Shout out to all those celebrating their birthday on Christmas Day |24 December 2022
Shantilal Dhanjee
Celebrating your birthday on Christmas Day is always a special moment. Do you get one party or two? Do you get one present or two? We give a shout out to all those celebrating their special day on Christmas Day and happy birthday.
Shantilal Dhanjee: Being a Christmas baby is not as great as very one makes it out to be.
Very few people have the time around that day to spend with you. As they are all busy with their families; and same with gifts. They always say will get you next year. No one has the funds to get you a nice gift at this time of year knowing January is a hard month.
Growing up my parents always made sure Christmas was nice and got a few extra bits. In young adulthood I would cut my cake with my big brother D on 25th pack it in boxes and go door to door to share the cake with my family members.
And now that I have my own family I make sure it is a special day for my kids. And I thank the people who have been by my side this year. And normally there are very few friends. You choose your friends but not your family. And the friends you choose become your family.
Shanti with his daughter Malika
Noella Gappy: I normally celebrate my birthday with my family, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, in laws and grandchildren. This has been going on for years. Being with families, we bring back sweet memories of our childhood. One thing is we don't play music and we don't dance. My wish is that our family remains united. My children and grandchildren keep this tradition. My birthday is celebrated with a lunch whereby each one brings a dish and drinks. This year I will celebrate my 62 years.
Noella Baker: When I was smaller my whole extended family would come over for Christmas, because my Grandma was still with us. I would get to cut the Christmas cake as my birthday treat. Then I'd play outside with my cousins and everyone would always dance after the delicious lunch.
As a grown up, it's much harder to feel special because Christmas is a celebration most enjoyed by and organised for children, but I try to do things that make me happy and make me feel special. Some loved ones also try to go out of their way to make the day more memorable for me, knowing that it does tend to get lost amid the Christmas celebrations. This year is my 40th on this earth, so my wish is that it is among the most special, with my loved ones.
Christian Jayden Leandro Françoise: Christian will celebrate his 10th birthday on December 25 and this is a special date for him. His mother Carole noted “it is Christmas but at the same time on the 25th we concentrate on his birthday with the family. In previous years, we had parties for him with his friends but this year it will mainly be a party at home with the family. On that day it is hard to get the friends to come as they all have prior commitments. He already made a list of gifts and he already wrote his letter to Father Christmas. He asked for a tablet and I hope Father Christmas will come by.”
Carole shared that it is difficult to separate the two feasts and we have to include the religious part also for that day.
Compiled by Vidya Gappy
