I remember when I was told my daughter’s due date would be January 18. I thought, “OK, that’s far enough away from Christmas that she won’t thinks it sucks.”
I am of the belief birthdays should be special. Especially when you’re a kid. My friends who were born close to the holidays have never had anything positive to say about it.
They all felt their birthdays were lost in the shuffle. They would celebrate when their family was together for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or Christmas, and always receive a combo gift. They had no fond birthday memories from their childhood.
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So when my daughter had to be delivered at 37 weeks, I was a little bummed. Of course I was thrilled she was healthy despite some late-term complications. It was wonderful to finally have our beautiful baby girl in our arms.
But it was just five days after Christmas.
My husband’s first thought was, “Cool, a tax deduction!” Mine was, “Oh, no! She’s going to grow up hating that her birthday is so close to the holidays.”
I was determined to ensure my child’s experience was not like my friends’. I wanted to build cherished memories for her and avoid her birthday being overshadowed by the holidays.
My daughter knows we feel the day she came into this world is special and worth commemorating.
For her first birthday, we did not have a Christmas tree. She was crawling and cruising into everything. We felt it best to skip the holiday décor that year.
But for her second birthday, I introduced what I hoped would be a wonderful tradition: The Birthday Tree.
The concept is to take what already exists in your house that time of year—a Christmas tree for us—and transform it to make your child’s birthday memorable. On the eve of her birthday, I strip the tree of Christmas ornaments and deck it with balloons, number stickers and party decorations.
So many people have been interested in my process that I made a video of how I execute the transformation. It is an inexpensive, simple and fun way to celebrate a birthday during the holidays.
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My efforts have had the desired effect. My daughter knows we feel the day she came into this world is special and worth commemorating. She looks forward each year to the big reveal on the morning of her birthday.
And I can’t wait for her special day to come around each year!
