by Caitlin Glenn | Staff Writer

Christmas and the various holidays that roll around at the end of the year bring excitement to billions of people around the world, and in the rush of the holiday season, the birthdays of people born between mid-November and January 1st are often overshadowed.

“It’s a blessing and a curse,” says junior Loryn Lopez, “You have no school, which is perfect, but you also can’t see a lot of friends because everyone is away.”

Even birthdays as early as before Thanksgiving are overshadowed by the anticipation for Christmas gifts and decorations, and the attention paid to birthdays becomes less and less as the countdown to Christmas begins.

The intent is never malicious, but having your birthday overshadowed by the materialism and the inability to focus on just one person. The additional excitement associated with holidays can be nice, but it can also blind people to the celebration of the individual.

“It’s nice that the time of year is so exciting for everybody and everyone is in the spirit of celebrating,” says junior Sarah Rodruiguez, “But it gets pretty annoying having your special day overlooked every year.”

Even with all the downsides, the positivity and enthusiasm around the holidays and the overwhelming number of advertisements can be used to a holiday birthday’s advantage.

“I like having my birthday around Christmas because there’s so much advertising. I don’t have to worry about not having ideas for gifts,” says freshman Cayla Potter. “Sometimes it feels a little overshadowed by the holidays, and I get fewer gifts, but if given the choice I wouldn’t change my birthday.”