December holds a special significance to my family because my younger sister was born on Dec. 7. To keep the season’s festivities separate from her celebration, we have a special rule: No one is allowed to play any Christmas music or watch any Christmas movies until after her birthday. I once attempted to watch “The Grinch” in the middle of August, prompting a large and unexpected fight over when in the year this rule should take effect. While my family abstains from pre-birthday Christmas, the rest of the world does not. Last year, we held her party at a mini-golf venue, and while we were cleaning up to leave, the next reservation came in, fully decked out for a Christmas party. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to mind that. While the distinction between Christmas and her birthday is one my sister treasures, it seems that many welcome this overlap of birthday and holiday, and from this combination, unique and creative celebrations emerge.
“I like having my birthday on Halloween despite the difficulties [with] scheduling, and rarely having a full party during my birthday,” shares Benson High School junior Taran Manley. “It was nice growing up getting to go trick–or–treating, then com[ing] home to family, friends, [and] my favorite dinner.” Manley does acknowledge that scheduling around a holiday can be difficult. “I have to plan weeks in advance just to maybe have a party [that’s] close to my actual birthday [and that] most of my friends can attend,” they explain. “I often have two parties, one before Halloween and one on Halloween.” Even though it comes with some difficulty, Halloween is Manley’s favorite holiday, and they feel that, rather than detracting from their celebration, hosting a birthday party on Halloween makes the day feel extra special.
Franklin senior Caitlin Susbauer’s birthday is Dec. 26, the day after Christmas. Susbauer holds a certain fondness for her holiday overlap, as well. “I love all the festive activities and energy around Christmastime, [and] it’s fun to have my birthday wrapped up in all of that,” she explains. More importantly for her, having her birthday during winter break provides a chance to see her extended family. “I always spend most of my winter break visiting my family, so I enjoy getting to spend my birthday with them too,” shares Susbauer. Of course, this also means she has her birthday off from school, which she appreciates, though she does mention that in elementary school, she would sometimes miss her classmates singing “Happy Birthday” to her.
While the holiday provides a convenient chance to visit with family, Susbauer often finds that her friends are unavailable during her birthday because of its proximity to Christmas. “Most of the time, if I want to do something for my birthday with my friends, I wait until the springtime,” explains Susbauer. She adds that sometimes her birthday can be pushed to the background due to the hectic nature of the holiday season.
Though scheduling can prove difficult, neither teen finds it too hard to separate their birthday celebrations and holiday festivities. For Manley, “Halloween activities occur outside the house while birthday activities occur inside.” As for Susbauer, she and her family always designate a day over break to celebrate her, even if it’s not on her actual birthday. “My family and I have a birthday tradition of going to an amusement park and playing mini golf. [Afterwards] we always go out to eat at the same pizza place,” she explains.
Overall, both Manley and Susbauer enjoy their birthdays’ proximity to a holiday. Although it’s often harder to find time to meet with friends, at least for Susbauer, it allows her to see family. The energy and excitement surrounding holidays can create an atmosphere of joy and celebration on your day, and it can feel like everyone is celebrating with you. “The best part really is being able to both celebrate with the community and celebrate privately on some level. I get to see the neighborhood come together, and see my own personal circle gather for me,” shares Manley. Maybe in the future my sister will appreciate her birthday too — seeing the festivity and joy of the winter holidays as the universe’s birthday gift — but then again, maybe not. We all want to be the center of attention sometimes!
