Valley residents born on Christmas find novel ways to celebrate

CANFIELD — Ann Oliva remembers well a special birthday when her daughter Tara and one of her daughter’s friends planned an unexpected treat for her in the summer.

Only it wasn’t really her birthday, which explains the unexpected part.

Ann was born in December — Christmas Day to be specific — but the girls decided to do something a few months early because they wanted Ann to have a special day all her own.

Celebrating with cupcakes in July might not be the most exciting way to spend a birthday, but Ann, who turns 60 this year, said it meant something to her.

“That was sweet,” she said. “It was so nice for them to think of me.”

Sharing a birthday with Christianity’s top figure and most noted Capricorn can lead to feelings of being overshadowed by some. Others don’t seem to mind as much.

In any case, Web sites dedicated to the subject of shared Christmas birthdays offer a chance for people to commiserate about its drawbacks or discuss its positive aspects.

Such as combined presents. Some maintain they get cheated out of gifts while others say it’s the perfect time to ask family and friends for larger, more expensive ones.

According to www.christmasbirthday.net, one perk is that the birthday boy or girl never has to go to school on his or her birthday and almost never has to work. The site also points out that things could be worse — at least the birthday doesn’t fall during leap year.

On the flip side, those born on or near Christmas can be forgotten altogether, birthday gifts get wrapped in Christmas paper and many are forced to celebrate with birthday pie instead of cake, the site says.

Ann said family and friends sometimes get her a combined birthday/Christmas card, but explained she is “tickled” when they buy separate cards.

“That makes it more like my birthday than Christmas,” she added.

This year, she plans to spend her birthday with her husband, Richard, and her daughter, who will be home from Columbus.

As a child, Ann said that her mother always had a cake for her on her birthday, and that the year she turned 21, her parents had a champagne party before Christmas at their house for all of her friends.

Sherri Gasparek of Howland will turn 40 this year on Christmas but said her “unofficial other birthday” is Dec. 19, a date she has celebrated for years as her own. It’s actually the birth date of her sister Janet Cross of Niles, but Sherri said the two have always celebrated together.

The nail technician at New Additudes on East Market Street said she doesn’t have big plans for this year, but will spend her actual birthday with husband, Mark, and daughter, Ciara, 12.

Sharing her special day with Christmas, Sherri said she never really felt that family and friends overlooked her.

“I never felt cheated,” she said. “I always thought it was a privilege to share my birthday with God.”

Sherri’s brother-in-law John Deal is married to her youngest sister, Alisa. John, of Berlin Center, was born on Christmas Eve and turns 37 this year.

Though he sometimes celebrates earlier in December, John said his family gets together for his birthday and Christmas on Christmas Eve.

“It’s kind of like a two-for-one deal,” he said. “My mom and dad always went out of their way to make it a special day.”

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com