im-in-love-with-being-a-christmas-baby

I LOVE Christmastime. A lot of people really like Christmastime, but I LOVE it. Not only for the obvious reasons such as spending time with friends and family, time off of school and work and religious reasons, but because I was born today, on December 24, Christmas Eve. I am, and forever will be a Christmas baby, and that’s what really takes my love of Christmas to the next level. Y’all, when my Mom arrived at the hospital in labor with me, they told her there wasn’t a bed available…no room in the Inn! After my first bath, they delivered me to her in a stocking…a stocking! My love for this time of year runs deep. 

Every year on my birthday, my house, our neighborhood, the city, restaurants, etc. are decorated and festive. Everyone’s (mostly) in a good mood, getting into the holiday spirit and already coordinating getting together. I was never in school growing-up on my birthday. And now I never have to work (or take a PTO day) on my birthday. 

Christmas Baby

This year's party with matching smash cakes!

 

Do you have or know a Christmastime baby? Here are a few a tips to ensure they’re as obsessed with their birthday as I am: 

  1. Leave birthday cake out for Santa

    Many people leave cookies and milk for Santa. Growing-up I loved leaving Santa a slice of birthday cake or birthday cupcakes from my birthday celebration for him. Even though I never got to see him, it was like Santa was a part of my birthday festivities, too! 

  2. No birthday presents in Christmas wrapping paper allowed

    This was the number one rule my Mom put in place for my birthday. Yes, it would be convenient because everyone has their Christmas wrapping paper stations out all month, but would you wrap a birthday present in Christmas paper in February? No way! So dig out that colorful (not red and green) wrapping paper for your friend or kiddo’s friend December birthday present. It was a running joke when I first started dating my husband that messing up this rule would be serious grounds for getting on the future MIL’s bad side. He still follows it closely…eight years later.

  3. Embrace it; you can’t change it!

    The only downside to a near-Christmas birthday (or any other holiday really) could be that everyone else thinks it stinks. I regularly get a pitiful look or these types of comments when I tell someone my birthday or hand them my ID (let’s be honest this one doesn’t happen that often anymore): “Ugh, don’t you hate your birthday?” “You probably get ripped off on the presents, huh?” “I’m sorry, why don’t you just celebrate your half birthday instead?” But instead of letting those comments bother me, I use it as an opportunity to tell them how much I love my Christmas Eve birthday so maybe next time they run across one of us Christmas babies, they’ll think twice plus it’s not like you can change your birthday anyways! 

  4. Establish a special time to celebrate

Growing up our family celebration of my birthday was during lunchtime on December 24. All the extended family would come over for lunch with all my favorite foods, then we’d all go to the midnight church service together. There, my Mom would make a special point to embarrass me and recognize my birthday during the Joys & Concerns (I secretly loved it though). In college and in my 20s, the special time was always going out on the town the night of December 23. All my friends would be in town from their various colleges across the US, so it was the perfect excuse to get together for a few (or a lot of) cocktails. They still blame my birthday for their holiday hangovers. This year was extra special, as I had a joint birthday party with a good friend’s one-year-old. We even had matching smash cakes!

Do you have a Christmastime or other holiday birthday? What other special traditions do you have to make it extra special?

4 COMMENTS

  1. I love this Sarah. I had/still have the same “no Christmas wrapping paper on my birthday gifts” rule (Dec 27 bday) and my husband was made aware of the consequences by my family very early on. 15 birthdays in and he hasn’t messed up yet! I too embrace and am so proud to be a Christmas baby. Love your positive outlook – keep the posts coming!

  2. I really appreciate your perspective on the Christmas Eve birthday. I too celebrate on Christmas Eve 11:50pm to be exact and it does rock we were delievered to our momas in Christmas stockings.

  3. We have a Dec 25th baby who was our best gift ever! We have Christmas morning and then birthday afternoon. We also always have him his own special party day on June 25th, his “Half Birthday.”

  4. Thank you for writing this! I just had my daughter on Christmas Day (best Christmas gift ever! 🙂 so obviously I’ve been thinking ever since then about ways to make it extra special for her in the future. Thank you for your ideas! 🙂

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here