Making December Birthdays Special
Eighteen years ago on December 26th I gave birth to our twins, Grant and Russell. Russell is all of four minutes older than Grant and they both weighed over 6 pounds. Does that give you an idea of how I looked at Christmas that year? Picture an elephant with a green silk maternity top. That would be close.
They were the best Christmas present I have ever received and it’s so hard to believe my 6 foot 8 babies are turning 18!
Anyone with a December birthday can tell you that it isn’t the best month for a party. My mom’s birthday was the 23rd and every birthday present she ever received was wrapped in Christmas paper. So how do you make a December birthday special? Especially one the day after Christmas?
What we did was for the first ten years we celebrated on the 26th by taking them and their cousins to Baskin Robbins for ice cream and a small gift. Then on the 4th of July we had a cookout and party on our deck. The park right down the road from us always had a fireworks celebration and so we’d sit in the front yard and watch the display. For years the boys thought the fireworks were in honor of their birthday.
Recently I ran into a lady whose granddaughter has the same birthday as our boys. To make her day special she bought her a pink Christmas tree and is adding a pink ornament to it every year.
Another friend whose son shares the 26th birthday too (good day for babies obviously) takes down all her decorations on the night of the 25th and decorates for a birthday party on the 26th (I admire her energy).
What about it readers? Do you or does someone you know have a December birthday? How do you make the day special? We’d love to hear about it! Post your comments below!
My son’s birthday is 12/23 and he’ll be 7 this year. We always have tried very hard to stop the Christmas rush and celebrate on the actual day with just the family – the 4 of us – he gets to pick out what he wants for dinner and dessert and gets his birthday gift. Then sometime in January he has his friend party and extended family party. This is the first year he’s agreed to a 1/2 birthday, so sometime in June he’ll have his friend party. I did a very small celebration this month with 3 friends (bowling and dinner) just to help him get over the “hump” of skipping a friend party to get to the summer. We’ll still do the extended family party in January. It is tricky slowing life down enough to focus on his birthday, but I believe strongly in the celebration. His birthday presents are wrapped in birthday paper and for just a few hours we focus on celebrating HIS birth…and then continue preparing to celebrate Christ’s birth 🙂
My daughter’s birthday is the 19th of December. She turned 2 this year and so far the last two years all we have done is a small party at our home with cake and I make homemade chili with just family and friends. I am sure the older she gets we will have to have a “Big” party. So I thought next year we would have a party the first weekend in December and she could have some little friends over to play!! However I wish she could stay this age forever!!! Gotta love the Terrible Twos!!! 😉
I have a daughter and her birthday is December the 21st, she is 16 today. We always celebrate her birthday with friends and family on the first Saturday of December. There are no christmas decorations until that day is over with. Then on the 21st we let her pick what we have for dinner and have a cake for her. Of course friends and family call on the 21st and tell her happy birthday and family that lives out of town sends cards and money, so it has always been like she gets two birthdays. That was one of the ways that we found to make it special for her. Her sisters birthday is in September and I agree with you she was the best christmas present that I got.
My daughter will turn 6 on 12-27 and I make a point to separate her birthday and Christmas. I take down all our Christmas decorations after the kids go to bed on Christmas so we can have one day of normal before her birthday. I always buy her own decorations so she doesn’t have Christmas plates, etc at her party and buy regular wrapping paper for her gifts. At her young age it still just seems like a whole week of parties just for her, so she doesn’t complain…
Hopped over here from Elizabeth Foss.
I have 2 with December birthdays- the 15th and 16th.
For my daughter’s 15th this year, we went to the zoo to see the Christmas lights display. She wanted to do this. We had a dinner and cakes on Friday night for her and my son, who turned 22 on the 16th. They don’t mind combining birthdays with Christmas celebrations, but we have never combined gifts.
Birthday gifts are wrapped in birthday paper, and they aren’t shorted a Ghristmas gift by calling it a birthday one!!
And I agree, those 2 babies were the best gifts we ever got. Our other 8 were born at other times of the year. There is just something about rocking a teeny little baby at Christmastime!! Dawn
There are 3 of us in our family, and all of our birthdays fall right around the holidays. Mom-12/27, Son-1/2, Dad-1/10. On our actual birthday, each of us chooses where we eat, a special dessert, and what we will do on that day (go bowling, go to a museum, go for a bike ride, etc.). For our son, who is still elementary age, he gets a gift as well, but just one, since we just had Christmas, ya know?! In the summer, we have a 1/2 birthday. Mom and Dad don’t usually do anything at that time, but it’s a special time for our son. He gets to celebrate with his friends, and we just keep it simple. We still acknowledge our actual birthdays, but in a small and simple way!
My oldest just turned 24 December 18th.. extended family always says “this is your Birthday and Christmas present” and others “conveniently” forget even though she always remembers theirs..Oh well God has really blessed me with a wonderful early Christmas gift.
(Correctly spelled version)I don’t have any experience with December birthdays but just wanted to say what handsome sons you have, Teresa! I hope they each have a great birthday!
I don’t have any experience with December birthdays but just wanted to day what handsome sons you have, Teresa! I hope they each have a great birthday!
Cant believe they are going to be 18!!! They were the best Christmas presents ever!