The Girl Born on Christmas Day

For those who forgot: I’m still accepting belated birthday gifts.

Jan 10, 2024

Being born on Christmas Day has never bothered me. I don’t need to be the centre of attention, and as a kid, I always liked the excitement around that time of year. Plus, being born on Christmas Day has been my ‘fun fact’ for as long as I can remember, and no first day of class icebreaker exercise ever scared me as a result. Oh, you play hockey? Your favourtie colour is purple? You’ve seen Creed live SIX times? Sit back kids, this is how it’s done.

I’m sure there are plenty of circles where this piece of trivia would mean absolutely nothing, but having attended a Catholic high school and university, this was basically a status symbol. Forget what I said before about not needing attention, I loved the attention this allowed me. I’m a middle child of five, born on Christmas Day: let me have this one.

It was around 10 in the morning, when I was born on Christmas Day in 1992. Do you know how annoying it is to be told I was born around 10am? How am I meant to get an accurate astrology chart with that!? I’ve been living my life as though I’m a Capricorn Sun and Moon, with an Aquarius Rising, but I have no idea who I really am! A few things I know for sure: Jesus and I are both Capricorns, have a great head of hair, and one of us has a God complex.

I was born unexpectedly on the bathroom floor, interrupting my family brunch plans. Sorry if I caught you at a bad time, I just needed to be born. For what it’s worth, I was delivered within minutes, which proves I have always been considerate of other’s time. I have a feeling I just wanted to join the party and shovel down some potato salad. I’ve been told my Mum has the bath mat I was born on, somewhere in storage, and I need to make it clear that this is not the family heirloom I’d hoped for. I’ve also been told that Ray Martin announced my birth on the news as a feel-good story about a baby being born on Christmas Day. I peaked the day I was born and I didn’t even know it.

A big part of what made Christmas special to me growing up was the Christmas Eve mass at our local church. There would be the highly anticipated pageant, where the children of the parish (who had passed the vigorous audition process) acted out the nativity scene. Early on in my career, I had to pay my dues, just like any other established actress. I had been an ordinary angel without a name for several years, and then graduated to the role of Angel Gabriel, which I wore a dress for, and went by Angel Gabriella. While I had a great time with the cast, I wasn’t creatively fulfilled until I was selected for the sought-after role of Mother Mary: a career highlight. I even got to sing a solo, and I used my power and connections to get my newborn nephew the role of baby Jesus (Jesus was also a Nepo Baby so it was fitting).

I can still remember the summer heat and mosquitos, running around with my friends after church, feeling untouchable and limitless after the rush of our performance, downing multiple slices of birthday cake for Jesus (that my friends assured me was also for me). A ritual we had was going to our family friends house after church to exchange presents. Their home always felt cozy and safe: they were allowed to run around and make a mess. The Carols by Candlelight playing on in the background couldn’t be heard over our chatter and excitement. Their Christmas tree was covered in flashing coloured lights and mismatched decorations, but somehow it all looked magically put together.

Making my birthday a personality trait meant bringing it up whenever it felt relevant: the exact criteria is unknown. In my first year of university, I was delighted to see a callout for readers of Girlfriend Magazine, asking what Christmas meant to us. I was 18 years old, and had been struggling with finding my place amid the transition from high school to university. An excuse to get credit and attention for being born was exactly what I needed. I was promptly selected and interviewed with a tiny recording device, while I got my hair and makeup done for the photoshoot.

“The best part about having my birthday on Christmas Day is that my family is always there and it's usually a nice day with good weather. For me, that's all I really need - I don't need two separate occasions” - Kayla Valerie, Girlfriend Magazine, 2011

I have a confession: I lied to Girlfriend Magazine. I’ve never had multiple birthday parties, or followed through with plans to meet up with friends on other days, despite what was printed. What a filthy liar I was! And to lie to Girlfriend Magazine, the Aussie Millennial Girl Bible, of all sacred texts. I also do need two seperate occasions (I’m becoming a birthday month person).

Of course, being born on Christmas Day has its downsides. Firstly, the question of whether or not I get “double” presents has followed me throughout my life, like those Three Wise Men followed that star. I have gotten used to faking an enthusiastic laugh, much like a customer service assistant does whenever the EFTPOS machine isn’t working and the customer says: It must be free then!

I’ve certainly become more sensitive in my old age, and crave validation and celebration, but I also want solitude and introspection (it sure is fun living in my head). I typically get emotional this time of year: Christmas, my birthday, New Years. It is the most wonderful time of the year (according to Michael Bublé) but it is also a time of year where I’m sensitive, exhausted, overwhelmed. It can bring up feelings of sadness and grief — for the year that it was, and the year it could’ve been. I understand how friends may forget to send me a text to wish me happy birthday, but sometimes it still makes me sad. For those who forgot: Don’t worry, I’m still accepting belated birthday gifts. I’ve learned that I can’t search the world for evidence that I’m not worthy or loved. Christmas can be a tough time of year for many people, and although every Hallmark movie will have you believing in Christmas miracles, things don’t always work out the way you’d wished for them to be. As a child, Christmas can feel like you only have things to gain, but as you grow up, you realise how much you can lose with every passing year.

In these moments I remind myself of all the wonderful things in my life, and all that I have to be grateful for. In many ways, as corny as it sounds, my daily life is what a younger version of me once wished upon a Christmas star for (sorry, that was bad). I don’t even have to wait til Christmas to buy all the magazines (no one tell little me that magazines are basically extinct now), CDs and DVDs (again, nobody tell her) and flared corduroy jeans I want (Look, I promise I can still pull them off).

Christmas to me today involves buying every Christmas candle I can find (Sugar Donut and Spiced Biscuit by Glasshouse were among my favourites this year) and driving around with my boyfriend singing along to 90s alternative rock playlists. I also get great joy and fulfilment dropping off gifts like a Christmas Elf to the staff at my local cafes: surprised smiles, kind gestures, festive colours, “Thinking of You” texts — I live for it.

My niece Chloe was born on December 21st in 2017, and I recall hearing the words “Christmas Miracle” to describe her birth by family members. At 31, I’ve already been replaced by someone younger and cuter. I guess that’s just how the Christmas cookie crumbles… but does she get double presents?