How to celebrate if you're born in December and not make it about Christmas

It sucks being born in December. It always has. Sure, there's plenty of celebrating going on but most of it is for Jesus's birthday, not yours. Everyone is busy with end-of-year parties, or have gone away already, so it's hard to get people together for a birthday party in the final month of the year.

When I was a kid, there were few parties. School had already broken up, people were saving their dollars for Christmas presents, nobody needed to be thinking about a party, let alone extra presents.

Surely I can just hang out for another two weeks and wait until December 25? Which is kind of what I do now.

In fact one of my favourite family traditions, which we've adopted in the past few years, is that the Christmas tree goes up on my birthday. It's a fabulous way to get us all together, do something together, have a nice meal, if I'm lucky there might be cake and a rendition of the birthday chorus. Maybe a present, but the kids' presence is enough.

I have many friends who are born in December. It's funny how us Sagittarians seem to be drawn to each other. I asked a few of them if they shared my thoughts, or if they liked being December babies. Their answers were varied.

One friend, born on Christmas Day, said she can only remember parties for her 10^th, 16^th and 21^st birthdays. They were held in November. She can't recall the last time she had a birthday celebration as an adult, but her family does organise a cake and they press pause on Christmas Day for about 30 minutes after lunch for the "birthday stuff". "In all honesty, it's just nice to have everyone together," she says.

Another friend had her third son on Christmas Eve. "Everyone felt sorry for me having Christmas Day in the hospital but it was the most beautiful day. The hospital was quiet and the nurses made a fuss. It was a special day."

Not so for another friend born on Christmas Day. Or for her mother at least, who went into labour after the plum pudding, rushed off to hospital, only to vomit up the whole Christmas lunch before the birth.

MORE BY: KAREN HARDY

For those friends with December children, a lot of them found it a drag to have to think of two different lots of presents. "It would be nice to have a few months, or more, in between getting her gifts," says one mum, "as her interests change during the year."

Perhaps they should have thought like the ancient great aunts of one friend who'd give her the cup for her birthday and the saucer for Christmas, or a pyjama top, then the bottoms the week after. One friend's dad, born on the 21^st, joked he'd get one shoe for this birthday, the other for Christmas.

A few people said they cottoned on pretty early that it was perhaps a good opportunity to "negotiate" a larger present. "It was the only way I would have been able to get an iPod when they first came out," said one. Another makes it very clear to her family that she'd rather one present, a bit fancy and expensive, than two presents. "It's nice to get a special treat."

A few of the men felt gypped that their December birthdays made them the youngest in their age groups for sport. January would have meant they were more senior, perhaps more dominant, physically and mentally. One explained his own father knew exactly what he was feeling and could only apologise. "Dad always said, 'Sorry mate, we didn't make the cricket finals that year and the celebrations started early."

A few people complained it was hard, if they were born after Christmas, to find anywhere to celebrate. Restaurants and bars were closed, shops were closed. Nowadays it's a different story but as a kid the choices were less.

I guess we shouldn't complain too much. December is a month of celebrating, of getting together with family and friends. Does it really matter what the reason is?

One friend, born in January, wanted us all to be quiet. January babies had it much worse, she said.

"All I remember getting for birthday presents as a kid were back-to-school supplies."

Nothing like a new lunchbox to put things in perspective.

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: