Being born on Christmas Day sounds magical. Twinkling lights, carols in the air, goodwill to others all sound great. But ask anyone who actually celebrates their birthday on December 25, and you’ll probably get a very different story.
Christmas is statistically the least likely day of the year to be born (except February 29 of course). However, everyone knows at least a couple of people who share their birthdays with a certain famous Galilean.
I know a handful of people who have that distinction and have listened with interest at how different families have approached this issue. The “accommodations” as you might expect vary according to the age of the person. One of my family members from the generation before me recounts how he was given one extra present on the dual celebration day – that’s it.
Of course, that kind of austerity would never fly today. Parents usually make every effort to find a way to delineate the celebrations.
However, I’m sure every year some poor child wakes to the same cheerful chorus from relatives. “Merry Christmas! Oh—and happy birthday, too!” The “too” hangs there like a sad ornament nobody wanted to put on the tree.
Birthday gifts are often handed over in suspiciously red-and-green wrapping paper, with candy-cane stickers that definitely didn’t come from the birthday aisle. Forget about childhood birthday parties with friends. Even if your child has tons of friends, no other kid is leaving their family (and toys) on Christmas to celebrate Little Billy’s special day.
However, Christmas birthday folks develop a certain resilience—part survival tactic, part festive humor. Many of them learn to negotiate early. “Separate presents,” is a common household treaty.
Some families get wonderfully creative in making the day feel special. Some opt for breakfast birthdays, opening birthday gifts before the Christmas chaos begins. Others choose a two-hour stretch after dinner when all holiday activities cease, and the focus shifts to the honored guest. A few even lean into the absurdity, going full-throttle with “Christmas Birthday Mash-Up Parties.”
Then there are the holiday-born who simply adopt a different birthday altogether. A surprising number of kids pick an honorary celebration date—usually in the calm, quiet tundra of mid-January or the sunlit cheer of June 25 (the famous “half-birthday”).
On those days, they get the attention, gifts, and the non-holiday-themed napkins they deserve. One note on the June 25 “half-birthday.” I have a friend whose son renegotiated the celebration date once he reached elementary school and realized that date fell outside the school year.
The ultimate goal is to avoid the dreaded “combo gifts.” My poor dad’s birthday always fell around Father’s Day, and we inevitably short-changed him. It’s one thing for an adult, but quite another for a child’s Christmas.
Regardless of the redress chosen, Christmas babies are a hearty bunch who make it work. In fact, many strong-willed famous people were born on Christmas. I started wondering how these individuals may have celebrated their special days.
I’m sure Sir Isaac Newton understood the gravity of the situation. I’m sure Clara Barton deftly tended to the wounded feelings of being left out of the celebrations. Humphrey Bogart must have faced the slight with his famous stoic countenance.
Fellow sports outlaws Kenny Stabler and Ricky Henderson could easily slide their celebrations to another date. The trio of Jimmy Buffett, Annie Lennox, and Barbara Mandrel might have caroled the day away with a “Jingle Bells/Happy Birthday” mashup. Justin Trudeau and his girlfriend Katie Perry could have sung along.
Rod Serling and Sissy Spacek could have added a haunting ethereal narration to the day. Believe it or not, even Robert Ripley was a Christmas baby.
I guess, in a season built on joy, maybe the greatest gift is simply having one more reason to celebrate. However, that’s a perspective that comes with age – just don’t try to sell that to a 10-year-old.
