Christmas vs December Birthdays
I would like to thank Hsien for directing me to an article about December birthdays. This is in response to a previous post I made announcing that my daughter was born on Christmas Day.
It basically tells you that kids need to have a separate birthday party from the Christmas celebration. In the case presented in the article the child was born on December 10th and remembers her parents combining her birthday and Christmas presents.
Here is the basic layout of advice from the article:
1) Cake: Make sure to get your child that cake and don’t put Santa or Christmasy stuff on it.
2) Presents: Don’t try to save money and combine the gifts. Make the birthday and Christmas gifts separate.
3) Parties: No combination birthday/Christmas parties.
OK well, I sort of agree on this but not completely. First off my child was actually born on Christmas Day so it would be difficult to really celebrate them both without separating them. In our family we don’t celebrate Christmas with a tree and presents. Call me Scrooge if you want, I don’t care. I celebrate my Savior’s birthday every day. I think He deserves it. As for my child I only celebrate their birthday once a year so we do so on her birthday.
But, say you do celebrate Christmas to its fullest with a tree, lights, stockings, Christmas morning goose, and presents. Your child’s birthday is December 25th. What do you do? Can you really avoid it? Can you get away with postponing or celebrating their birthday the week before? I think it is unavoidable and you sort of have to deal with what has been given to you. If the child can’t understand their birthday is on the same day then how are they going to deal with other things in life that come their way?
I know, I sound like a grump but it isn’t like it was your fault… well directly anyway!
My birthday is in early December; early enough that I never saw a conflict between my birthday and Christmas. God always wins.
My son was born in May, but the parents I know, whose children were born in December, take special care to make sure there’s a clear distinction between the birthdays and Christmas. Though it’s easy for spiritually mature adults to find perspective, I think it’s important that kids with December birthdays aren’t led to resent Christ.
Awesome input Jared. Your last sentence really pin-pointed it.
My late Grandmothers birthday was on the 24th and she lived some 90 yrs and never got over it. Poor women was always in the dumps at Christmas.I think in her younger days her family did’t celabrate it for her. I would definatly make a big deal of it now mater how close it is.