Double Celebration or Unfortunate Coincidence?
Becky Kospanova
Almost everybody knows a person who has their birthday on some major holiday such as Christmas, Independence Day, New Year’s Eve, or similar. What is it like to have your birthday coincide with one of the universally celebrated events? Do people feel twice as lucky to have everybody around them not only celebrate their birthdays but also a major holiday or do they feel somewhat shorthanded by nature?
First of all, many of these people are in good company because a number of celebrities have had their birthdays on holidays. For example, such famous people as Sir Isaac Newton, brilliant mathematician, physicist, and astronomer, was born on Christmas Day in 1642; renowned actor Humphrey Bogart and actress Sissy Spacek were also born on Christmas (in 1899 and 1949, respectively); playwright Neil Simon (1927), actress Gina Lollobrigida (1928), and George Steinbrenner (1930), late owner of New York Yankees, were all born on July 4, Independence Day; New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was born on Valentine’s Day in 1942, and so on. Apparently, the fact that these people, just to name a few, were born on a holiday date did not prevent them from achieving impressive heights in their careers and lives.
There are probably two ways to deal with the fact that you, or somebody close to you, were born on a holiday date. On a positive side, it might feel that the whole world is celebrating with you! Generally, there is an all-around celebratory atmosphere during holidays: stores are beautifully decorated and sell holiday cards and gifts; people seem to be more relaxed and happy in anticipation of festivities; and often you, your friends, and family members have some time off work which makes it possible for all of you to have a large party together. Moreover, if you are lucky you might get twice as many presents as everybody else around you in honor of your birthday as well as a holiday.
On the other hand, some people feel less special because their birthdays fall on major holidays. In the midst of holiday rush, they might think that their birthday takes second place compared to a holiday. It is especially true for little children who do not yet have enough skills and psychological maturity to deal with the pressure of coinciding birthday and a holiday. Worse yet if these children do not receive separate gifts for their birthdays and, for example, Christmas because it inevitably diminishes the value of their birthdays and makes them feel less special on this day; after all, all their friends receive gifts without being born on this day. For such people, it would be a good idea to celebrate their birthdays a day before or after a holiday to separate the dates. If it is impossible to celebrate separately, it would be nice to make an extra effort to honor birthday boy or girl. Special cake, gift, or granting of the wish go a long way in making someone feel cherished and loved.
In any case, whether your birthday falls on a major holiday or not, it is always a reason to have a celebration with your friends and family and be happy that you were given a gift of Life!
