Christmas birthday party?

My LO is turning 4 just before Christmas. Her birthday is the last day of preschool before the holiday break, so I thought we could host a party right after school that day since it is within walking distance and that timing would probably be easiest for everyone.

But I've never thrown a real birthday party for her. In the past, we had small family/friends gatherings but this year she has a lot of little friends so I kind of want to go all out. What's the protocol for Christmas birthday parties, though? Should I put "no gifts" on the invite? Do a lot of people do that? I'd hate for her friends' families to have to buy another gift at Christmastime, and she'll get piles of stuff from us anyway. Are presents still an integral part of birthday parties? They were when I was little, but maybe that has changed in the name of sparing everyone's feelings. Or should I do a gift exchange? Like, ask everyone to bring a small gift suitable for anyone in the class and then we play some kind of game and everybody takes a present home? I am just not sure what to do. I want it to be about her birthday, not Christmas, but it IS Christmas so I just don't know what's appropriate. Mostly I just want her to feel celebrated and I want all the kids to have fun. And I am a total rookie at this.

Suggestions?

Maybe you could do like a secret Santa?

Yeah, I was kind of thinking that.

Do people often put "no gifts" on birthday party invitations these days?

I don't want her to get the shaft but I also don't want to add to anybody's holiday stress or budget, y'know?

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" My LO is turning 4 just before Christmas. Her birthday is the last day of preschool before the holiday ... [snip!] ... Mostly I just want her to feel celebrated and I want all the kids to have fun. And I am a total rookie at this. Suggestions?"

id do it like a normal party or if you dont want to do presents ask parents to help with the food maybe if you do presents make sure to give her friends little gift bags the gift exchange is cool but i dont think its for a party mine and my sisters birthdays are around christmas and we always just did a reg pbirthday party

Quoting Jillian Lindsey:" id do it like a normal party or if you dont want to do presents ask parents to help with the food maybe ... [snip!] ... i dont think its for a party mine and my sisters birthdays are around christmas and we always just did a reg pbirthday party "

Ok, that helps thank you!
My birthday's in the summer so I don't have a clue about Christmastime birthday stuff.

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" Yeah, I was kind of thinking that. Do people often put "no gifts" on birthday party invitations these ... [snip!] ... these days? I don't want her to get the shaft but I also don't want to add to anybody's holiday stress or budget, y'know?"

my son was born on christmas eve.. this year is his first birthday and probably the ONLY birthday i will throw near his actual birthday.. because i want him to be 1 on his first birthday party.. when he gets older we will do a family celebration of his Birthday on christmas eve, with a cake and a nice dinner and a present or 2. then have an actual bday party in the summer with friends and balloons and all that stuff..

its a big financial burden on us at this time of the year because of christmas, andnow his birthday and our oldest was born on Jan. 5th so we have like 3 events on top of each other! lol

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" Ok, that helps thank you! My birthday's in the summer so I don't have a clue about Christmastime birthday stuff."

anytime also maybe if you do presents put a price limit? like 15$ maybe so like a barbie or paint or whatever a little girl likes lol that way people wont feel obligated to spend 25-30$ on a gift

Both of my children have birthdays around Christmas. I do one part for both of them, and always tell everyone presents are not expected. I don't tell them not to, because if they can and want to I'm fine with that, but I make sure everyone knows its not a big deal if they don't. And I always have little treat/gift bags for the other kids  

Thanks everybody!

I'm definitely going to do goodie bags for everyone, and I thought we could decorate ornaments or do some other craft just to make sure all the kids get to take something home. I'm trying to figure out the wording for the invitations because I want to order them now, so I guess I just won't put anything about gifts. School is over at 11:30 so I figured we'd have pizza and cupcakes, play a couple of games, and do the crafty activity. Does that cover everything or am I missing something?

Another question - do kids still open gifts at the party, usually? Seems like the past few parties I've attended for my nephews and stuff, they don't necessarily open gifts while everyone is watching anymore. Something about not wanting to make anybody feel bad. Is this common?

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" Thanks everybody! I'm definitely going to do goodie bags for everyone, and I thought we could decorate ... [snip!] ... open gifts while everyone is watching anymore. Something about not wanting to make anybody feel bad. Is this common?"

open gifts at the party in front of everyone at 4 they shld understand birthdays plus it may make the kids feel good if she gets excited about what they got her parents are making kids sissys when they do that in my opinion just do the goodie bags and have a prize or two for the games like some nail polish pizza and cake will be good and some drinks we never really did food just cake but 1130 is around lunch so def do some food

Quoting Stfu Shirley:" Yeah, I was kind of thinking that. Do people often put "no gifts" on birthday party invitations these ... [snip!] ... these days? I don't want her to get the shaft but I also don't want to add to anybody's holiday stress or budget, y'know?"

You could always do bring a treat or something instead of present. Something all of the kids can enjoy.

My birthday is Jan 2 and as a kid I was really bummed about how my birthday was always overshadowed by Christmas. I hated getting Christmas/birthday presents and not being able to have a real birthday party. If I were you I wouldn't do any kind of Christmas stuff at the party. I would make it completely about the birthday. My son's birthday is Dec 29, and I've made it my goal to make sure he never feels the way I did about his birthday.

I have a few friends who put no gifts on the invite, and they don't open the gifts they receive at the party. If you ask for no gifts and then only some people bring gifts, it would be tacky to open them in front of everyone. You don't want the people who didn't bring a gift to feel bad. Just make sure to write good thank you notes.

Quoting JenTheHen:" My birthday is Jan 2 and as a kid I was really bummed about how my birthday was always overshadowed by ... [snip!] ... front of everyone. You don't want the people who didn't bring a gift to feel bad. Just make sure to write good thank you notes."

i hate when that happens my mom always did her best to try not to do the birthday and christmas thing

I wouldnt do a no gift thing.

I think its mean to not do a seperate thing for birthdays and Christmas.
I have my neice who was born on Christmas, we still do a bday party for her first, then do christmas second.

Like they do a party with friends the week before christmas.
Then her actual birthday they get up (christmas morning) she opens birthday gifts, they have a birthday breakfast, then after lunch they do Christmas. No talk about Christmas till they celebrate her birthday first. So we do seperate gifts for her.

I like the way they do it. A friend of mine who's kid is close to Christmas they didnt do the gift thing for a few yrs for her party and that since it was too close to Christmas, it really hurt her feelings a lot, and she was always sad about it. Like Christmas was more important. Kids to care, I know its not all about gifts and kids should no that too. I just think its disrespectful not too.