ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 26, 1996 TAG: 9612260079
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
FOR most people, Christmas is all Christmas.
But not for young Michael Russo. He has a neat blend of Christmas Eve and birthday.
He was born on Christmas Eve in 1985, and since then has celebrated his birthday along with Christmas.
But Michael goes one step further - he has a full-fledged birthday celebration in June in addition to the Christmas Eve event.
And it doesn't bother him that his main birthday observance comes six months late.
"It's kind of nice," Michael said. "At Christmas Eve, most of my friends are away and can't come to a birthday party."
The June event becomes a backyard pool cookout with cake, candles, ice cream and presents at the family home in Southwest Roanoke County.
"Having it in June spreads it out," said Kathy Russo, noting that she also must plan birthday events for her three other children, all of whom were born in December or January. Two were born on Dec.9 five years apart.
But on Christmas Eve, Michael's birthday is not overlooked.
"We always have cake, ice cream and gifts for him," his mother said, "and after that we go on with Christmas."
And, as Michael said, that means he has two birthday celebrations in the same year, an honor most people don't get.
Michael missed being a Christmas Day baby by 32 minutes. He was born at 11:28 p.m. on Christmas Eve, making that holiday an exciting time for Kathy and Chris Russo and the three other children.
Michael is in the fifth grade at Oak Grove Elementary School.
He is one of an undetermined number of people who have birthdays or wedding anniversaries on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. And, like the Russo family, they blend the two events in various ways.
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For Mimi Copenhaver of Salem, who was born on Christmas Eve, both events were celebrated on the same day.
"I was an only child," she said, "and when I was growing up, my parents always had a birthday party for me."
For several hours, Christmas was pushed aside while her birthday was remembered.
"Many of my friends came, and we had cake, candles and ice cream and played games," she said.
And she got birthday presents that were separate from the usual Christmas gifts.
Copenhaver said she does not think she has missed anything by not having a birthday at some other time of the year.
"It's really been fine," she said. "It's nice having a birthday at this special time of year."
Now that she's grown and a wife and mother, her birthday activities usually take a back seat, she said. Her special birthday gift now usually is that other members of the family take over some of her chores.
"It works out fine," she said.
* * *
Being born on Christmas is an extra special event for Mary B. Harding.
"It is Jesus' birthday, and I'm proud that my birthday is on the same day as his," she said.
Harding, who lives in Roanoke, said that when she was growing up, nothing special was done for her birthday because all the family's activities went into Christmas. And that suited her.
Christmas is a special time, she said, and that makes her birthday special, also.
* * *
Requirements of the working world led two Roanoke Valley couples to get married in the Yuletide season.
David and Alda Bower of Troutville were married on Christmas Day in 1958, and Chris and Linda Hogan of Roanoke were married on Christmas Eve in 1984.
For both couples, marriage in the holiday season seemed sensible because that was the only time they could be certain of having time off together.
Also, their respective churches were decorated and family members were assembled.
"It seemed like a beautiful time to get married," Alda Bower said.
Linda Hogan said that she and Chris have had no problem having two celebrations at the same time.
"We just do both of them together," she said.
Alda Bower, however, hinted that they might pick another day if they were getting married now.
"Looking back, I'm not sure it was the smartest thing to do," she said.
Their anniversary gets almost lost in Christmas. But not quite.
"My husband never forgets our anniversary," she said, "and our two children mention it most of the time. But we usually don't do anything special."
Sometimes during the Christmas season they will have dinner out or take a short trip as an anniversary remembrance, she said. "But it's always after the fact."
LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ROGER HART/Staff. Michael Russo, 11, a fifth-grader atby CNBOak Grove Elementary School in Roanoke County, was born on Christmas
Eve, prompting some dual decorating by his family. color.