Around the holidays, Burl Ives wishes us a "holly, jolly Christmas" and says it's the best time of the year -- but is it really the best time to celebrate a birthday? If your child's or loved one's birthday falls near the holidays, a common worry is that friends and family members are making a list and checking it twice but forgetting their special day. But by doing a little thoughtful planning, paying attention to decorative details and enrolling others in your ideas, you can make both celebrations special.

Parents have long sought ways for their Christmastime-born offspring not to miss out on their day, and one simple solution is to create a designated separate celebration day. For her daughter's December birthday, Carrie Horn, a contributor to the popular website Parenting.com, says: "This year I pretended her special day fell another time of year. I bought all the Scooby-Doo themed cups and plates and snuck in a birthday party among Christmas shopping and festivities. But if I feel like I'm just not pulling it off, I can always fall back on making a big deal out of her half birthday in June and throw a pool party." One advantage is that the weather is usually warmer in summer, and many fun outdoor activities are possible. Other parents put off the birthday celebration for just a few days or weeks. With this plan, school-age children are more likely to have classmates who are able to attend the celebration. And post-holiday sales result in everything from decorations to gifts being available at reduced prices.

If your extended family members are otherwise scattered across the country, sometimes the convenience of them coming in for the holiday does make it an ideal time to celebrate a Christmas birthday. Give your child a few hours away from the Christmas tree and other decorations to celebrate with the other youngsters he might not normally get to spend time with. In fact, if your child's birthday is a few days after Christmas, feel free to remove all the tree ornaments and replace them with gift bows and balloons. Make sure that at least one of the presents is not wrapped in Christmas paper but in birthday wrap. If money is tight, wrap your child's biggest gift in birthday wrap and leave the rest under the tree. And be sure to let your relatives know your plans and ask for their cooperation in making the day special just for your child.

The slight that some children feel about sharing their day with this major event often changes as they reach adulthood. Gloria, who was born on Dec. 24, says, "The thing that used to bother me about a Christmas Eve birthday was when I was elementary school age, I could never have a birthday party on my actual birthday." Nowadays she enjoys spending her birthday at her church, where many of her fellow congregants remember to shower her with birthday greetings. Marnie's birthday is Dec. 25. She admits to feeling bad for others whose birthdays are just a few days off from the holiday, since there is usually a huge rush to get everything Christmasy right, and everyone is busy with shopping, cleaning and cooking. But she's found a silver lining for her birthday: "The good part is I've never had to work on my birthday. When I have to give people my birthday I usually get a happy response so that's always pleasant." Though your child won't comprehend it at the time, it's nice to know that childhood birthday sorrows can actually become positive opportunities later on.

Adults also have a greater power to take back their holiday birthday for themselves. One very big advantage is they probably won't get stuck with the cooking or heavy lifting of preparing the Christmas feast. They can hang a birthday banner or a birthday ornament on the tree. They can claim a mealtime in honor of their birthday and designate food and a birthday cake that is served separate from the Christmas feast. If someone asks if they would mind a dual gift that covers both their birthday and Christmas, they can -- and should -- be thoughtful about the cost involved but also be honest if they would prefer that their birthday gift be something special and just have a token gift for Christmas.

At the end of the day, the gift wrap and the cake aren't what make a birthday special; it's a loving family who makes the birthday boy or girl feel valued and cared for. So put your heads together and make this year one to remember.