SuffolkNews reporter Cameron Reid was born on Christmas Day: Here are the questions he is asked every year and why December 25 is the 'worst day of the year to be born'

Christmas Day is the worst day of the year to be born.

Yes, I said it. It may be a rather extreme opinion to start off this article but you can’t convince me otherwise.

After I was born at West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds on December 25, 2000, little did I know I had just landed myself a birthday I would later come to discover is not exactly the ideal date to enter the world.

I won’t produce an essay on why this is the case but I will highlight two very simple but significant reasons.

Firstly, it is my special day. It is my birthday. Despite that, literally everyone else is opening presents and getting stuff they want, which is obviously great, but for purely selfish reasons I think why do 10 other people get stuff they want as well?

Secondly, I have to wait a painfully long 365 days before I can be given something I want again. What if my interests change? What if there’s a pair of shoes I really like? What if I want a pair of swim shorts for the summer? It’s simply not fair. I’m definitely not annoyed by it…

Anyway, here are five questions I always get asked about my birthday and my calm and composed answers to them.

Do you get double presents?

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. It’s probably the most common question I get asked and it’s fair to say I’m not at all sick of the question, *he says dripping with sarcasm*.

Generally, up until I was no longer a teenager, I received both a present for my birthday and Christmas. There were maybe a few times that some sneaky people combined the two together, but this was thankfully very rare.

If I had a good bond with the person or family, they then provided presents for both occasions. Clearly, very few people dared mess with me…

Are you the second coming of Jesus?

Absolutely I am. I can perform all sorts of things that I would consider miracles. For example, I can just about manage the impossible task of being able to put all four corners of the sheet on my bed without losing my cool when one corner snaps off…

Of course I’m only joking. To my knowledge, I am not directly related to Jesus.

If somehow without me knowing, I actually am sent from God - I wouldn't mind some kingly gifts such as gold or frankincense, because where they’ve gone is certainly a myrrh-stery. Apologies for the shocking attempt at a pun.

How does it actually work for you on December 25?

This is a simple, but complex answer. It’s always mainly been that my family and I open Christmas presents in the morning and early afternoon. I then get to open my birthday presents in the late afternoon or early evening.

I must admit by the time it comes around to opening my birthday presents, I feel a tad guilty that I’m also stealing the festive spirit and it all becomes about me, even though of course it is my own, personal celebration too.

By the end of the day I’m normally a bit shattered but I’m always happy (from what I can remember over the years).

Can’t you celebrate your birthday at a different time?

I get the argument that I could hold a birthday party in the summer or something like that, but I’ve always been of the belief it simply wouldn’t feel right.

Ask yourself if you would feel happy with having a birthday party six months after your actual birthday…

It doesn't feel right does it?

Does it annoy you that you were born on Christmas Day?

Well unless you’ve randomly skipped through the article to this point, the majority of you have probably guessed by now it does only ever so slightly irk me.

To sum it up, I would rather be born on any other day of the year. It’s that simple and it’s not an exaggeration.

I’ve evaluated all the other potential worst days in the calendar but I’m confident no other day comes close. However, I’m open to being proved wrong.

Despite the rather negative tone this article may possess, I would like to take a moment to say how much I appreciate all my family and friends who do such a good job when it comes to my birthday and the way it all works.

It’s also not all doom and gloom on my birthday. Family members get to be together and everyone is in high spirits - and I’m not talking about the wine that certain people may have drank too much of.

All in all, as much as I dislike the date of my birthday, it’s still an absolutely amazing day and I treasure it very much.

Merry Christmas everyone and may your 2023 be truly glorious.