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Christmas

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Original poster

Christmas Birthdays

18 replies

Ekkwhine · 15/06/2015 01:16

DD arrived dramatically on December 20th and I'm wondering how I can keep her birthday separate from Christmas. I was thinking about not putting the decorations up until after her birthday, but I always put them up on December 1st and the 21st seems WAY too late, I'm lucky to last until December to be honest! I just don't want her birthday to be swallowed up in the buzz of Christmas. Is it possible to keep the two completely seperate? The rest of us are summer/early autumn birthdays and I already think it's hard luck to have the two occasions close together, at least with a June birthday you have the excitement of Christmas then six months later your birthday!
Obviously she won't even notice for a few years anyway, but I figured if we were going to implement new traditions then we'd May as well start as we mean to go on.
So, any Christmas-ers, do I just ban Christmas for the day, or is there anything else that you'd do, such as not finishing the decorating or anything?

OP posts:

whitecandles · 15/06/2015 01:20

My birthday is 21st December and it never bothered me that Christmas was the same time. My mum just made sure I always had a seperate celebration. In fact, it was quite nice to have all the decarations and stuff up for my birthday.

I wouldn't overthink it.

Original poster

Ekkwhine · 15/06/2015 01:47

Thanks WhiteCandles, that's probably just what I needed to hear! Did you find that less people came to birthday parties or anything as they had Christmas plans?

I agree, I'm way overthinking this lol

OP posts:

Original poster

Ekkwhine · 15/06/2015 01:48

Thanks WhiteCandles, that's probably just what I needed to hear! Did you find that less people came to birthday parties or anything as they had Christmas plans?

I agree, I'm way overthinking this lol

OP posts:

Original poster

Ekkwhine · 15/06/2015 01:49

Thanks WhiteCandles, that's probably just what I needed to hear! Did you find that less people came to birthday parties or anything as they had Christmas plans?

I agree, I'm way overthinking this lol

OP posts:

fattymcfatfat · 15/06/2015 02:26

my DD was born a week before Christmas and I managed to keep her first birthday separate, just because I only had family round! my little brother was born on the 17th and my older brother on the 21st so we are used to birthdays so close to Christmas. but as my brother's got older more and more people became tight twats and got them a "joint birthday-Christmas present"

MooseBeTimeForSummer · 15/06/2015 02:28

My son was due on the 19th but didn't arrive until the 27th. Because it's so cold here in this bit of Canada and because lots of families leave town, I've contemplated a "half" birthday in the summer.

whitecandles · 15/06/2015 06:03

I don't really remember, OP. I always had a party and there were always people there so it certainly didn't seem a big deal. Probably parents were quite glad to get a few hours peace from their kids at that time of year.

It was more of a problem once I got to university as everyone would travel then.

Betsyblue · 15/06/2015 06:16

Same as WhiteCandles, but i'm the 23rd. I always had a separate celebration that I remember all of my friends coming to and separate presents etc, even though the Christmas tree and decorations were up too. Probably parents were happy to have a some child-free time around then to get their Christmas stuff sorted.

Presents in our house were never put under the tree until the 24th anyway, but I don't think that was because of my birthday.

I always enjoy it as it's a really happy, festive few days- but then I don't know anything else!

TheEmpressofBlandings · 15/06/2015 06:27

My DH has a Christmas birthday and hates it. The specific things he hated the most as a child were getting joint presents and/or birthday presents in Christmas wrapping paper. Plus as he got older, it gets ever more impossible to arrange a night out or whatever.
If I were you I'd start a half-birthday tradition when she's old enough and have her party in June.

saintlyjimjams · 15/06/2015 06:36

My birthday is xmas day. It's a complete non-issue! I used to have parties on xmas eve. Plenty of people came - I suspect their parents were pleased to get shot of excited kids for a while. My uncle used to dress up as father xmas each party (although I never knew it was him),

I would have hated a pretend one in June!

AnnoyedByAlfieBear · 15/06/2015 06:38

My birthday is the 23rd too. I love having decorations up for my birthday!
I think my parties were usually earlier as there were never any decorations up for it and as an adult, any nights out often clash with work dos.
Closer family know not to wrap my pressies in Christmas paper and I do get joint pressies occasionally but it used to work out that I'd get 4 or 5 days of pressies in a row of family visits were planned right!

HoggleHoggle · 15/06/2015 06:41

My ds has a birthday just before Christmas, at first I was a bit gutted but his first birthday last year was lovely! It was so festive and everyone is in a good mood because Christmas is almost here. I can see it might be an issue for parties as he gets older but sure these a way round it.

Duckstar · 15/06/2015 06:42

My birthday is 19th December. I love having a Christmas birthday. Everyone is excited. In terms of parties, everyone use to come to my birthday party as a child. My DM used to do my party on the last Saturday before Christmas. Parents use to drop their kids off and finish their Christmas shopping! The only thing my parents made a big issue was of was no joint presents (birthday and christmas). Put the decorations up before her birthday, it's all part of the fun of having a Christmas birthday!

Groovee · 15/06/2015 06:47

I always felt special for having the Christmas tree up on my birthday.

Dh thinks they shouldn't go up before his birthday on the 11th.

I found people never came to my party until my mum offered it on a week day. But times have changed and I always accept a December invite if we can x

DinosaursRoar · 15/06/2015 06:58

My grans birthday was 20th so through my childhood, the tree went up on 21st, it meant that the tree signified Christmas was so nearly here, it might make a nice tradition for your dd, a way of making them 2 events.

Try to avoid joint gifts and joint celebrations, and get your birthday party invites out early (before Christmas party ones can get accepted first)

Oh and as for turn out, if you hold a whole class party the Saturday before Christmas where the parents can do a "drop and run", you'll get a full house while the parents make the most of 2 hours childfree to get Christmas shopping/chores done!

oldsilver · 15/06/2015 10:17

DS birthday is Christmas Day - he's always loved that everywhere decorates for his birthday :-D

We do Christmas in the morning and birthday after lunch. No joint presents or wrong-purpose wrap - that's just lazy.

He's also very proud that he gets an extra birthday card and present off Father Christmas - no one else that he knows gets that!

Ilikesweetpeas · 12/07/2015 18:33

My dd loves her Christmas birthday! She thinks it's great that everywhere is decorated. I have always been very positive about this and thankfully she has followed my line

BiddyPop · 13/07/2015 09:24

DD's birthday is on Boxing Day. So we always have cake that day, with candles, and a birthday present in birthday paper, and almost always remember the card too (we don't go NEAR any shops that day).

When we're "down home" with extended family, there is a gathering of both DH and my families for that. When we are at home ourselves, we have the neighbours and a few extended family members living near us in for drinks and nibbles in the afternoon, and whoever is still here about 5/6 o'clock, shares the cake. Some years, a few of the more immediate extended family have travelled up to us.

Normally, we hold DD's party for friends on the first Saturday back at school in January. This year, we are holding it in September as she wanted to do canoeing (not such a great idea in January) and we weren't organized enough before summer (and DD's social calendar was completely full!). But we won't have cake and won't have presents - just a party for fun with friends.

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