How to appropriately celebrate December birthdays

December babies are magical. They also come with a specific challenge that not even we November-born kids can understand. 

Being born in December means sharing your big day with everyone else’s big day. Conveniently and unfortunately, there can be a lot of crossovers when it comes to those birthdays and other end-of-the-year celebrations. We all know someone, have all seen it happen, and have all thought, “What a shame… I’m glad I wasn’t born in December.”

We have one December birthday in our house. She was born a week before Christmas. Having other family members with birthdays peppered throughout the month, we’ve witnessed the trauma inflicted and intentionally tried to avoid mixing up her big day with the other big day.

5 Tips for Celebrating December Birthdays

Birthday gifts | Birthday paper.

With the Holiday paper and gift bags all within reach, you might be tempted to wrap birthday gifts in what’s convenient. Also, flipping the holiday paper and wrapping the gift still makes it holiday paper. Come on now! You made the effort to get the birthday gift; now commit to wrapping it appropriately.

Birthday first.

If you celebrate Christmas and have a pre-Christmas birthday in your home, consider not putting any gifts under the tree until after their birthday. Our December kid was born one week before Christmas. Last year, she said she enjoyed seeing the presents under the tree and asked if we could put them out throughout the month. We’ll check in with her on that every year and see how she feels. It may be a minor detail, but we want to ensure she feels celebrated.

If you celebrate a birthday after Christmas, plan ahead so the birthday dinner isn’t Christmas leftovers.

Embrace the Half-Birthday.

Celebrate the half birthday. It snows a lot where we live, and the half-birthday makes sense. A bike, skateboard, or outdoor gift can’t be played with for months. June is a great time to have a half-birthday!

Don’t combine birthday and holiday gifts.

The birthday person is special, and we should show them, just like we show everyone else we’re grateful for them on their birthday. Shop for their birthday gift and shop for their holiday gift. Keep them separate.

Decorate for them.

Again, just like any other birthday, decorate for your December birthday even though there is already possible holiday decor. Pick a theme and go for it. It’s an opportunity to celebrate double! Don’t steal that from yourself or from them!

And there you have it; 5 simple tips to help those poor December-borns feel the love. If all else fails, ask them what their tips for you are.