Every year, junior Ava Samaan and her family celebrate her birthday on one of the biggest American holidays. Samaan and her twin brother Matthew were born on July 4 2009, U.S. Independence Day.
Samaan and her family annually go to her aunt’s lake house to celebrate both of these special occasions with all of her immediate family, cousins and more distant aunts and uncles. Since she was born on the Fourth of July, these celebrations include festive decorations spread throughout the house. Sprinklers spray all over the backyard and fireworks go off while everyone swims in the pool.
Samaan’s family always jokes around with the idea that she and her twin brother were born on this major holiday.
“Oh, Ava and Matthew, the fireworks are all for you guys,” their family always says. “Everyone is doing it for you.” There is a happy spirit all around.
Samaan and her brother are part of the small percentage of people who were born on a major holiday. Being born on a major holiday is very rare, and according to multiple articles, out of all 365 days in the year, Dec. 25 is considered to be the rarest date of birth.
According to an article from the Office for National Statistics, the United Kingdom’s recognized national statistical institute, in 2015 , this is likely because hospitals only deliver natural births and do emergency surgeries on major holidays. Induced births and elective cesareans are moved and scheduled for a different day.
Samaan has also stated that she has never met anyone, other than her twin brother, that has the same birthday as her. Since it’s very unlikely to be born on a holiday, most people don’t know how it feels to share their birthday with a national occurrence.
There are lots of positives that come with having a birthday on a holiday. A person can get all their family into one place to celebrate. Members of the family that live further apart can all meet and gather for this double celebration, like Samaan’s family do.
People born on a holiday can also celebrate their birthday in so many unique ways. If they have their birthday on a holiday like Halloween, they can do so many fun themed activities for their birthday that revolve around Halloween. For example, they could have a Halloween costume party theme for their birthday!
Lastly, having a holiday birthday can add a unique aspect to someone’s character and personality. Samaan talks about her birthday being on the Fourth of July as an icebreaker or a fun fact in class.
While there are many positives surrounding a holiday birthday, there are also some negatives.
Some people might not like the idea of having a double celebration. That could mean the holiday overlooking the birthday that is supposed to be celebrated, leading to the birthday getting overshadowed or forgotten about by family and friends. If they were born on a regular day, some people with holiday birthdays may think, their birthdays would be recognized, remembered and celebrated more.
According to Samaan, she loves having her birthday on the Fourth of July. There are only two things that she dislikes about her birth date.
One is that her birthday is not during the school year. She never gets to experience the fun school celebration part of a birthday. The second is that during the Fourth of July, all her friends make plans, and they all hang out to celebrate the holiday. Samaan never gets to celebrate her birthdays with her friends on her actual birthdate because she is always busy at her aunt’s house, and her friends are always busy celebrating the holiday.
To help the problem, Samaan celebrates her birthday with her friends the days before or after her actual birthday. She misses out on the fun Fourth of July hangouts with her friends, but she always has a good time celebrating both occasions at her aunt’s house.
The idea of having a birthday on a holiday also varies based on the holiday. Which specific holiday people are born on can deeply influence their opinions on the matter. People who are born on a holiday like the Fourth of July or Halloween could have an easier time celebrating their birthday on their actual birthday than people who have their birthday on Christmas.
According to freshman Kendall Kuhn, whose birthday is on the days following Christmas, it’s not a very enjoyable time to celebrate because of all the chaos that is happening during the holidays.
However, Samaan personally loves having her birthday on the Fourth of July because of all of the traditions that her family has established. She would not switch her birthdate, even if she had a chance.
“Going to my aunt’s house every year is a core memory,” Samaan said.
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