Tom Riddle's birthday

[Carol]

No: HPFGUIDX 185212

Carol earlier:
> >
> > Any thoughts as to why JKR chose today (December 31; New Year's
Eve) as Voldemort's birthday?

Kamion responded:
> some other replies say that JKr wanted a contrast to the warm and
sunny birth conditions of her hero.
> This is remarkeble because almost all mythical hero's are born in
the darkest period of the year. Voldymort has a birthday closer
related with the solar hero's like Mithras and Christ, Llew Llaw
Gyffes( Wales) or Garion from David Eddings Belgeriad.
> It's just the rival of the hero that has his birthday in midsummer
and who grows up under the waining powers of the sun .
> 
> Harry has all the characterics of a solar hero <snip>

Carol responds:

Interesting. The only "solar hero" I'm familiar with is Sir Gawain in
"Gawain and the Green knight," who (IIRC) is modeled on or derived
from the Celtic hero Cuculain, whose powers waxed and waned with the
sun. As for Harry, his birthday is July 31 because that's JKR's own
birthday (and the reason, IMO, that she tends to forget that most
students, unlike Harry, have a birthday during the school year).

I was thinking more in terms of astrology or Tarot, not that I know
much about either subject, but Trelawney's comments about being born
in midwinter "under the baleful influence of Saturn" seem to apply
more to Tom Riddle (and Severus Snape) than to Harry (unless we count
the baleful influence of the soul bit). Also, I seem to recall reading
somewhere that in medieval times December 31 was associated with the
devil. If so, it's a most appropriate day for Tom Riddle's birth (no
offense intended to anyone with that birthday!).

At any rate, JKR also has an odd fascination with *October* 31,
Halloween (not coincidentally, Harry's probable conception date if we
consider gestation as lasting nine months). You'd think she'd make
Voldie's birth date January 31 (which is more "midwinter" than
December 31, only ten days after the beginning of winter) to place it
as far as possible from Harry's birthdate.

His being born at the tail end of the old (dying) year must have some
significance. Maybe it ties in with his mother's despair.

Any more thoughts on symbolism or superstition that she might have had
in mind?

Carol, who has nothing whatever against December 31 or New Year's Eve
(if you don't count drunken revellers making a lot of noise and posing
a danger to themselves and others)