What are some good solutions for celebrating your child's birthday when it's very close to Christmas?

Andrea - posted on 01/07/2012

My daughter had her birthday on the 29th on dec. we gave a pink princess theme party. All the gifts were required to be wrapped in b-day paper. We had cupcakes instead of a huge cake (after all the Christmas sweets something light) and just concentrated on making sure her day was filled with her favorite things.

Kelly - posted on 12/28/2011

Mine is a week after christmas and I still hate it because no one has money to do anything and they often forget my birthday. I would just say make sure she feels very special on her birthday no matter how old she is :-)

Ellyn - posted on 12/27/2011

My birthday is Jan 6 and I know I never got as pricey of presents as my sister (born in June) because everyone's cash reserves had been lowered from Christmas. However, my parents never let me birthday feel any less special. It was always MY day. Presents aren't the point of a birthday, they just help to reinforce the point that you're special and that you have a day that everyone who loves you gets to help celebrate you on.

If you feel the need to combine, as your child gets older maybe you can buy them a more expensive item that covers both Christmas and their birthday but make sure to have them open it on Christmas, just because everyone else will be opening presents then too.

Naomi - posted on 12/26/2011

My daughter Lila turned 3 on christmas day. We had a birthday party in early dec so she could have all of her friends around before everyone went away for holidays. On christmas day we opened all the chrissy presents together and had christmas lunch. The afternoon was all about Lila. She opened her birthday presents (in birthday wrapping paper) had her birthday cake and we sang to her, just like anyone elses birthday. We had christmas decorations in the house and birthday decorations out in the backyard. when she is older she can choose to celebrate an unbirthday earlier in the year if she likes but we will always keep half of dec 25th just for Lila as that is her birthday and we let her know how special that is

Telia - posted on 12/23/2011

we just celebrated my daughter's 3rd birthday yesterday, the 22nd. we have a small gathering with family and she has her birthday presents and cake, just nothing big because Christmas is so close. I want her to know the difference between her birthday and Christmas, so I prefer to keep them separate. In the better weather months I throw a party for her either at a fun center or at a park.

Kayleigh - posted on 12/22/2011

My sons birthday is two weeks after Christmas, he'll be two, and what we do is have a small birthday with grandparents and things on his actual birthday and then in the summer on his half birthday we have a blow out.

LadyJane - posted on 12/21/2011

I was born 2 days after Christmas and what my mom did was actually give me my very own Birthday tree to put my birthday presents under including birthday presents from Santa. She never combined the birthdays and I never got to open my presents until my birthday. It was most definitely separate. It was like having Christmas come twice and it was awesome for me. As for parties, when I was still in school, they were always held on the second to last day of school before Christmas and that way I could invite other classmates to come and there wouldn't be a problem. My mom made sure that Christmas was Christmas and my Birthday was my Birthday...

Though many kids in my class were often amazed that I got birthday presents from Santa.... Yes the presents would all state "Happy Birthday From Santa...

Sarah - posted on 12/21/2011

I understand, my Birthday is 2 weeks to the day from christmas and all I ever wanted was a bike! My brothers all got bikes and cool outside stuff for their birthday and I got a sweater lol. My parents did a good job of celebrating my birthday. The 21st is a little more challanging, I would tell everyone your wishes to make it special for your daughter and maybe be sure to do something extra special on the day. That way maybe she won't fell like she's being lumped in with christmas.
Happy Bithday Laura! :-)

Angie - posted on 12/20/2011

My daughter was born on December 29th and will be turning 2 this year. We've only done this once before, but what we did was celebrate at two completely separate times. We celebrated Christmas and then the next weekend, we threw a birthday party for her with her own cake and birthday wrapping paper. My mother in law has also suggested doing the half birthday celebration, but she's so young now that she doesn't know the difference.

Jane - posted on 12/19/2011

When she gets older try celebrating either her "anti-birthday" (the opposite day of the year, so on June 21st), or her "unbirthday" (any day that works well for everyone).

Betsy - posted on 12/19/2011

my daughters bday 3 days after xmas....so tis yr v buying her an xmas n bday gift combined.....and havin the party on xmas day.and celebrate her bday wit frens on the real day.

Elfrieda - posted on 12/19/2011

Happy first birthday to Laura!

My son turned 2 on the 13th. I like your idea of getting a gift on the exact day. I also have decided never to use Christmas wrapping paper, since I heard from other December babies that they hated that.

We had a party on the weekend before (Dec. 10). It was a lion theme, because my boy likes lions. I made a cake to look like a lion (It looked hysterical! I am not a professional!) and made little lion tails for all the babies (we invited 4 and their parents and my son's grandparents). It was low-key and fun. I actually am kind of glad that our firstborn's b-day won't be able to get too hyped up, because I want to have just a small celebration for all of our birthdays. I'll make a cake for each one, just like my mom did for me and my sister.

The 13th is easier to deal with than the 21st, but maybe you could just have the party the weekend before her birthday, and that would make it easier?

I'm not going to worry too much about his birthday being overshadowed. I mean, if you think about it, anyone can get upset about when their birthday is. My b-day's in September, and it felt like EVERY TIME the first day of school was on my birthday, and then I didn't feel brave enough to invite the people I would like to because I hadn't seen them all summer.

And my husband's birthday often fell in March Break, when all his friends' families went away on vacation.

So we can all complain, or we can look on the bright side. Out of town relatives might be able to celebrate with Laura on her big day, and that's pretty special! :)

Pam - posted on 12/19/2011

my son turned three on the 19th of dec.we had his party the sat. before. i wanted to have a really cool party with thomas the train as the theme but couldnt because i just got dignossed with breast cancer and had to have major surgery a week before his party so we just had cup cakes, family and a few friends no real theme but he still felt specail and had alot of fun then on his b-day we took him to his favorit placse just him, me, and his dad and he played early that day me & my mom sang happy birhtday and blew a candle out on his favoret candy(mimi peanutbutter cup he thought thatwas cool his little eyes just lit up. so i guesse what im trying to say it dosent mater if its a big party with lots of people or just family as long as you make laura feel specail thats all that matters

Kendra - posted on 12/19/2011

My youngest daughter was born on December 26th and we've decided to have her birthday party a month later.

Cyndi - posted on 12/19/2011

My little guy was born Dec 2nd. We don't put up our Christmas decorations until after his party so that his big day doesn't get lost between holidays.

Karenda - posted on 12/19/2011

My daughter's birthday is also on the 21st. We didn't do much more than cupcakes last year, but now that she is going to be 2 we are planning a party the week after Christmas. I want her to feel like she has a special day just for her. We put up all our Christmas decorations etc. right after thanksgiving and we will take them down right after Christmas so her party will be decorated with the car theme she chose. I've actually found that there are lots of kids who can come as the Christmas holiday is over, but lots of preschools and schools are still closed. On the actual day of her birthday we'll just have her favorite dinner and fancy cupcakes in the evening.

April - posted on 12/19/2011

My son was born dec 6, and being that my dad was dec 20 I always heard how my grandparents combined his birthday with Christmas and he hated it. So since he is a little earlier we decided not to decorate inside or put up the tree (very difficult for me since I love Christmas) until after his party. We usually go all out for his b-day. We did a fire truck party one year where the fire department came out, we actually decorated the house last year like a boat for a pirate party. This year he turned 5 and decided he loves Christmas too and wanted the tree up but we still did his celibration, he wanted a sleepover with his friends and a waffel party in the morning. He always gets to pick the theam and invite who he wants, it's his day. There are also places you can go so home decorations don't get in the way since December pretty much rules out outdoor parties. Next year we are planning a trip to Disney world since my daughter was born this year the day before his birthday this year, we will do a combined celibration (this will be the only year we combine them). It's only one day out of the year that they get to be calibrated, it should be THEIR day.

Angie - posted on 12/14/2011

I have a dughter born Dec.5th and we take her out on a "Birthday Date" just mommy, daddy, and her! :) Then she gets a fun bday party in the summer when her siblings have bdays!

Shanda - posted on 12/13/2011

My daughter was born Dec 17th and I try to make it the 17 days of Myah so each day during the 1st 17 days of the month we either do one thing that she wants to do or do something on the weekends leading up to her birthday. Make sure you make your child feel that his birthday is as special as birthdays should be.. never combine; even the little things like a special trip to get a scoop of ice cream or a little dollar store present (1 buck) makes all the difference. And you have a child that says doesn't matter that I was born in December; my family always celebrated my birthday separate from Christmas. It's do able..

Lise - posted on 12/13/2011

My birthday is in January, and we always celebrated at my half birthday in July.

Danielle - posted on 12/13/2011

I have a niece that was born on November19th, her sister will be a year old on December 27th, my son was born on January 10th, and my oldest niece was born 6 days later. Btw the two born in January are the same age.

Rachel - posted on 12/12/2011

my birthday is Christmas Eve. My parents employed half birthdays. I'd get a party June 24th, and my cake would have a half candle with my age. It was a great way to not be overshadowed. Now that I'm an adult, I love having a Christmas birthday, since the whole family is already gathered. You're daughter is very lucky.

Sandra - posted on 12/11/2011

My son was born on the 25th of August so he doesn't have to be the kid who was born around Christmas the way I was. I was born on January 1st so not only do I have to hear, "Oh, you're a NEW YEARS BABY! AWWW" all the time, but Christmas was not pleasant for me. I would get the same number of presents on Christmas that my brother (born August 24th) received - except that mine counted for my birthday as well (and his did not, he received separate presents for his birthday). It made me resent Christmas, my birthday, my parents and my brother.

The best advice I can offer is just to keep them totally separate. I don't know that it matters HOW you keep them separate, just as long as you do.

Ashley - posted on 12/11/2011

Make sure you make her birthday special even if no one else does. Some people will always combine the the gift but as long as you make it a big deal that she was born on that day and christmas is a totally seperate thing than she will get to be special.

Michelle - posted on 12/10/2011

Hi there my mom is a Christmas bday born on the 23 and her family always had her party a month late so that she could invite friends. I was an august baby and like Christmas everyone was always gone for my birthday so we always waited until the end of September to have my birthday party. We always have a nice supper a simple celebration on the actual day as well.

Tiffany - posted on 12/10/2011

My son was born on Dec. 19. I celebrated his first birthday just like any other birthday, with cake, birthday song and such. I think any winter birthday is hard, especially for children because of the weather and the holidays. The only bad part is that it would be hard to invite classmates and friends. My brother was born on New Years also and as far as I'm sure he's had a few good birthdays. It doesn't bother him that he only gets 2-3 gifts because he gets most of the good ones on Christmas.

Buffie - posted on 12/10/2011

Well my son's birthday is the 20th of Dec. I try to have his party either the weekend before. Then when the 20th comes we just have family and more cake. So he really gets 2 birthdays. Then my other 2 boys birthdays are Jan 2nd and the 30th. They all have their own birthdays never together. I do this with all my kids unless their birthday falls on the weekend so they can have a party. It is hard with 4 boys! Buffie Snell

Michelle - posted on 12/10/2011

My birthday is exactly 3 weeks bfore Christmas and it's horrible. I always used to get combined Birthday/Christmas presents or birthday presents wrapped in Christmas paper.

I put my foot down when I was about 8 as I was annoyed that my brother (August birthday) got 2 lots of presents but I only got 1 (the majority of the time).

Make sure that you celebrate her birthday and try not to have any Chrstmas reference. I know it will be hard with a tree up etc, and I know it's hard finding birthday wrapping paper in December but maybe you could buy it earlier in the year for her.

Sharon - posted on 12/09/2011

I don't have this problem but my mum was a Christmas Eve baby, and her sister a Christmas Day baby and my brother is on the 19th. My mum always said that what she liked least about it was she didn't get a birthday cake until she was about 25yrs old, NEVER had a party as a kid as all the other kids were doing things with their families and she'd often get combined presents, or b'day presents wrapped in Christmas paper. So I made a promise that if I ever have a child with a birthday close to Christmas I won't do those things that she didn't like.

Medic - posted on 12/09/2011

Well my daughters birthday is exactly one month after christmas and my husbands is 6 days after. I feel that each child and hubby should get a big birthday like the rest of us. With our daughter we do normal christmas stuff and for her birthday we ask everyone to gift things that can be better used in 6 months. She is 22 months right now and wont know the difference but her older brother has always had blow out birthdays as well as blow out christmases and it is only fair that she gets both also.