often fell near her work Christmas do and meant lots of free drinks all night! 😆

LEWWW · 06/10/2025 00:27

My DDs is Boxing Day and it is shit, I do my very best to keep it separate and do fun things on both days, she finds it very overwhelming, most of her family don’t even make an effort as they all have Christmas/Boxing Day plans and she ends up with loads of ‘joint’ presents or they forget about her birthday, she wants a birthday party this year but I assume nobody will bother to turn up so it’s risking nobody turning up and her getting upset or upsetting her cause she’s not having a party (not actually going to do it on her birthday). It’s very frustrating. We do tend to buy whatever she wants (within limits) throughout the year because she has to wait a whole year in between.

Ohhhthedrama · 06/10/2025 00:29

My daughter is Dec 23. Birthday parties can be tricky because by that time school has broken up and lots of people have already gone away for Christmas so we usually do it last week of November. We started a tradition on the day of her birthday we go to our nearest big city do all the Christmassy things, go-to the theatre and have a fancy dinner. We stay over in a nice hotel and it's really lovely and magical. She says she loves having a Christmas birthday.

TheFairyCaravan · 06/10/2025 00:43

DS2’s birthday is Christmas Eve. He was 3 weeks early so I wasn’t really expecting him to be born then especially as DS1 was a week late. When he was little we’d do a joint birthday party with DS1 whose birthday is December 14th. As he got older, we used to take a friend to the cinema and out for lunch on his birthday. He never minded his birthday being that close to Christmas tbh.

We now have DGS’s birthday (DS2’s son) on Boxing Day, too. He, too, was 3 weeks early. When DDIL told me her due date was 16th January i jokingly said “ooh a Christmas baby then” because DS2 had been due on the 14th January. She was adamant she wasn’t having over the Christmas period but he had other ideas. He will be 2 this year so he’s a little bit too young to have an opinion on it yet.

mathanxiety · 06/10/2025 00:50

You are seriously overthinking this.

Your child's experience of this will depend on how you handle it.

FlamingoFloss · 06/10/2025 00:52

It will be what it will be, ridiculous to worry about it

ForeverHopeful3 · 06/10/2025 00:54

So you're worrying about YOUR kid not having birthday presents if he or she is born around or on Christmas, when YOU ARE THE PARENT and will decide if YOU choose to do?? What kind of post is this OMG.

harriettenightingale · 06/10/2025 00:57

It’s pretty shite (Dec 27 here) but I wouldn’t want a pretend birthday six months later. I’d rather celebrate my birthday on the actual day, however limited.

harriettenightingale · 06/10/2025 01:01

Cathmawr · 05/10/2025 23:45

I was due and started being born on Christmas day, but didn't arrive till the 27th (sorry mum!). I won't lie, it is a bit shit. That's mostly my perception as a very outdoorsy person who would love to have a birthday celebration outside and have never managed it. But it's not a big deal and definitely not worth worrying about ❤

My birthday twin ❤️

FunnyOrca · 06/10/2025 01:04

I have two adult friends who do a 1/2 birthday party together every year. It’s always a great party, right at the end of June in the sunshine.

They both tend to go away after Christmas (born 27th and 1st) and enjoy a holiday for their actual birthday with family. I didn’t know them as children but would say they both make the most of it now!

As a child, a friend was 31st Dec and her party was the pantomime matinee every year. I think the parents must have loved it as we were all out of the house for the afternoon. Her parents just had to sit with us in the dark theatre, where children are allowed to be a bit raucous anyway. At the interval and the end, the theatre had a room we would go to for juice, biscuits and party games. It was fab.

Bones101 · 06/10/2025 01:05

..... you're over reacting. Just hope baby is healthy and safe ??

Sugargliderwombat · 06/10/2025 01:08

hnbnb · 05/10/2025 23:34

@hopsalongim a little confused / concerned, what do you mean about them having a higher chance of dying on their day of birth than any other day? Because they’re born around Xmas? Because deaths generally spike around Xmas? Surely they’d have an equally high chance of death around Xmas if they’re summer born, or no?

That womans 'advice' was utterly bizarre.

harriettenightingale · 06/10/2025 01:14

I thought she meant that all people’s highest single risk date for death is the day they are born because of death in childbirth, still births etc. She was then speculating about the skeleton staff over Christmas to assume it might push up that risk.

CrocsNotDocs · 06/10/2025 01:17

DD is a Christmas Day baby and she loves it. All family is there every year for her birthday, the adults are off work and we make sure to carve out birthday time. Birthday presents are wrapped in birthday paper and she gets a proper birthday cake, not Christmas desserts.

A Christmas Day birthday is actually significantly better than the days leading into Christmas or between Christmas and New Year’s Day when people are either travelling, madly preparing or sleeping off the celebrations.

OneRealRosePlayer · 06/10/2025 01:23

Im 12th December. We always had a big party in December for my birthday and santa came. It was awesome. Just set up your own tradition.

Downside was the relatives who gave joint presents for birthday and Christmas but it was a very small present. Also having to wait all year for anything i wanted

kippersmum · 06/10/2025 01:35

I have a very nearly Christmas birthday and I've got to be honest it's shit. Luckily I married someone who has a birthday just before payday in January. He thought that was awful before he met me. We now celebrate our birthdays together in January xx

changethenameagainandagain · 06/10/2025 02:00

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