For most children, the most important days of the year are their birthday and whichever winter holiday it is that they celebrate. The thing is, for most kids, there’s some separation between the two. But for us unlucky few, we manage to only have a few days separation, and for an even unluckier few, none at all. I come from a family that celebrates Christmas, and I was born December 22nd. Needless to say, I’ve had some experience with the holiday birthday phenomenon. So here are some of the things I’ve noticed about holiday birthdays, especially Christmas, from my nearly 17 years of experience.
The Double Gift
The Double Gift, something you’ve undoubtedly encountered if you have a birthday near a gift-giving holiday. Nothing quite says “Happy Birthday!” like “Remember, this counts for Christmas as well!” It’s like you forgot to read the fine print on the contract of life. It’s not as if people with birthdays in July get an anti-IOU attached to their birthday gifts.
Traveling
During the holiday season airlines tend to raise their prices, it’s a simple supply demand relationship. Once you get within a week of Christmas, ticket prices start to go down again as it gets closer to the actual day. Turns out, December 22nd is usually right around the cheapest day you can travel. So guess who inevitably has to take one for the team in regards to holiday travel. But I’m sure the guy I’m sitting next to who took off his socks and shoes will wish me a Happy Birthday.
The Holiday Follows You Everywhere
The Holiday Season usually begins over a month before the actual Holiday. After a week of the world being in holiday mode, most people are pretty done with it all. Finding anything without a holiday under/overtone goes from easy to hard basically overnight. Need wrapping paper? Hope you like red and green. Looking for a birthday card? “Seasons Greetings” can mean birthday season. Need a birthday cake? Santa doesn’t necessarily mean “Christmas”. And speaking of it being hard to spate the two…
You Can Get Them Mixed Up
Kids don’t really have much of a sense of time; it’s not their fault, they just don’t have any need to know the date or time. There were a few years when my brother would run around the house singing Christmas songs on my birthday, which was hilarious until he would start trying to open presents that weren’t Christmas presents, or even his. And don’t even try to make me differentiate between events that happened on Christmas or my birthday, because it all just ends up blending together in my head.
You Feel Like a Burden
Nobody really wants to feel like they’re making life harder for other people, especially when those other people are their family. Possibly the worst part of a holiday season birthday is knowing that it makes the entire season harder for everyone, by adding even more to everybody’s to-do-list during an already busy time of year. It’s not really anybody’s fault, it’s just the way things are.