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. 😅

Mine is the 9th and I’m not keen! For all the reasons you said OP, everyone is skint, dieting, doing dry Jan, not up for celebrating so soon after Christmas and new year. I work in a school and it’s pretty much always during the first week back too when everyone is struggling!

If people want to give me gifts though I always suggest cash and get myself something lovely in the sales. And I try to plan a few smaller get together with friends and family through the month (rather than a big birthday bash) which gives some things to look forward to.

DH and DS both have summer birthdays and I envy them!

It’s my birthday today too, happy birthday to you op.
I completely get what you’re saying but you just have to make the most of it. I went out last night with my parents, best friends and partner and had the best time

My DDs was last week, I actually think it’s nice as it brightens January up with something to plan for, then after her birthday it’s just another week to get through until payday!

Good luck with getting people along! Mine's early Jan and oh the list of excuses - diets, detoxes, dry Januaries, skint, partied out...

It's fine to acknowledge that it's a bit rubbish and people tend to be hibernating/on a post-Christmas overload. For people with school aged kids, the weekend away often isn't doable and no amount of cheap flights will change that, your mates want to save up their holiday budget for warmer times, can't go as a family.

OP I've made a decision the last few years that I will just celebrate my birthday however I please and in a way that relies on no one else. I take the day off and do things or go places that I wouldn't otherwise manage to do, and I refuse to make plans with anyone outside my immediate family because of all the times I've been let down in the past. I actually quite enjoy it now but having lived half my life with the same birthday as a summer birthday, there is no denying that summer birthdays are just generally easier to celebrate!

Mine is the week before Christmas. I haven't celebrated it in years with anything other than a takeaway. Restaurants ramp up their prices in the run-up to Christmas and I refuse to pay the extra for an inferior meal.

Jan birthday person here. Yeah, I'm with you OP. Amount of times I had an IOU as a kid so just got used to not making a big deal out of it. Maybe we should be like royalty and have an actual and official birthday?

Aw come on - try having a birthday on Christmas day. You don't even have one because it's Christmas, everyone is a bit miserly with pressies because they're also forking out for Christmas. As a child I never had a party or a birthday cake. Over the years I have often had the 2in 1 present, happy birthday added to Christmas cards (even from my own brother!!) and obviously birthday presents wrapped in Christmas paper.

It’s my son’s birthday in the first week of Jan. it’s a pain in the butt but we always throw him a nice birthday party to lift the gloominess of January. Family always come along and kids from his class. Think people are just happy to have something to do! We make it fun for the adults as well by providing copious amounts of wine, beer and pizza!

Birthdays are what you make them!
The cost is the same, it’s just a case of budgeting appropriately - plus there’s the post Christmas bargains to be had.
And everyone who knows you has had enough time to be aware of the date… plus it’s not exactly your fault!

(Speaking as one of a family with 2 January birthdays.)

January birthday last week here. I really hate having a January birthday, it’s always so dark, cold and miserable.

I’m a late January birthday and I actually don’t mind it. It gives me something nice to look forward to that month. It’s usually low key but that’s how I’d like it. Also usually lots of sales and stuff throughout January means my husband can buy me more haha

I think I’d unofficially change the date and announce that your birthday will now be on xxxxx date for the purpose of gifts and celebrations.

Mine was on Blue Monday this year. It’s a bit shit as everyone forgets and all there is in the shops is the fag end of the sales. When I was younger it was fun as everyone wanted sn excuse for a party in January. I usually book a night away because hotels in mid Jan are usually the cheapest they ever get which is a plus.

only thing worse than a January birthday is a February one.

Plus nobody gives us presents on their birthday, but woe betide if we don't give them some on ours.

My brothers seemed to do alright out of them. People have been paid, it's a short month until the next pay day, the first signs of Spring are in the air, a bit of sunshine, birdsong, snowdrops, grape hyacinths, tom thumb irises, the occasional bit of snow glistening in that sunshine - sounds good to me.

Sorry for those with Christmas Day birthdays. I do see that it is a bit crap – but at least ppl may be up for an outing a few days before. I went to a big birthday party on 20 Dec last year. Whereas it's a real struggle to get people to come out for a drink in early Jan.

You share a birthday with me too 🙂
It is always so soon after Christmas and everyone is skint and doing dry January, but my wonderful husband always makes sure I have a wonderful day.

I love January , it’s like the calm after the storm! We have a few family and friends birthdays in jan, so usually something on every weekend which is nice. But also I like being able to feel like a hermit and have lots of chill time, and reset for the year ahead. If I had a January birthday myself I’d probably try to book a nice spa weekend or a week away in the sun!! The only thing that would get me down is the rain but as long as there’s a few sunny days in between I feel pleased. I love summer but often wonder if the pressure to do lots makes me enjoy winter months more !

Aw congrats @Bookworm46 ! I'm glad to hear that. I do get a bit of fuss made of me,but I always feel guilty as everyone is broke and the weather is usually Baltic. We also share our birthday with Shirley Bassey!Oh,and Stephen Hawking. And unfortunately Kim Wrong 'Un of Korea..😅

My birthday this last week and to be fair it was fine. I've always taken the week off when it's my birthday and plan lots of meet-ups with friends that I can't do when I'm working. My best friend and I went for a mooch round the shops on my birthday but it was bloody miserable ducking round the shops in the rain, but on the bright side, day out with my bestie.
My mother said to my sister years ago that it is a pain in the arse me having a January birthday-uh hello!!!! Who's fault it that?

Ditto!😄
Most of the time these days she asks for a voucher for something,but I have to get organised with a decent card well before December because the choice of birthday cards in the shops just after Christmas is dire.

Happy birthday. It's my husband's birthday too and he hates it, especially as we celebrated on Thursday as he's working today

We usually go away for a long weekend around DH's birthday (15th Jan) with friends, one of those has a Jan 16th birthday so its something to look forward to in January, we book it and pay for it months in advance.

I don’t agree, My birthday and DD2’s are 4 days apart in January. We both quietly enjoy our days. We have a Chinese one day, and a favourite meal for the other.

We’re not interested in going out and the weather doesn’t bother us. We stay in, nice and cosy together, with our cat, we do give each other gifts, as does DD1, who doesn’t live with us now, not bothered by anyone else.

It’s just our way and we wouldn’t change it for anything!