KEY POINTS:
I hope you all had a marvellous Christmas and that you were surrounded by family and friends.
Merry Christmas one and all, and to all Christmas babies, a very special Happy Birthday.
Usually you can tell the kids who were born on or around Christmas - just ask any Holly, Noelle, Carol, Joy, Nicholas or Kris.
I didn't get the Christmas-themed name - although I'd have quite liked being a Holly.
I turned 44 yesterday and as usual, it was a low-key celebration.
Nobody feels much like eating and drinking on December 27 - you're in that sort of post-Christmas/pre-New Year no man's land where just the sight of another glass of champagne is almost enough to send you screaming along to the nearest Temperance Society meeting.
Most people are with their families so it's hard to rustle up enough friends to fill a telephone box far less a restaurant or a backyard. So once again it's left to my family to make me feel special.
They do a pretty good job, but when you're a Christmas baby, you know you're a hassle.
My family have always been very good about ensuring I had Christmas presents AND birthday presents, but you know that you're just another name on the list to be ticked off: Mum, Dad, Tony, Kate, Kerre - oh, bugger! And Kerre's birthday present.
Still I mustn't complain. I made the mistake of whining about how I'd never had a decent party on the radio one day and my nana rang me to tick me off.
She reminded me that I'd had a brilliant party when I was four.
She'd made orange jelly - you know when you pour the jelly into a scooped out orange and can cut the jelly in slices?
That we'd had cheerios and I'd had a new dress and lace tights that scratched but that I'd had to keep on until the photos were taken.
And even though I hadn't had any friends along, there were plenty of family members to indulge my nascent A-type personality need for attention. So there. Yes, of course, I'd had parties.
I apologised and thanked her once again for the orange jelly but deep inside there still burns a longing for a really flash party with music and dancing and lots of people and a great big cake. And plenty of presents.
I know it's truly better to give than to receive but, dear me.
When I think of the presents I've bought over the past 30-odd years and the paucity of the presents I've received in return - well.
If it wasn't such a festive time and a period of goodwill to all men, a girl could get very, very bitter.
Still I suppose all of us Christmas kids should be grateful we weren't born in Greece.
According to Greek tradition, children born at Christmas are thought to be Kallikantzaroi - half-human, half-beast, with huge heads, red eyes, donkey's ears, tusks and long curved nails.
They are being punished for the mother's sin of daring to give birth at a time sacred to the Mother of God. Poor little critters.
Although after the festivities of the past few days, I think I'm transmogrifying - the huge head and the red eyes are there.
I'm just waiting for the tusks to appear. Happy Birthday my fellow Kallikantzaroi.
* www.kerrewoodham.com
