X-mas babies see pluses, minuses

By Joel Myhre (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, December 22, 2007

So while everyone else prepares themselves for Christmas and Christmas alone next week, I also have another annual milestone to prepare for: my birthday.

Yep, as every store clerk, bartender, and driver’s license renewal person has pointed out to me over the years, my birthday is on December 24, one day before Christmas. In 1969, while everyone else was readying themselves for Christmas, my mother was in labor, to have me at 11 a.m. that Christmas Eve.

One may think having a birthday one day before what is basically the most popular holiday of the year might be a complete disadvantage. But what I have found over the years is that it has its pluses and minuses. Having discussed it with other Christmas birthday types over the years, I have compiled, as I do with lots of other things, a list of the negatives and positives of having a birthday around Christmas.

First, the obvious negatives:

Not as many presents as a kid. Yes, that’s the question I get all the time, “I supposed you were cheated out of a lot of presents.” Maybe I was, maybe I wasn’t. I recall that my parents tried to, and still try to, separate my birthday presents from my Christmas presents. Or, they’d get me a “supergift,” one which I would have had little chance of receiving on the merits of Christmas alone. I think my best gifts as a kid were a cool tennis racket and an Atari game system (the Nintendo Wii of my generation.) Clearly, the guilt my parents felt about me having a birthday around Christmas played a major role in getting some good hauls on my dual holiday.

Not getting to celebrate my birthdays in style. I believe on that day, I went to the liquor store in Little Falls, bought beer, and sat at home with my parents watching television. I think everyone forgot about the idea of doing anything cool for my 30th birthday. Heck, most bars, restaurants and night clubs aren’t even open on Christmas Eve. And it’s hard to organize a big party when most people are headed to their great aunt’s house for Christmas.

Constantly getting cliche responses about my birthday. “Oh, a Christmas baby!” How do you respond to that, other than, “Yup.”

Over the years, I have also found many benefits as well:

Sympathy. Everyone feels bad for you for missing out on your own “special” day. Of course, to me, it’s kind of like my color-blindness – I never knew anything else, so I haven’t really missed not having a birthday, in say, June. But all that attention is still nice.

Getting the day off. Through my school years, it was always nice to enjoy my birthday by sleeping in, having a nice party, and just doing basically nothing. Even today, while I have to work, the stress level the day before Christmas tends to be rather low. After all, there are few people working (i.e., creating problems and stress for me) on that day.

Getting the chance to see my family and friends in a relaxed setting. Most people are festive around the holidays, and I like to be around festive people on my birthday. I also get to see people I don’t see very often due to the holiday.

Having the opportunity to take inventory of my life in one fell swoop. With Christmas, the new year, and my birthday all rolled into one, I can ask myself questions like, “Have I accomplished what I want in life?” and “Am I where I want to be?” only once a year, rather than at least twice.

Then again, maybe I should just shut up and open my “birthday” presents.