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"Today is yours," we tell people on their birthday. "Enjoy it."
But sadly, nobody, not even Einstein, has owned that much time. If any. And in case we forget, the universe likes to remind us of that.
Bought 60 doughnuts for the office to celebrate? Too bad, you'll need to self-isolate and work from home. Baked yourself a cake? Oops, the floor ate it all.
So what do we do when we get the short end of the stick? The only thing there's left. Laugh. Here's an exclusive Bored Panda list of the most unfortunate birthdays. Enjoy!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I Was The Only One Who Turned Up To My B-Day Party. So I Got Some Balloon Friends To Join
hyperunknown 3 years ago (edited)
I approve of the similar logo on the balloons. Don't feel alienated though, atleast there's music. Pop-music, when you pop them.
#2
The Worst Birthday Card I've Ever Gotten
Birthday rituals are historical and universal events, which have been around since the prehistoric era. But in ancient history, only the privileged had birthdays; the "parties" were solely reserved for kings and nobility members.
Familiar birthday customs and symbols are currently seen among most cultures, however, some people have adopted unique traditions, characterized by their values and way of life.
For example, in ancient Japan, children often died young, so nowadays, in addition to their actual parties, they participate in the 7-5-3 celebration (Shichi-go-san), held on November 15. The name refers to the ages of the children celebrated: any child who reaches age three, boys who reach age five, and girls who reach age seven. They put on fine clothing and visit a religious shrine in thankfulness for their health.
#3
My Kid During His Birthday Safari
#4
Happy Birthday!
#5
Thank You, Facebook
Daniela Strobl 3 years ago
Really... Have the decency to program it to say "We wish you a happy birthday." when it hits below a certain number.
Eppe 3 years ago
I guess every single programmer was busy trying to figure out how to shove as many ads as possible down our throats
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Philly Bob Squires 3 years ago
And while we're at it... let's show you past memories of you and and that girl/boy friend who cheated on you with your best friend, together walking your dog that died last year?
Lara Kristelle 3 years ago (edited)
For some reason, I think knowing someone's bday by heart sends a warm feeling to the celebrant.
Noel Benavente 3 years ago
My perfect birthday, i actually hate when people you haven't seen in years and you barely speak to wish you a Happy Birthday on FB... and you politely have to answer.. THANK you!!
Another interesting tradition is in Nepal, where it's considered good luck for the birthday girl or boy to have brightly colored rice yogurt smeared on their forehead. There may be cake, there may be gifts, but colorful, delicious, and sticky yogurt? Almost always.
Interestingly, ancient Greeks also celebrated their gods' birthdays. And we're having their "leftovers" even today. The Greeks had a tradition where they would bake a special cake made of wheat, honey, olive oil, and cheese. It was sometimes made into a lunar shape to honor the goddess Artemis. In honor of her beauty, candles were put on the cake to make it glow.
#6
It Was Supposed To Say Happy Birthday Lizard (Her Nickname)
#7
Today’s My Birthday. No One Could Make It Over For Pizza And Games, The Power Went Out And I Twisted My Ankle Because I Couldn’t See Coming Down The Stairs
It’ll be me, the guitar, and some tears tonight. Happy 20th to me!
#8
Everyone Including My Parents Forgot It Was My Birthday Today, So I Improvised
#9
My Friend's 16th Birthday Was On 9/11
Over time, the birthday cake spread throughout the world. It is often thought that China was the first to bake a cake for a child's first birthday, but it's probably the Germans who actually modernized this tradition in the 18th century and made it what we know today.
German cakes typically included candles, one for each year the person had lived plus one more for good luck that they would survive the next. The Germans were also the first to start making a wish when blowing out the candles.
#10
My Quarantine Birthday Is Going Well
Sergio Bicerra Descalzi 3 years ago
Last pic face is like " try not to cry, try not to cry, be brave..."
#11
Me And All The Friends I Invited To My Birthday
#12
Bought 60 Doughnuts For The Office Today To Celebrate My 20th Birthday, Only To Be Told I Need To Self Isolate/Work From Home For The Next Week
#13
Someone Threw Away The Rest Of My Birthday Cake Before I Was Able To Take It Home
#14
Did This At Football Practice. On My Birthday
#15
Someone Cut The Cake That Was For Me Today At Work Without Telling Anyone In The Break Room
#16
It’s My Birthday. It’s Also The Only Day My Doctor Could Remove My 3 Kidney Stones (Laser Lithotripsy)
#17
Mom Made Me A Birthday Cake Last Year. Didn't Leave Enough Room To Dot The Exclamation Point
#18
Someone Stole My Professor's Birthday Cupcakes That He Left In His Room For Today
#19
Whole Foods Prime Delivery For My Mom's Birthday
#20
How My Friend Is Celebrating His Birthday Today
#21
When You Get A Cake For Your Birthday And You’re Older Brother Eats It Before You Celebrate Your Birthday
Debbie Barnes 3 years ago
That is just wrong.. They'd be riots in my home if my brother had done this..
#22
Absolutly No One Remembered My Birthday Except Another Person Who Has The Same Birthday As Me And Gave Me A Pen
#23
It's My Birthday. I'm In The Hospital And They Don't Know What's Wrong
#24
Well, That's Annoying
#25
Turned 26 Today, Contact Fell Out While Walking Into Work, Tried To Rub My Eye To Help The Irritation While Looking Down, And Walked Into A Brick Wall. Happy Birthday To Me
Couch potato 3 years ago
Welp. They are definitely having a worse day than me (and I thought I had it bad)
#26
Had To Have Emergency Surgery To Get My Appendix Removed This Morning. Oh And It's My Birthday
#27
My Mom Made Me A Pan Of Brownies For My Birthday, And My Son Insisted On To Carrying Them On The Way Home
Got back and somehow they ended up with a giant footprint in them.
#28
Happy Birthday, Hope You Didn’t Want A Cake
#29
Decided To Work On My Birthday Today, Was Going To Leave Early But Instead 3 People Called Out So Here I Am 12 And A Half Hours In And Still Going. Happy Birthday To Me
#30
My Mom Ordered A TV (Delivered By FedEx) For Me For My Birthday. We Just Opened It Up To Turn It On And...
#31
The USPS Cares. About Stealing Your Birthday Money Sent From Your Poor Grandmother
#32
This Was My Dad's Boat On Our 2nd Time Out After Buying It. It Was Also On My Birthday
Samantha Lomb 3 years ago
Oh I remember mom getting dad a boat as a surprise for his 40th? Birthday . She had my uncle park it in the drive when we were at the restaurant and when we came home we all started singing "Happy Birthday" while my dad starts shouting "Who the hell parked their goddamned boat in my driveway!?" It took him a while to catch on. Needless to say, not the reaction my mom was looking for
#33
Homeless On My Birthday And Out Of Gas. Such Is Life I Guess
Debbie Barnes 3 years ago
I'm hoping there will come a day when you look back to this day and remember how far you've come.....
#34
Birthday Gift From My Family To My Introverted Self So I'll Have "Someone To Talk To"
#35
My Mom Wanted To Surprise Me With A Delivery Of My Favorite Pizza & Ice Cream From Ohio To LA For My Birthday. UPS Lost The Package For 2 Days And Delivered On The 3rd - Refused Refund
She packed it in a cooler on ice & shipped via UPS for $350+ so it could be delivered the next day during my birthday party.
#36
I Tested Positive For Covid-19 On My Birthday
#37
One Of My Dogs Decided The Best Way To Start My Birthday Was To Get Sprayed By A Skunk Right Before We Went To Bed And Now Our Whole House Smells Like Skunk
Mazer 3 years ago
From an MIT grad: Mix together: 1 quart of 3-percent hydrogen peroxide (available at any pharmacy) 1/4 cup baking soda. 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing soap. Put on dog, let sit a few minutes Never bottle it, it will explode Might take two washes Happy Birthday PS - I am a dog lover, my best friend got a stick for their birthday. No I don’t own a dog, no the stick wasn’t for a dog Who do you people think I am??
#38
My Little Brother Had His Appendix Removed On His 11th Birthday
#39
Today Is My Birthday And This Is What Should Have Become My Cake
#40
At My 30th Birthday, One Of My Friends Dropped His Phone On The Cake. One Of My Best Memory And One Of His Worst
#41
Yesterday, On My Birthday, Some Lady Decided To Cut Across Traffic And Hit Me Head On
#42
My Parents Gave Me This As A Birthday Present Today. For When I Leave Home And Want To Travel
#43
Today Is My Birthday, And All I Can Do Due To Restrictions Is Buy A Whole Box Of Donuts For Myself
#44
Kid Spitting All Over The Cake
Sleazy Weaver 3 years ago
I really can't fathom why people don't give little kids their own cupcake with a candle to blow out instead of ruining an entire cake. It's wasteful, not to mention disrespectful to guests...
#45
I Ate It Anyway. 4 Hours Of Baking, Half An Hour Before My Bday BBQ, Dropped On The Ground. And Every Piece Was Savored
#46
Social Distancing During My Birthday
~hUmMuS vIbEs~ 3 years ago
Well you need to social distance from your friends, even if they're invisible.
#47
My Husband Baked Me A Cake For My Birthday And Put It In The Oven So Our Dogs Couldn't Get It. I Was Not Aware And Turned On The Oven
#48
Bought Myself A Birthday Cake Yesterday. Then The Rest Of My Family Found It
#49
My Friends And I Went Out To Celebrate One Of My Friend’s Birthday, Only To Come Back To Have My Friend’s $7000 Camera Stolen On His B-Day
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What do you think ?
Daria B 3 years ago
Aww! Happy birthday! Mine was exactly a week ago, and I thought I was Truman too ♡
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I I 3 years ago
not my birthday but my 31st anniversary on Sept 1st and i get to spend it alone , at hospital , so i can finally be pain free after 20+ years , best anniversary gift i'll get
Glirpy 3 years ago
For a second, I thought you were going to say “ so I can finally be pain free after 31+ years” :)
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ScarlettofHydraIsland 3 years ago
Since my poor friend doesn’t have a bp account, I’ll post this for her. Her parents have forgotten her birthday for the past 16 years (she’s 17). They’ve taken her twin sister out to restaurants, amusement parks, and whatnot every single one of these years,. And her parents say they don’t have a favorite child.
Roman Hans 3 years ago
If they’re twins don’t they have the same birthday?
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cybermerlin2000 3 years ago
Here are my 3 worst birthdays in order: 40th-Spent in hospital due to near fatal heart failure. 49th-Day 1 of Covid lockdown. Everything was closed. 50th- Self isolation due to some prick sending their Covid positive kids to school where my fiancée works. Looking forward to the end of the world and all life as we know it on my 60th!
deathrose 3 years ago
My birthday is during spring break so I've never had a party of friends over because they were on vacation. After a certain age all 4 of my sisters vacationed instead of celebrating my birthday with me. When I turned 15 my parents stopped celebrating my birthday too because my birthday is the day after my step moms so they started leaving town too. I don't think I've celebrated a birthday in 10+ years.
Debbie 3 years ago
I almost downvoted your comment because liking it is wrong... *hugs* to you.
Load More Replies... zims 3 years ago
Worst birthday: milk had gone bad, got a whiff first thing in the morning and puked. Gave the whole day a sour note. Best birthday: parents extended our Disneyland trip by an extra day to celebrate. I was too young to keep track of dates so it blew my mind that I was a year older. Brain kept ricocheting between "I'm 7! I'm going to Disneyland! I'm 7! I'm going to Disneyland!"
Lisa T 3 years ago
It’s my 50th on Saturday. 6 months ago Australia was relatively COVID free, so I started organizing a big party. Of course we are in lockdown again, so party is cancelled. My eldest son is not even allowed to come and visit.
Julie C Rose 3 years ago (edited)
New Zealand’s delta outbreak was detected on my birthday, and I live in one of the epicentres. Then again, having a sensible covid response is a pretty sweet birthday present. Our cases in this outbreak decreased for the first time today, hopefully they’ll keep going down.
Kenny Kulbiski 3 years ago
There will come a time when you want to forget about your birthday. That's when everyone else suddenly remembers. Trust me on this.
Susan Egan 3 years ago
My 40th birthday, I wasn't looking forward to it anyway, then we got a call from the adoption agency we were working with. The birth-mother we'd talked to and who had told us she would be happy to place her baby with us had given birth. She changed her mind and was keeping the baby. It's something you know can happen and you prep for it but it still isn't easy. My husband was at work so I was dealing with this alone when the phone rang again. My father in law had passed (completely unexpected). The family was at the hospital where he'd been taken and were waiting for everyone to come and say good-bye. So we are standing in the hospital hallway and family members are walking by wishing me a happy birthday as we wait to for our turn (big family).
Hope Rivers 2 years ago
My great grandmother slipped into a coma on my last birthday and died two days later. That sucked. My best birthday was actually my 2020 birthday, when I got cards from friends and relatives all over the country.
Awsomemom52 2 years ago
I caught the flu from someone, at a New Year's Eve party. Spent the next few days in bed, including my birthday on January 4th ... in the hope that that evening I will be able to eat solid food again, for the first time. Something exciting like crackers and tea.
Sergio Serg 3 years ago
I spent my birthday in March 2020 in a 4hour line to get COVID tested before it was easily available. The girl in full hazmat suit asked for ID before she stuck the stick up My nose and poked my brain and noticed it was my birthday and said "Happy Birthday". That was my birthday highlight. Oh, yeah. It turned out to be Positive and almost died the next couple weeks
Derek Clark 3 years ago
My mom had to hear on her Birthday that she had colon cancer last year. She went in for a coloscopy and we didn't think she'd get immediate result as the letter said exactly that. I was too busy with taking care of her with chemo and radiation to celebrate mine.
Sebastian Richter 3 years ago
Well... Who cares? Didn't celebrate my birthday for several years. When I did, those invited would show up. Cause, they are my friends. REAL friends.
Kainaath Khan 3 years ago
Birthdays are Highly overrated, just a way one crosses it every year, one crosses even death day but unfortunately it's one of the unforeseen part of our future.
Daria B 3 years ago
Depends. Sometimes it's not really laughing at their pain, but relating to their pain and "misery-laughing" it off together. It's a coping mechanism, really.
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Daria B 3 years ago
Aww! Happy birthday! Mine was exactly a week ago, and I thought I was Truman too ♡
Load More Replies... I I 3 years ago
not my birthday but my 31st anniversary on Sept 1st and i get to spend it alone , at hospital , so i can finally be pain free after 20+ years , best anniversary gift i'll get
Glirpy 3 years ago
For a second, I thought you were going to say “ so I can finally be pain free after 31+ years” :)
Load More Replies... ScarlettofHydraIsland 3 years ago
Since my poor friend doesn’t have a bp account, I’ll post this for her. Her parents have forgotten her birthday for the past 16 years (she’s 17). They’ve taken her twin sister out to restaurants, amusement parks, and whatnot every single one of these years,. And her parents say they don’t have a favorite child.
Roman Hans 3 years ago
If they’re twins don’t they have the same birthday?
Load More Replies... cybermerlin2000 3 years ago
Here are my 3 worst birthdays in order: 40th-Spent in hospital due to near fatal heart failure. 49th-Day 1 of Covid lockdown. Everything was closed. 50th- Self isolation due to some prick sending their Covid positive kids to school where my fiancée works. Looking forward to the end of the world and all life as we know it on my 60th!
deathrose 3 years ago
My birthday is during spring break so I've never had a party of friends over because they were on vacation. After a certain age all 4 of my sisters vacationed instead of celebrating my birthday with me. When I turned 15 my parents stopped celebrating my birthday too because my birthday is the day after my step moms so they started leaving town too. I don't think I've celebrated a birthday in 10+ years.
Debbie 3 years ago
I almost downvoted your comment because liking it is wrong... *hugs* to you.
Load More Replies... zims 3 years ago
Worst birthday: milk had gone bad, got a whiff first thing in the morning and puked. Gave the whole day a sour note. Best birthday: parents extended our Disneyland trip by an extra day to celebrate. I was too young to keep track of dates so it blew my mind that I was a year older. Brain kept ricocheting between "I'm 7! I'm going to Disneyland! I'm 7! I'm going to Disneyland!"
Lisa T 3 years ago
It’s my 50th on Saturday. 6 months ago Australia was relatively COVID free, so I started organizing a big party. Of course we are in lockdown again, so party is cancelled. My eldest son is not even allowed to come and visit.
Julie C Rose 3 years ago (edited)
New Zealand’s delta outbreak was detected on my birthday, and I live in one of the epicentres. Then again, having a sensible covid response is a pretty sweet birthday present. Our cases in this outbreak decreased for the first time today, hopefully they’ll keep going down.
Kenny Kulbiski 3 years ago
There will come a time when you want to forget about your birthday. That's when everyone else suddenly remembers. Trust me on this.
Susan Egan 3 years ago
My 40th birthday, I wasn't looking forward to it anyway, then we got a call from the adoption agency we were working with. The birth-mother we'd talked to and who had told us she would be happy to place her baby with us had given birth. She changed her mind and was keeping the baby. It's something you know can happen and you prep for it but it still isn't easy. My husband was at work so I was dealing with this alone when the phone rang again. My father in law had passed (completely unexpected). The family was at the hospital where he'd been taken and were waiting for everyone to come and say good-bye. So we are standing in the hospital hallway and family members are walking by wishing me a happy birthday as we wait to for our turn (big family).
Hope Rivers 2 years ago
My great grandmother slipped into a coma on my last birthday and died two days later. That sucked. My best birthday was actually my 2020 birthday, when I got cards from friends and relatives all over the country.
Awsomemom52 2 years ago
I caught the flu from someone, at a New Year's Eve party. Spent the next few days in bed, including my birthday on January 4th ... in the hope that that evening I will be able to eat solid food again, for the first time. Something exciting like crackers and tea.
Sergio Serg 3 years ago
I spent my birthday in March 2020 in a 4hour line to get COVID tested before it was easily available. The girl in full hazmat suit asked for ID before she stuck the stick up My nose and poked my brain and noticed it was my birthday and said "Happy Birthday". That was my birthday highlight. Oh, yeah. It turned out to be Positive and almost died the next couple weeks
Derek Clark 3 years ago
My mom had to hear on her Birthday that she had colon cancer last year. She went in for a coloscopy and we didn't think she'd get immediate result as the letter said exactly that. I was too busy with taking care of her with chemo and radiation to celebrate mine.
Sebastian Richter 3 years ago
Well... Who cares? Didn't celebrate my birthday for several years. When I did, those invited would show up. Cause, they are my friends. REAL friends.
Kainaath Khan 3 years ago
Birthdays are Highly overrated, just a way one crosses it every year, one crosses even death day but unfortunately it's one of the unforeseen part of our future.
Daria B 3 years ago
Depends. Sometimes it's not really laughing at their pain, but relating to their pain and "misery-laughing" it off together. It's a coping mechanism, really.
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