January birthdays are miserable

[Momrage]

They are though aren't they? It's freezing, the weather is grim, everyone is skint, no-one can be arsed. Everything I've fancied doing is either closed or fully booked or unsuitable for the weather with small DC.

I'm a my birthday please either join my winge or just let me wallow. 😅

I always hated January for all these reasons. Then I decided to take a gamble and book my wedding for January so that there’s something to brighten it up.

January birthdays are miserable

... esp for those of us whose birthday is 27th - Holocaust Memorial Day.🙁

are you sure it’s so bad?
January always has lots of deals for going out and something in the theatre. My friend with January birthday never complained however the other childhood friend with summer birthday was always unhappy as people were away due to school holidays.

Mine is right at the end of the month and has always been great as everyone is fed up of dry Jan and wants to do something! It’s become a yearly event in my friendship group to end the January misery that way. So I love mine but I appreciate early or mid Jan birthdays aren’t great. I think it’s worse to be born right before, on or just after Christmas though!

What I hate most about having a January birthday is thst my sister has a December birthday and so I hear all the time what a hard time she has having a December birthday but a) everyone remembers her birthday and gives her presents b) she is always home for her birthday and so still gets a family party and cake made for her. My daughter has a December birthday between Christmas and Hogmanay and for her 18th had 4 parties in a row (she's got friends with birthdays in the same week). December birthdays are great because everyone is in a celebratory mood.

Meanwhile poor old January birthday here gets forgotten about and gets rubbish bought in the tail end of the sales or (most likely) nothing at all. For my 21st I had to go and buy my own birthday cake (Mum couldn't look up a baker in my University town apparently). And now with dry veganuary nobody wants to celebrate.

In fairness I have had some great birthday weekends away, but it's just not been in the budget for the last few years.

This year does feel extra miserable as I've woken up with hives all over my face, the house is a dump, and DH has unintentionally managed to make a really dumb weight related comment about what few gifts I actually have received, luckily I know him better than to take it to heart.

Top tip if gifting for a Jan birthday – do not wrap presents in Christmas paper!

This made me laugh- does this generally bother people? Since having a baby boy last summer I have a box full of baby boy gift bags… since then every birthday or anniversary present has been handed to the recipient in a baby boy gift bag and a lighthearted apology, usually makes people laugh!

Symapthies; mine is 31 December and the prices are whacked way up even for a meal and the pictures, plus it's just after Christmas and loads of people ahve been paid early and won't be again til end of Jan so it's misery central moneywise! Sometimes I get obviously unwanted Christmas presents as birthday presents (nobody wants bath bombs) but actually I didn't this time so I suppose that's a plus.

I'd love a January birthday...well I'd love any date for my birthday other than the 1 I'm lumbered with which is December 25th.

Aw happy birthday op. I think the hives alone give you the chance to announce that you are moving your birthday from now on, to 25th July, and that you will henceforth have 2 birthdays. On 25 Jan you will have a cup of tea and cards in bed and cake later. On 25 July you will be having friends round/a nice meal out/a weekend away and celebrating your half birthday in style . . .

Agree! Have a DC with a January birthday and organising a celebration is 😔 So many places like theme parks are closed altogether. It does allow you to coordinate their Christmas and birthday presents though 😃

Sorry January birthday lot .. it is shit. My brother is 4 Jan which was just rubbish for him, especially as he got older and everyone has just gone back to work. I think 31 Jan would be alright and my friend is 1 Jan and he just has a NYE party so that's ok, but all other Jan dates have my thoughts and prayers 🤣

Yes it’s the worst birthday month by a mile!

Yes its rubbish. Im 17th my friend is 2nd. Everyone getting over xmas. Its horrible. Nobody wants go out!

Happy birthday, OP. Agree it’s rubbish - second only to Christmas Day. As someone with an early February birthday, you have my sympathies. In February, whilst people are at least drinking again, they’re still reluctant to come out as the weather is often awful. Plus, my birthday falls close to valentines so it’s impossible to book anything or, if you do manage to, it’s overpriced and everyone thinks you’re out celebrating Valentine’s Day 🙄… (not to mention the occasional card that arrives late in a red envelope and makes me think for a moment that I’ve got a secret admirer ☺️)
Hope you are being spoiled today at least and can enjoy some delicious comfort food in the warmth!

We have a winner for the worst birth date! How dare you trump me on my miserable birthday 😅

I'm a my birthday please either join my winge or just let me wallow. 😅

Mine is in December......cue a childhood of 'this is for your birthday and Christmas'. Birthday lost in all the Christmas hoo-ha.
I'm far to old to care now but all sympathy for the January birthday people especially those doing dry January (which I'm not!).

DP has a January birthday - I spoil him rotten and we always go away - abroad if we can afford it - this year did a U.K. spa break

Never been a fan of mine. Would have but the story was 'You've just had Christmas presents, how selfish are you?'.

A card and a fingernail sized scented eraser that was only there because it had been missed when shoving the Christmas presents into a pillowcase when you're 8 years old doesn't really set the world on fire.

Agree OP - it is on my gratitude list that I don’t have a crappy birthday (mine is in the summer) and a really boring name like …… Clare or Claire or Klaer.

sorry to Clares with a Jan bd!

I love my January birthday. Just as everyone has got back to day to day life i have little extra pressies. Helps that I love winter I suppose.
There is no such thing as grim weather just grim attitudes

Noooooo

I hated this as a child! That's if you mean "happy Christmas, oh this is also your birthday gift"?

Obvs if you mean you can buy gorgeous earrings for Christmas and then the matching necklace for birthday then that's perfect.

ETA: forgot to say before @Momrage but happy birthday!

I don't mind now I guess but it used to really annoy me as a child.

Tbh I am so old now that just having a birthday is a win in a way (I am past the age when one of my parents died, hence this rather doomy thought) and any gifts are very gratefully received.

And I know how old I am for the year - I couldn’t cope with an age switch mid year

@JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn oooh yes this is a good point. I can always think I was Xx that year"

Yeah. Mine is mid-January and it’s always a bit crap.

I’ve had many years where friends have talked me into planning something while they’re still in the post-Christmas glow, and then when it actually rolls around they bail or say “I’ll come for a bit but I’m going to drive” because they really can’t be arsed. It makes me feel shite.

I just want to ignore the day completely but that’s never allowed, either.

It is even more miserable one day before Christmas! I get one present for both often as people make it joint while they accept separate birthday and Christmas gifts 🙄