Why Winter Birthdays In The '90s Ruled

Must-have toys ruled the '90s, and accordingly, companies always revved up production to launch their latest creations over the holiday season for maximum hype. With so many chances to unwrap gifts, those with winter birthdays were sure to get the latest fad toy, be it a Furby, Beanie Baby, Tamagotchi, or Tickle Me Elmo. If the American Girl doll or Nintendo 64 of your dreams was a little over budget, you could leverage it as a combo-birthday/holiday present (and your parents were always happy to kill two birds with one stone).

As fall turned to winter, the local rink would get a frosty makeover, transforming it into the perfect winter party destination. Where else could you glide around with friends to all the latest hits from N*SYNC to Mariah Carrey, all while pretending to be Michelle Kwan? Forget splashing in a pool — attempting to do a double toe loop to "I Want It That Way" was so much more fun; what's more, there was no tedious sunblock application necessary.

If your birthday fell around the holiday season, the early winter months would deliver an embarrassment of riches. Those with winter birthdays could rest assured that if they didn't see everything they wanted packaged with a holiday bow, another round of gifts would be on its way very soon. It was hard not to feel spoiled at the end of it all, but you always enjoyed your mountain of gifts to the fullest. Cold weather is an excellent reason to stay inside and play with them.

Slip 'N' Slides were great and all, but they paled in comparison to the adrenaline rush you would get from sledding and snow tubing. As soon as the first sprinkling of white powder fell, '90s kids were already dreaming of hitting the slopes, careening down the local hill, Calvin and Hobbes-style. Throw in a good snowball fight, and you've got yourself one heck of a birthday shindig.

There is no better feeling than coming in from the cold and warming your hands on a toasty mug of hot chocolate. While summer birthdays called for cold, refreshing drinks like lemonade or Capri Sun, those born in the chilly months could enjoy some instant Swiss Miss topped with heaps of marshmallows even before the cake was cut. If you do the math, that basically two desserts.

With a winter break in both late December and in February, if you were born around the holidays, there was a high likelihood that you wouldn't have school on your birthday. Add in the chance of a snow day and you were practically swimming in leisure time!

Playing outside gets a little more complicated when it's hovering around freezing, which meant your classmates were all too eager to get out of the house. A winter birthday party was a perfect excuse to come out of hibernation and go a little crazy with the outdoor fun. No matter how you chose to celebrate, your party would be a success.

If you wanted to evade bad weather on your birthday, a movie theater party was a perfect way to relax while loading up on candy and popcorn. A ton of '90s classics came out just in time for the holidays, so you were never short something awesome to watch with your pals. Whether you were looking for a fun animation like An American Tail or Anastasia, or an exciting live action comedy like Hook, Home Alone, or Jumanji, there were plenty of great options at your local theater.

No matter how you slice it, being born around the same time that people are giving out holiday cookies is one of the best things ever.

'90s fashion was all about layers, making the winter season the perfect time to show off your best threads. If your birthday fell during winter, you would always look hip in flannel layers, leather jackets, knee socks and Doc Martens — heck, even that neon snowsuit is coming back into style today.