One's birthday is supposed to be all about them. It’s supposed to be a day to celebrate their life. However, if you’re like me, then you know that sometimes your birthday can be overshadowed by other events. For me, it’s Christmas, seeing as my birthday is December 11th, exactly two weeks before the major holiday, it’s easy for my day to be overlooked.
Christmas may only be a day, but in America, at least, it's more of a month-long event. The minute Thanksgiving is over, it is automatically Christmas time. People get so caught up in buying gifts, trees, and decorating they neglect other occasions that may lie in-between.
My whole life I have always considered my birthday a ‘Christmas birthday’ simply because every year my house would be decorated for Christmas when my birthday rolled around. I have birthday pictures of my family and I in front of our Christmas tree. If I didn’t tell you, you would think that they were Christmas pictures. Not that I don’t like the Christmas appeal, I would just like to keep it separate from my birthday considering they are both celebrating two separate events.
Now comes the biggie, the two for one gifts. When you have your birthday around the holidays, people, more often than not, want to buy you one gift and tell you “This is your birthday and Christmas gift.” No. That is not how it goes. I mean, unless you get like a car or something of that magnitud,m then its acceptable, but otherwise no.
Now, I’m not trying to sound ungrateful or materialistic, I mean I’m happy with just a chocolate bar for a gift, but it’s the fact in the matter. If my birthday were in July, would you still say that this gift is a two for one? I don’t think so. I get that during the holidays it’s crunch time when it comes to money, but even something small shows the person you care and that you were thinking of them on their day and not for the holiday.
Having your birthday around the holiday season also makes it hard to make plans to do something special for your day. For me, its somewhat easier than say someone born on the 20th, but it still gets difficult. Many people are busy during this season, whether it’s with work to make the extra cash, or planning for the holidays, or even traveling to visit the family for the joyous season. With all these separate agendas it makes it difficult to pin anyone down to a specific time and date to celebrate.
I’m not trying to sound like a Debby downer here or even trying to hate on Christmas, as it’s my favorite holiday, I’m just trying to explain that despite the dates being close, they are not one in the same and people deserve special recognition on their birthday.
Having my birthday around the holidays sucks a lot of the time, but over the years I have been able to work out a system with my family to separate the two. I know having them so close means half of the gifts on each day, which my parents tried to not let that happen, but that’s fine. As long as it is acknowledged separately I’m fine.
For those of you that have the misfortune of being born days before or after Christmas, here’s a little advice. Choose the week before or after your actual birthday to celebrate it. I know its not ideal but this way you get your own celebration that’s not for Christmas as well.
With all that being said, I wouldn’t change my birthday for anything in the world. My family and I have worked out all the kinks over the years and they ensure I get an excellent birthday and excellent Christmas every year and for that I am truly grateful.