His birthday has the typical festivities. He opens presents and blows out the candles as he makes a few wishes. However, his birthday has a big catch — it’s on Halloween.
Dave McMillan, a graduate student from Sandy studying psychology, doesn’t mind sharing a birthday with the spooks and scares of Halloween. He says the perks outweigh the drawbacks.
“I actually really enjoy it,” McMillan said. “I get candy regardless, so with candy and presents you can’t really go wrong.”
Many BYU students who share their birthdays with holidays said they often get overshadowed by the many festivities of holidays, but others see the combination as a big advantage.
“Even though people remember it,” McMillan said, “sometimes you get lost in the mix of all the celebration.”
Kassidy Welte, an advertising major from Las Vegas, has her birthday on Valentine’s Day and says she definitely feels the love every year.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Welte said. “You feel really special because all the romance is in the air but it’s also your birthday.”
Welte said because her birthday is also a holiday, her friends and family go above and beyond every year.
“I feel like people try hard because they don’t want you to feel like your birthday is getting overshadowed by the holiday,” Welte said.
To one student, sharing a birthday with Christmas Eve is more than just a perk; it’s a Christmas blessing.
Hayden Harvey, an industrial design major from New Zealand, said he likes having family together for the holidays and his birthday.
“It’s a holiday,” Harvey said. “So my family is always there, and it’s always a good day.”
Harvey said his mom makes his birthday special every year, but sometimes he gets a little shortchanged on the presents.
“A lot of the time people will give me one present for both Christmas and my birthday,” Harvey said. “If my birthday were in the middle of the year, I am sure I would get more presents.”
Overall, many students said they like sharing a birthday with a holiday but asked the world to please buy them a few presents.
