Christmas birthdays and more

By Linda Cicoira

When people are born on a holiday, they get special attention. We all know children born on New Year’s Day help welcome the future. Sometimes a baby will get his or her picture in the news, especially if the child is the firstborn in the area on the first day of the year.

If you were born on Independence Day, you are automatically, a Yankee Doodle Dandy, which was meant to be an insult when the song was written. At that time, “a doodle” was “a country hick” and “dandy” referred to “a conceited jerk.” Wow! I just learned that.

One could speculate that if you are born on Labor Day, you might have a slew of children or work long, hard hours.

So, what happens when you share the Dec. 25 birthday? Your parents would likely say it was the best present they ever received. And the child would likely feel pretty special.

But the leaders at Warner Brothers had a different idea for film star Humphrey Bogart. They wanted to protect his tough guy reputation so they kept his birthday a secret. He wouldn’t be known as a Christmas baby if they could help it.

They didn’t realize that being born on Christmas could be a tough gig. There’s celebrating, but it is never about the average birthday holder.

And then there is the whole thing of naming a child born on a holiday. Oh, sure, Erin and Shea are good names for St. Patrick’s Day babies. They don’t compare to the names today’s parents give. I would not be surprised if a child born on the Fourth of July was named “Independence” or “Firecracker.” A Dec. 25 child named Noel, which means born on Christmas in French, is a great choice

Jimmy Buffett, the singer-songwriter best known for Margaritaville, was born on Christmas Day in Mississippi. Mary Elizabeth “Sissy” Spacek, the award-winning actress from “Carrie” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” was born in Texas on Christmas.

One of my favorite singers, Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics, is a UK Christmas baby. Clara Barton, the nurse and founder of the American Red Cross, was born in Massachusetts on Dec. 25. Rod Serling, host of “The Twilight Zone” came into this world on Dec. 25, in New York. Country singer Barbara Mandrell arrived in Texas on that day. Sir Isaac Newton of England was also born on Christmas.

What about all the other stuff that has happened on Christmas? It’s a lot to ponder.

George Washington crossed the Delaware River and William the Conqueror was crowned on that day. The Apollo 8 crew became the first to orbit the moon and spend Christmas Day away from Earth. The first pendulum clock was invented on Dec. 25. Guess what day Christmas Island was discovered. I’m sure you got that.

The first poetry written by an African American was published in 1761 on Christmas. The first known Christmas Carol, “Silent Night,” was sung in Austria on Christmas. Louisiana and Arkansas were the first states to observe Christmas as a holiday. The film “To Kill a Mockingbird” was released on Christmas. And St. Francis of Assisi assembled the first Nativity on Christmas Day.

And for all you Beatles fans out there, Richard Starkey, also known as Ringo Starr, received his first drum set on Christmas, when he was 17. Yippee!

Don’t you just love Christmas trivia? I sure do.