As a child, Christmas Day was the first day I woke up.
I sleep a lot, but I always have a bunch of presents beside my bed.
William, my older brother, had a small pile of goodies. I had piles.
I’m a birthday child, but unlike many people who celebrate their birthdays during the festive season, I really enjoy it this time of the year.
Christmas Day wasn’t the day I was supposed to be born. My mother shared with me that I was actually two months premature. She said that she was distraught when her waters burst on Christmas Eve.
On December 25, 1953, Hammersmith Hospital was home for the first time. My middle name is Mary, despite the fact that my mother wanted to call me Noella (thankfully she didn’t).
My mom received a Rosebud doll from the hospital as I was the first child to be born on Christmas Day. She needs to go to the mending shop urgently. Her clothes are all falling apart and she’s so old. But I know how much she means to me so I’ve kept her.
My parents worked hard to ensure that I felt special growing-up.
They didn’t have a lot, but they made sure I got separate gifts. They were at the side of my bed when I opened my extra bed. I was the birthday girl.
I loved the preChristmas festivities as well, because people were always in a good mood.
As a teenager, Christmas parties were filled with that moment when someone would call for silence. The toast would then be made and people would sing “Happy Birthday” at me. It was embarrassing, but I secretly enjoyed it—especially when people bought me drinks afterwards.
There are also some drawbacks. While my family and close friends still make every effort to ensure that my special day is celebrated alongside Christmas, many of my friends don’t.
Although I have always preferred separate cards, I am accustomed to receiving one birthday card with “And happy birthday” written in haste.
Most of the time, I receive joint gifts. It doesn’t matter how valuable the gift is, but I know that if I was born at any other time of year, I would get separate gifts.
My birthday was pushed aside when I had my children, Matthew and Kimberly. When they were small, I found it more enjoyable to see their excitement than opening their presents.
They are both grown up now but it is very special to me that they travel back to Slough via London. Christmas is about being with your family and, as an added bonus, it’s also mine birthday.
Every Christmas Day, I get up at 5 AM to make my barbecue. I don’t mind getting up early because I enjoy cooking Christmas dinner. I also get to choose what I want to make, knowing that I will be with my family.
My daughter asked me if it was okay to go to the pub for a whole year. But, it’s too expensive and nothing beats being at your home.
My children don’t like birthday cakes so Kimberly and I have a birthday cake for Kimberly. My favorite is the coffee and walnut cake.
Matthew decided to go against tradition and buy me cake last year. It was so good, I had it all through the new years, making the celebrations feel longer than ever. (Kimberly – If you’re reading this, I want one this year in red velvet.
While I love the overlap of days and how it feels, there have been some difficult days. I broke my hand a week before Christmas 2016 when I fell into Marks and Spencer. I was determined to make Christmas dinner again, so Matthew woke me up at five in morning to help.
Two years later, I slipped on an icy patch and sprained my wrist days before Christmas—slipping in the snow probably isn’t something summer-born kids tend to deal with.
My family was present for only one Christmas. Matthew and his girlfriend were saved by Coronavirus, but Kimberly, who lives alone, was able to bubble up with us so I wasn’t the only one.
We had a Zoom call, and Matthew toast me with a glass Prosecco. Kimberly and Kimberly enjoyed their cups of tea. After a big dinner, Kimberly Bridgerton and me watched The Vice of Dibley before falling asleep on our couch.
It was still an amazing day, even though I wasn’t able to see my son in real life.
Although some people who were born on Christmas Day may choose to celebrate their birthdays at a different time, I wouldn’t change the fact that I was born on Christmas Day. It’s nice knowing that I will always have my family around.
It is the best thing I have ever seen.
The truth is…
Metro.co.uk’s weekly series The Truth Is… explores anything and everything when it comes to life’s unspoken truths and long-held secrets. Contributors will challenge common misconceptions about a topic close to their hearts, confess a deep personal secret, or reveal their wisdom from experience—good and bad—when it comes to romance or family relationships.
Send us an email if your truth is to be shared with our readers jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
Continue reading: Essie Moloney: All I want for Christmas is… to be with all my family
Continue reading: Amanda Holden’s Christmas Day gets off to a very happy start as she enjoys alcohol at 10am with Sherry
Continue reading: Five tricks to avoid a Christmas dinner meltdown
[Denial of responsibility! wideworldmag.co.uk is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials, please contact us by email – at wideworldmag.co.uk The content will be deleted within 24 hours.]
