Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo

December Birthdays: The Struggle is Real

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Utah chapter.

Having your birthday in December is basically torture. At this point, we have stopped expecting things for our birthdays all together. I don’t mean to sound like a grinch and make the holidays or birthdays out to be just about getting, but people born in months throughout the year get their normal amount of gifts as well as during Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza etc. The rest of us who are born right before or right after the holidays, on the other hand, suffer the consequences of our now poor relatives. Here are a few things only we Sagittarius’ and Capricorns will understand:

  1. The classic, “Hey before you open this, this is for your birthday and Christmas.” Well then, this gift better be TWICE as good, because the only pro in this situation is that if your birthday is before Christmas then at least you get to open your gifts early! 
  2. It’s even better when they ask, “I’m really struggling this year, is it okay if I give you one present for your birthday and Christmas?” because what are you really going to say? No?
  3. Parents and a few other people might shop for someone besides themselves on Black Friday, or the day after Christmas when everything seems to go on sale. But let’s face it, the majority of people are there to get the sale price on the gift they want for themselves that no one else is getting for them. Therefore, draining their funds and having “no money” left to spend on you.
  4. Year after year has proven the same results, but you still hold out on getting what you really want during that awesome sale, because you slightly hope you have left enough hints for your loved ones and they will get it for you. “Honey, why are you shopping for yourself right before your birthday and Christmas, what if that’s what I got you?” If that is truly the case, I will take back my purchase, but there is no way I am risking that 50% off sale on the chance that you might have taken advantage of the same one to actually get me what I wanted for my birthday. 
  5. Last but certainly not least, “I’m sorry the holidays are so crazy, but here is some cash, I hope you can use it on something other than your bills.” Little did they know, you knew this would happen, so you already bought what you wanted and their twenty dollars cash won’t even make a dent towards your bills, so it will probably go toward tomorrow’s lunch or coffee. 

Honestly, we aren’t bitter, we are just tired of hearing the same thing every year. Don’t promise us you’ll take us to dinner if you know your holidays will be too busy, and you actually won’t get around to seeing us until next year. We don’t love you any less, a simple Happy Birthday will do. To be completely honest, there is so much celebrating all at once it’s almost exhausting, and we don’t need you remind us how much it must suck that our birthdays are so close to the holidays. We may not have anything to look forward to in the upcoming months, but that’s why holidays like the 4th of July are our favorite to celebrate—Happy Birthday, America. 

-M

Malory no middle name Weber was born in Murray, UT on December 1, 1996. Growing up she moved across the country from Utah to Colorado, Texas, Maine, and back to Utah. Her passion for writing started at a young age and continues to grow everyday as she studies journalism at the University of Utah. Outside of writing, Malory enjoys being at the gym more often than being home, a good cup of iced coffee, and traveling as often as she can. Her dream job is to work as a face character at a Disney Resort, and her dream career is to publish her own magazine that is equal parts entertaining and informative. 
Her Campus Utah Chapter Contributor