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Dear Reverend,

My son was born on Christmas. He's only 2 years old, so he doesn't know the difference yet, but I'm worried about what will happen as he gets older. I don't want him to feel overlooked or resentful about Christmas. How can I make sure he feels special on his holiday birthday?

Ms. Elle Towe (woman, 29)

Dear Ms. Elle Towe,

One of my brothers was born on Groundhog Day, but that's hardly a holiday, so I don't know why I'm even mentioning it. Luckily, I have a buddy who was born on December 25 — local drummer and craftsman extraordinaire Steve Hadeka — so I gave him a jingle to gain some insight.

Steve confirmed that having his birthday overshadowed by Christmas was a bummer when he was a kid. However, it flipped once he became an adult, and now it's "a boon, a godsend, because it's the one day a year that I never have to work." It's also a day when loved ones are usually already gathered, so you get to celebrate in their presence. And people tend to make a bigger deal about your birthday because they feel bad that it's on a holiday. I suppose that's something for your son to look forward to.

Steve told me that his family often talked of having an "un-birthday" party at the beach in the summer. He couldn't remember if they ever did it, but that's something you could try.

Or there are some very simple things you can do to maintain a distinction between two celebrations on one day: 1) Avoid giving combo gifts. You know, like, "This pony is for your birthday and Christmas." 2) Use birthday gift wrap and give a card that doesn't have Santa on it. 3) Do your Christmas-ing in the morning and have a special birthday party later in the day.

"Although it was always a little sad when the Christmas morning presents came to an end," Steve recalled, "I knew I had a couple more coming." See? Double the festivities, double the fun!

Good luck and God bless,

The Reverend