christmas birthday dos and don’ts :: hold the holidays

Between December and January, we have 4 birthdays in our family. One of those falls on December 22nd. December birthdays are hard, y’all. We’ve talked about maybe celebrating half birthdays or celebrating a month after the actual day, but so far we’ve stuck with his actual birthday. Many people aren’t available to come to birthday parties at that time of year, and if you want to do the party anywhere other than home then you’ll have to plan way ahead or battle finding a spot midst all the holiday parties. Since I’m not particularly gifted at either of those, we usually end up having cake and ice cream at home with family. But now that my little man is getting older and has close friends, he wants to have birthday parties. We’re still figuring out how to balance that. But I’ve talked to lots of “Christmas babies” and I’ve learned a few things. Below is a list of the most common things holiday birthday folks want you to know. Since we’re still trying to figure this all out, I’m hoping that you can share a few tips and ideas with me, too!*

• Have a ‘normal’ birthday cake (or whatever special treat your family has for birthdays) even though the kitchen is full of sweets.
• Use birthday wrapping paper or gift bags, so the gifts are visibly different from holiday gifts.
• For younger children, try not to give a joint birthday/Christmas gift. Older children and adults may actually want joint gifts but it might be nice to ask what they think.
• Don’t decorate with red & green, unless they really love red & green. Set aside one spot just for birthday decorations and birthday balloons and birthday cards.
• Feel free to have a snowman-themed party (especially for Olaf fans) but try to stay away from Christmas-only decorations and themes.
• Make the day – or at least one specific part of the day – about them. Don’t run holiday errands. Don’t spend forever wrapping Christmas gifts. Don’t spend all day in the kitchen getting ready for the big family dinner
• Remember that kids are kids and love to be celebrated…and they usually don’t care about the specifics as long as they feel special and loved.

*The dos and don’ts listed here aren’t hard and fast rules. They’re just suggestions I’ve gathered from my son and other holiday babies. Not all holiday babies mind sharing their big day. Some don’t mind if they have a party that’s decorated in red & green. When in doubt, ask. Most people (especially kids) don’t mind telling you what they’d like to make their day magical.