DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with your response to "The Day After" whose family member's birthday was on Dec. 26. They asked if they could "get away with giving only one gift" instead of a separate gift for Christmas and the birthday. You replied that it was all right to give one gift, but to give a card for each occasion. To be fair, if they would've given a gift to the family member if the birthday were in June, they should likewise give a separate gift when the birthday is the day after Christmas. It IS short-changing and unfair to penalize someone for being born too close to a gift-giving holiday. If money is the issue, then buy two smaller gifts. Treat each day as separate and special (as you said), but by acting as you would if they were months apart. --Speaking Out for the Short-Changed, Chicago
DEAR SPEAKING OUT FOR THE SHORT-CHANGED: Fair point! Because money usually is the reason that people tend to buy only one gift for a person whose birthday is near a gift-giving holiday, dividing up the money to give two separate gifts can solve that concern. Even better, remember to set a little extra money aside for celebrating this person's special day.
I will add that for those who want to give a higher-priced gift to a family member, you can give that bigger gift for one celebration and a smaller token of love for the other.