Tips for Celebrating a Christmas or Near Christmas Birthday

I always thought that January was a bad month for a birthday. Christmas is over. Everyone is broke. Mom would take advantage of the after Christmas sales to get me something I already did not get for Christmas. So when my son was born several days before the 25th of December I promised myself that this monster holiday would not overshadow his birthday. Put your child first and you too can make him or her feel special.

Celebrate the birthday first

Even if your family member's birthday falls exactly on Christmas, there is no need to make Christmas the priority celebration. Go against tradition and have your family open gifts on Christmas Eve. If mom and dad do not have to work on the 26th, then do the Christmas stuff the day after. Tradition is what the family makes of it. Remember it is just a date on a calendar. Nobody knows for sure what day Christ was born. And, if you are not religious and only honoring Santa Claus, the restrictions you put on the holiday are of your own making.

Make the birthday equal

Especially if you have more than one child, the December birthday needs to have the same ritual as any other birthday in the family. In my family the birthday member picks his favorites for dinner including the kind of cake. My son has the option of having a Dairy Queen ice cream cake even if it is winter. Extended family who live close are invited over. My daughters have summer birthdays and sometimes have pool parties. The winter child needs to have this option available to him too. Have the pool party six months early and a family celebration on the birthday itself.

Keep it even Steven

Don't skimp on gifts for the birthday child. It is not acceptable to make one large purchase and say that it is for birthday and Christmas. The large purchase is the birthday gift. My husband and I usually give an assortment of smaller gifts to all for Christmas. If you go over the top at Christmas, do it for all your children.

Enlist the help of a spouse

December just about drives me crazy. Besides my son two of my nephews also have December birthdays. We buy double for the nephews too. This means my brain is completely exhausted and addled and there is no way I can even make my own list of Christmas wishes. If it were not for my husband, I would lose it. We cooperate on the whole December Christmas-Birthday shop fest. I also wrap as I go and make piles for each child so I can easily go back and count packages.

Gift cards are my savior

It is such a great thing that children like gift cards. For the past two years with everyone getting older, this has really saved me. I buy Borders, iTunes, favorite retail clothing stores, and NHL. My rule for my own children though is that gift cards are not for birthdays. The birthday gift has to be thoughtful, an expression of love, a message that we do understand our son's individual personality.

Slip the Christmas child extra money on vacation

Even though I try hard to make my son's birthday his day, it still stinks to have a Christmas birthday. My son complains that he gets so much, but then he has to wait another year. He's totally broke by summer and no relief in sight. So slip the kid some extra cash on vacation. Do it on the sly and get a promise not to tell out of him.

If you are young, just married, and are yourself the Christmas birthday, here is your chance to own your day. Start your own tradition where your family does what you want to do on Christmas. Our society goes way too nuts over this holiday. I'm always so glad when it is over. But I would celebrate a birthday every day. I love cake and candles.