Christmas can be tough for those who celebrate their birthday over the holiday season. Instead of getting all the attention on their special day, Christmas babies often find everyone else is too busy celebrating yuletide to notice they are another year older.
While some revel the idea of sharing their birthday with Jesus, others dread having to make do with just one present for their special day and Christmas!
Renowned astrologer Derek Neptune says babies born on Christmas Day tend to have more Capricorn tendencies than those born on any other day within the sign’s cusps. Those born on Jesus’ birthday often feel unappreciated and are reluctant to socialize because they feel hard done by.
Neptune explains, “Despite the double festivities, Christmas Capricorns can feel lonely. While they would secretly love to be the centre of the party, they have the tendency to be over-sensitive to the lack of attention they are receiving and are reluctant to admit they want to be adored on their birthdays. Because Capricorns are such quiet individuals and hate spending large amounts of money, their family will be completely unaware of their desires to celebrate and year after year, their birthday will go by as a low-key event.”
In this feature we find out which famous names battle the Christmas tree for attention during their December birthdays and how they manage to combine yuletide with their own personal festivities. And we ask Derek Neptune for his personal insight into these A list stars and why they treat their Christmas birthdays the way they do.
Scots pop veteran and Christmas Day baby Annie Lennox, 50, has reached the stage of her life when she no longer parties on her birthday, and celebrates Christmas Day like everyone else. She explains, “‘It’s nothing to celebrate. I find the whole march of time very odd but as the years go by I’ve learned to let go. I don’t care so much about youth and beauty any longer.”
British pop star Dido loves sharing her big day with Christ. Despite admitting she doesn’t have much in common with the religious figure, Dido laughs, “We both have nice hair!”
Instead of feeling ignored on Dec. 25, Dido insists Christmas is extra special for her. She explains, “I feel like Jesus all the time. I don’t know any different. Everyone’s like, ‘What’s it like having a birthday on Christmas Day?’, but I don’t know because I’ve never been in any other position. I have to say I quite like it because the whole world comes to a halt and celebrates my birthday and it makes me feel quite special.”
Another star who loves his Xmas birthday, is Latin heart-throb Ricky Martin, who was born on Christmas Eve, 1971. To make his day extra special, Martin always spends it abroad and sharing his wealth with the needy. A few years ago, Martin spent the day watching a performance of Cinderella in Dublin, Ireland, before retreating to the Wicklow mountains to enjoy snowball fights with the local kids.
This year, Martin is venturing to Thailand, where he plans to use his talent and money for the survivors of last year’s horrific tsunami. The “She Bangs” hitmaker will perform a Christmas concert on Patong Beach on the island of Phuket and pay tribute to those who lost their lives when the tidal wave struck the paradise isle. Martin enthuses, “I would like to play a special concert there to lift spirits of those who still suffer from the devastated tsunami.”
He shares his Christmas Eve birthday with Motorhead hellraiser Lemmy Kilmister, who also visits foreign climates every year. Unlike the Latin star, Lemmy hates his birthday because his celebrations are always organized by friends and family. He moans, “I’m going on holiday alone somewhere. I hate f**king birthdays. It’s the day of the year that is the least in your control and the least that you enjoy. You’ve got to do things other people expect you to do, birthday s**t. So, I’m not very keen on birthdays and my birthday is on Christmas Eve and so, it’s like crap all of the time.”
Kilmister’s attitude is typical of a Capricorn, according to astrologists. Stargazer Derek Neptune says, “They are unsure of spontaneous activities, if it tends to deflect them from their sense of purpose, which is to go all out to change their environment to suit their needs.”
Julia Roberts‘ ex-boyfriend Benjamin Bratt also loathes sharing his big day with the rest of the world. The Miss Congeniality hunk was born a few days before Christmas and believes he was cheated out of extra presents, demonstrating the negative Capricorn trait of being miserly and grudging. Bratt complains, “I got gypped. It’s miserable when you get combination gifts for your birthday and Christmas.”
Jude Law‘s on/off girlfriend Sienna Miller also feels hard done by on her Dec. 28 birthday. She moans, “I sometimes get joint Christmas and birthday presents, which drives me mad.”
[PAGEBREAK]While Bratt and Miller feel cheated, fellow actor Denzel Washington feels blessed by his December birthday. Having grown up as a son of a Pentecostal minister, Washington has always celebrated Christmas for its religious meaning and feels his birthday is more spiritual as a result. The Oscar winner even claims he has a guardian angel.
He explains, “When I was a young boy I saw an angel. It looked like my sister but then I saw wings. I walked over to the door and opened it so some light came in the room. Then it faded away. I later asked my mother about it and she said, ‘It’s probably your guardian angel.’ Ever since I’ve felt protected.”
Washington is a perfect example of a Capricorn, according to Neptune. The Training Day star’s ambition and drive has brought him nearly two decades of critically-acclaimed acting roles and his 2002 Oscar for Best Actor. Neptune explains, “Capricorns always aim high. Once they reach the top, they manage to stay there.”
Every year, the millionaire actor practices his Christian charity values and gives to the less fortunate. A few years ago, generous Washington bought 300 tickets to the Broadway production of The Lion King for AIDS sufferers, after researching the illness for his role in Philadelphia back in 1993. This year, the star has donated $25,000 to a Virginia charity which helps people struggling to meet winter heating costs.
Despite Washington‘s good deeds, Brad Pitt likes to indulge his naughty side on his December birthday, by boozing and asking for soft porn DVDs. The movie hunk celebrated his 40th birthday on the Maltese set of Troy, but was forced to control his alcohol intake because he was filming a fight scene with co-star Eric Bana.
Pitt recalls, “There was definitely wine consumed that day, but not too much because we were shooting the (climactic) fight sequence. When I returned to Los Angeles, Jennifer (Aniston) and I celebrated my birthday and Christmas sort of all at the same time with close friends.” Despite his ex-wife’s dislike for the soft porn DVD series Girls Gone Wild, Aniston bought Pitt a collection of the videos. Pitt smirks, “Girls Gone Wild – I just succumb to the advertising. My wife actually broke down and bought me some for my birthday. She’s a team player.”
Neptune says Pitt‘s wild behavior demonstrates his Sagittarius personality. He explains, “Sagittarians are real party animals. They are fun-loving, spontaneous and love to be the centre of attention at a party. They often grow their hair long or dye it crazy colors to demonstrate their passion for life.” Aside from his divorce from Jennifer Aniston and controversial relationship with Angelina Jolie, Pitt has hit the headlines in 2005 for his various haircuts, going from platinum blonde to jet black for his role in the forthcoming Jesse James biopic.
Pitt shares his birthday with Tom Cruise‘s pregnant fiancée Katie Holmes, who plans to celebrate her birthday as low-key as ever. Far from being a party animal, the former Dawson’s Creek actress admits she just spends the day “relaxing with close friends”… and now Cruise of course. And as we’ve seen from the couple’s many public displays of affection, Holmes lives up to the Sagittarian trait of being affectionate. Neptune admits he isn’t surprised by their red carpet displays. He says, “When Sagittarians and Geminis get together, it’s like a firework display. There is an intense, magnetic sexual attraction between the pair, which makes it difficult for either to control their burning passion. When the signs get together, even they will be surprised by the depth of their love…” This could explain Cruise‘s infamous couch-surfing episode on the Oprah Winfrey show in May.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods celebrates his special day only a day before New Years Eve, meaning a very busy week in the golfer’s home. His father Earl Woods–who taught Tiger how to play golf–always made sure friends and family separated presents for the young Tiger so he didn’t feel stung. Earl says, “Tiger’s birthday is December 30, which meant he got presents at Christmas and another batch five days later. When he was five, he started claiming he got only half a Christmas and half a birthday. He thought we bought one batch of presents and split them. I never could convince him otherwise. He left Santa Claus out of the debate and focused on Tida and me. He did get more presents. Smart kid.”
The following day, Welsh actor Sir Anthony Hopkins shares his big day with New Year’s Eve, meaning he has to compete with the coming year for attention. However, Hopkins insists he has never felt ignored. Hopkins enthuses, “One year, I bought a Ferrari for myself. It means the whole world celebrates my birthday.”
Fellow New Year’s baby Val Kilmer blames his birthday for his tardiness. The Batman Forever hunk admits he looks at time differently because it’s such a big feature of New Year’s Eve. He says, “It made me consider time differently, because my year ends when the year ends. I blame my birthdate for being hung up about time.”
While some stars are another year older over the Christmas and New Year season, some celebrities are moving heaven and earth to make a birthday special for their loved ones.
After moving from Canada to Los Angeles to find fame, former Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson admits she misses the white Christmases she grew up with and always makes sure her youngest son Dylan has a snowy December birthday. The millionaire pin-up loves to create a winter wonderland in her back yard every year. She says, “My youngest’s birthday is in December, so, whatever house I’ve been in over the past few years, I bring real snow to my house and just cover it and fill the entire yard and have sleds and everyone’s in board shorts–little kids snowboarding on Dylan’s birthday. I had a little snow on the beach. Dylan loves the snow.”
English actor Paul Bettany finds the holiday season very expensive, because he has to lavish his actress wife Jennifer Connelly with birthday, Christmas and wedding anniversary presents. The A Beautiful Mind star laments, “I did the rather stupid thing of marrying a woman whose birthday was on 12th December, and then I married her on January 1st so I have these three presents to get. I’m in a gift crisis at the moment.”
So on Christmas Day, when you’re tucking into your turkey and raising a glass of sherry, maybe give an extra ‘cheers’ to your favorite star, who may just been celebrating their birthday as well.
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