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Christmas

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Original poster

Anyone with a Christmas Day DC? How do you make it special?

24 replies

ToBeARockAndNotToRoll · 04/10/2018 16:34

Hi all,

As above, DS was born on Christmas Day. He will be turning 3 this year and much more aware of what is going on than previous Birthmas Days (I know)

Anyone I've tried to talk to in real life just says along the lines of 'poor thing' Hmm

Does anyone have any ideas on how to make the day extra special, now and in the future?

Thank you, very much appreciated! Smile

OP posts:
sleepismysuperpower1 · 04/10/2018 17:35

if possible, really celebrate it the day before, but have the birthday cake on christmas day. make it feel like the day before is his day, and also try to throw him a birthday party. final thing, if possible ask people not to get him a joint birthday and christmas present.

ConkerTriumphant · 04/10/2018 17:40

I have a son born on Xmas day who is now a teen.
Everyone, without fail, buys separate birthday presents and Xmas presents.
We have stockings from Santa on the ends of the bed containing tat small treasures, and then we head downstairs to the dining room which is a birthday room. Banners, balloons, present pile.
DS does birthday. We have breakfast.
Only then do we go into the living room and hit Christmas!
We have Christmas dinner and birthday cake.
Works very well for us!

Leeds2 · 04/10/2018 19:05

My friend's daughter used to have a birthday morning, then Christmas lunch and then a Christmas afternoon. I think it only got a little difficult when her younger child realised what Christmas was, and got a little impatient, but he soon learnt to view it as the norm!
They used to have a half year birthday party around July 25th when she was in primary school. Everyone understood why. When she was at senior school, she and a friend(s) used to have a birthday outing/treat in early January, before they went back to school.

Original poster
ToBeARockAndNotToRoll · 04/10/2018 19:15

Thank you all so far, some fantastic ideas here. It's hard when you want to make their birthday individual but still have the magic of Christmas...

OP posts:
PotteringAlong · 04/10/2018 19:16

My friends designate November 25th as birthday day!

SharonBottsPoundOfGrapes · 05/10/2018 12:15

My birthday is Christmas day. My family would celebrate it on Boxing day until I was old enough to decide for myself how and when to celebrate. Even now it never feels like my birthday on Christmas day.

BiddyPop · 05/10/2018 13:44

Not quite as tricky, but DD is on Boxing Day.

We always have a proper birthday cake (she chooses in M&S on Christmas Eve mostly, as I am too busy to bake on Boxing Day).

We always do separate presents for her, but there is a mix of separate presents and joint presents from others, and that can change from year to year as well depending on their budgets or what fabulous thing that is perfect for her that they found within the joint budget.

And while we have often had her party for friends the Saturday after they went back to school in January, she's wanted more outdoor type events in recent years so they have been in May/June time and just a "party" - in honour of her birthday but not on her birthday. And even though we say no presents needed, most of the friends bring presents and cards anyway even then and they all make a great laugh about it - there's usually a few saying "Age and a half!!".

Original poster
ToBeARockAndNotToRoll · 05/10/2018 17:28

Thank you again, love the idea of a celebration in the summer too!

Bumping too if anyone else out there has any more thoughts Smile

OP posts:
Laureline · 09/10/2018 13:26

My birthday is the 25th.
As a child we used to open our Christmas presents on the morning of the 25th, under the tree. Then at lunch time we would celebrate my birthday, with me opening presents with the birthday cake.
I never felt it was an issue Wink

Lookingforadvice123 · 09/10/2018 21:15

My DS is Boxing Day and he will be 3 this year too!

Wrap birthday presents in birthday wrapping, not Christmas wrapping. This year works out well for us as there's a miniature railway running on Boxing Day nearby to where we'll be staying at my parents'. I think when he's a bit older I'll give him the option of a summer half birthday or not.

Original poster
ToBeARockAndNotToRoll · 10/10/2018 07:58

Thank you Laureline I really want to do something like that. We are going to my DM for the day this year and she has already said instead of a christmas cake she will be doing a birthday cake, which is a plan Smile

Brilliant idea Lookingforadvice123 with the wrapping paper, and getting out to do something special too. I bet your DS will love the miniature railway!

Thank you for your ideas everyone!

OP posts:
BiddyPop · 10/10/2018 08:12

I completely forgot about wrapping - yes, DDs birthday present is always in birthday wrap.

tangoed2 · 10/10/2018 08:14

But birthday wrapping paper early, I tried to buy it late December for my DS who's birthday is on the 23rd and card shops hardly had any due to all the Christmas rolls

Lookingforadvice123 · 11/10/2018 18:17

Yes tangoed2 and same with birthday cake. Two years in a row I've been trying to get a Thomas cake in the days leading up to Christmas! Didn't manage it last year, luckily DS was 2 so didn't care that his cake was Paw Patrol instead.

oldsilver · 11/10/2018 18:32

I have a Christmas DS - smiling here, remembering at 3 he thought all the shops were decorated for his Birthday Smile

We do Christmas in the morning and birthday in the afternoon. All presents in appropriate wrap. Birthday cake for tea.

We also used to get a little present, in special glittery paper which was from Father Christmas with a birthday card as well - who else gets a birthday card and present from Father Christmas!

I also found if you mentioned to the elves when queuing for shopping centre FC that by the time you got to see the big man he often mentioned that he remembered DS had an extra special reason to get up early on Christmas Day.

Little things like that made it special.

Now he's older it's all about joint presents (something I was dead set against).

Agree with getting card and wrap early - after halloween you can't get a decent card anywhere. Did manage to find a "special Christmas birthday" for FC card a few years back.

SecretWitch · 11/10/2018 18:40

My dd was born on Christmas Day. We leave Christmas night open to celebrate her birthday with family. When she was was younger, she picked a day (generally over the Christmas break) to either have a friends party or a special day out with one or two besties.

SeaToSki · 11/10/2018 18:46

Im Xmas Eve. I love having a birthday at Xmas as everyone is already in a festive mood. I would suggest a party at the begining of Dec for the start of his birthday month, then presents the night before as he is so special that he gets them early. Then birthday breakfast with cake on Xmas morning. Who wouldnt feel special getting cake for breakfast. That way the birthday-ness is extended rather than curtailed. Also give the option of a half birthday celebration when he gets older, but he may want to keep it at Xmas like I did

Santaclarita · 11/10/2018 19:59

Make sure people actually give separate birthday and Christmas presents. They think it's fine because it's Christmas but it's not. Mine is on the 30th but without fail every year people gave me presents for 'both'. Mainly friends, not family.

MonaChopsis · 12/10/2018 12:42

Have a 'half birthday' for his school friends once he gets a little older, on June 25th. We do a similar thing for DD and she loves it, I make her a 'half cake' (normal cake cut in half and iced on top and around the edges but not on the cut line!) She doesn't get presents from family on that day, nor from friends on the actual day, so it works well for spreading out the fun.

Original poster
ToBeARockAndNotToRoll · 19/10/2018 21:15

Sorry for late response, DS now has a baby sister!
Thank you for all the ideas, will be definitely using them to help make it special.

oldsilver that sounds so sweet, DS will hopefully be as excited this year!

Merry Birthmas indeed Smile

OP posts:
Drummingisfun · 20/10/2018 14:16

You could do what the French do - xmas dinner and presents on the evening of 24th and then birthday only 25th.

ConkerTriumphant · 20/10/2018 20:01

Congratulations!!

blackteaplease · 20/10/2018 20:04

We do birthday cake on Xmas day but do a party and presents anything up to a week before.

RavenWings · 20/10/2018 20:04

A friend of mine celebrates their half birthday like the pp above talked about...she says that's when she always did parties etc as a kid.

And congrats!

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