We often think of our birthdays as a celebration of life and friendship, so when it goes badly, we take it personally. Even some minuscule inconvenience that wouldn't bother us on any other day might be forever ingrained in our memory if it were to happen during this special occasion.
So when one Reddit post asked its users what was the "suckiest" thing that happened on their birthday, it didn't take long before people flooded it with all sorts of personal stories. Continue scrolling to check out which of them we think takes the cake.
This post may include affiliate links.
I miscarried on my birthday last year.
But I'm pregnant again (9 months along now and due anyday) and my due date is my birthday. Expecting my birthday to be much better this year!
Well, my dad forgot my 14th birthday. Then I got to school, and decided to wait if any of my friends would remember.
During the last period, some kid was on facebook on his phone, and suddenly bursted "is it your birthday, dude??" That was even more embarassing than noone remembering.
Moral of the story: Your birthday will never be as important to other people as it is to you. Don't expect much after the age of 12
We want our birthdays to be perfect. But that's impossible — too many things are out of our control. "With language, humans can imagine idealizations, figments of ultimate satisfaction, heaven, Mr. or Ms. Perfect, or the perfect birthday," social science writer and researcher Jeremy Sherman, Ph.D., MPP, told Bored Panda.
"Language also makes human life a total cluster flux, very far from ideal because with everyone walking around trying to achieve their ideals the world gets very messy. We are a visionary and delusional species, we are an anxious and dreamy species. Every little deformity can remind us of how far we are from the ideal. That's what freaks us out."
Sherman believes that when we were very young, we are imprinted on birthday idealizations, which can make birthdays kind of ironic: juvenile idealizations to mark us as getting older and older.
Last year our family dog had to be put to sleep on my birthday. His stomach flipped the week before and caused irreparable damage. He’d already had it turn a few years ago. My mum went to pick him up and the vet told her he wasn’t going to recover and was in pain. I got a phone call on my way to work where she was distraught. Thankfully my manager was incredible and let me use a sick day to go home. I had to arrange the home visit to put him to sleep because my mum couldn’t do it. I called my dad to tell him (my parents are divorced and he hadn’t seen the dog in years.) I arranged everything so he could be brought home and go to sleep peacefully with me, my mum, and my sister. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. My birthday is two weeks before Christmas and I’d already got him a present.
This big goofball got me through my parents’ divorce and the hardest breakup I’ve been through. I’m in my late twenties and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.
Just read Of Mice and Men. Euthanasia is probably the saddest thing anyone would have to go through. My condolences and may your dog RIP.
On my 27th birthday my mum died. I don't celebrate my birthday anymore.
On my 6th birthday my dad openly said on the phone he wished I wasn't born so he didn't have to waste money on me. He didn't know I heard him then got mad when I said I wanted to go back to my moms. Yeah we didn't get along for a long time
Omg, how awful that must have been. I don't know if I could ever get over something like that. It's soul destroying.
However, there are things we can do to prepare ourselves for and cope with uncertainty, and according to Sherman, it starts with "taking stock of the human condition, recognizing that it's nothing personal, it's just what it means to be human."
"The psychologist Ernest Becker described us as Gods with anuses, meaning that we can imagine infinite perfection but we're tethered to earthy reality," Sherman explained.
"It's also the cosmic wedgie we got from Darwin: that life is and has always been guesswork where you can guess right how to achieve your ideal and ironically it comes out wrong. If you embrace fallibilism – the realization that no matter how confident you are in a bet, you must remain still more confident that it is a bet – you gain a degree of equanimity about your anxiety."
My mum decided to Celebrate my brothers birthday and not mine. Cards Cake presents. F.Y.I. That was my Twin brother
On my 16th birthday, my mother was in the middle of a several year long fight with her parents. She told me I should call them to see if they would like to come over for coffee (because she wouldn't call them herself). During the call I'm talking to my grandmother and get the usual "happy birthday" and "how are you" - it's important to note that I haven't seen them in months and we only lived like 10 minutes apart.
So I ask if they would like to come over for coffee and my grandmother says she's going to ask my grandfather if he would like to go. Now I don't know if she didn't realize that she didn't cover the phone, but I heard them talking back and forth a and heard my grandmother say "I don't want to hurt her feelings but I don't want to go over there." I already felt when I was a kid that they didn't love me as much as my older sibling, but this was the conformation that it was true. They couldn't get past their b******t and come see their granddaughter on her birthday. When she began talking to me she said some sort of excuse as to why they couldn't come over. I didn't hear it, I was trying not to cry so I could still talk. We said our "I love you's," though it was hard for me, and hung up. I just went to my room and laid down and cried. I didn't give a s**t about anything and just wanted the day to be over.
My mother had a small surprise party for me by having my friends over, I tried my best to pretend to be happy and have fun, but I just wanted it to end. I was so mad and so hurt that I just wanted to crawl in bed and stay there forever.
Lots of misunderstanding... going to someones house you have a fight with is not something you do easily. Grandma did consider coming over but realized it wouldn't be a pleasant visit with all the tension and might end up in fighting with her daughter again. It would have been better if they had been invited to a neutral place or suggested it themselves. Get a drink together at a cafe, meet in a park. Something like that.
My parents got divorced on my 10th bday. My 11th bday my dad got married to another girl. On my 12th bday they divorced. On my 13th they remarried. 14th divorced. Yes these all happened on my bday or that week
[Serious Reply] This is something i've grown to deal with...
Since my 18th Birthday, my friends have stood me up each time i plan a get-together or event to celebrate. For my 18th i had simply organised a gathering at a local bar, which they had all initially said they would be more than happy to attend. I arrive and wait for everyone else to turn up... but not one person came. They wouldn't answer my calls of texts, and seemed to be completely off the radar. Turns out they had all made another plan to meet at a different bar, down the road. Safe to say i was pretty upset.... When i approached them about it, they all had similar excuses such as "oh sorry i forgot" or "i didn't realise that was actually happening".
Each year following this, i've attempted to plan something and it has a similar ending. Everyone is up for it, but decides to drop out or just not show up on the day. I'm 21 now, and both of my major milestone birthdays (18th & 21st) have been s**t. I'm fed up of wasting MY money planning MY birthday celebrations, when not one of my 'friends' can be bothered to put in a smallest amount of effort to show their face.
I'm a really happy and cheerful guy... i never normally feel down. I tend to push it all to the back of my head but sometimes it all builds up... Writing this has made me realise that i need to focus on myself more, stop playing other people's games and sort my life out. Thanks for giving me an excuse to rant.
**Edit: I thought it would be easier thanking everyone for such kind comments here. I’ve never openly talked about this before but it’s nice to get some really nice comments from you all. I’m definitely going to look at bettering myself instead of trying to do things for other people all the time.
Thanks again guys, it means a lot to me <3
Found out my brothers best friend who was 16 passed away in a car accident at my 21st birthday party with my family. Hearing my brother cry that night literally broke my heart.
Twentieth birthday: I received two letters. First one was that I was being kicked out of uni for poor grades. Second letter was from my doctor that basically said that the reason I have sucked at school my whole life is because I had an underlying learning disability. He even said that it could have been caught and treated much sooner.
Thirtieth Birthday: I got another letter from a different doctor. His exact words were "You were right, you do have Diabetes"
I just had my fortieth birthday last month. Luckily it was on a Sunday. No mail delivery on Sundays where I live.
On my 40th birthday, my then wife was overseas for business. I was at home with our kids. On my birthday, I took the day off work.
I woke up on the morning of my birthday, and felt terribly ill. I managed to get the kids off to school, and then collapsed on the couch, stayed there for the whole day, picked the kids up after school, and we went to the local food court for dinner.
My then wife came home a couple of days later, at which time I thought that perhaps I might receive some sort of gift, or acknowledgement of my milestone birthday. I got nothing, but I put it down to the fact that my wife had her luggage lost on the way TO the business meeting, and again on the way BACK from the meeting. Allowances could be made I guess, and so I waited.
For over a month.
We went to visit her mother about a month later, as it was my MIL's birthday, and my son;s birthday that same weekend, and I got to go there and see my MIL and my son get all sorts of wonderful presents and cards and stuff, cake, a genuine celebration. I took it all in for about a hour or two, and then I went outside to cool off, because I was getting mightily pissed off. My wife came outside, and asked me why I was in a bad mood.
I exploded, and let her have it, both barrels. All this fuss about these birthdays, and it was over a month since my 40th birthday, and I had not received one CARD, let alone a present, from ANYONE, and now I had to sit there and put up with all of this. It was just too much for me to take.
Anyhow, after my explosion, they all went out and bought me some presents to try and make up for it. I cannot remember a single gift that I received that day. All I remember is that no-one in my family thought to do anything to celebrate my birthday.
For my 50th birthday, my new wife booked a meal at the revolving restaurant at CN Tower in Toronto. We live in New Zealand. My 50th birthday was so much better than my 40th!
Sounds like divorce was the right way to go. Sheesh. My father was out of town during his and Mum's wedding anniversary, and guess what he did? Secretly asked me to go buy her a really nice bunch of flowers on his behalf. (Which is exactly what I did of course. She was thrilled).
My mother forgot it, then called me a liar when I told her. I had to get my driver's license to prove it.
I was in my late 20s.
High school one year, my birthday fell on thanksgiving. It was my birthday AND thanksgiving and my boyfriend dumped me. Through text. Using a knock knock joke
Edit: The joke was as follows
Him: Knock Knock
Me: Who’s there?
Him: Single
Me: Single who?
Him: Single you.
He was not very clever, but he did tell the whole school about it proudly
And then he failed high school because that joke was the epitome of his intelligence. Which goes to show how dumb he was.
oh, wow my birthday is also on thanksgiving sometimes! i wonder if OP and i have the same bday. I feel terrible for Op and I had a not so good 9th birthday (cat died)
... and the whole school thought, good riddance, that girl is better off without him
There's something wrong with him,seriously.Telling the entire school proudly as if he had a bad time with you.
Okay, that's something that I think should have been promulgated around the school to all of the girls at the school. Every year the incoming freshmen should also receive a warning notice. Maybe it could be a pamphlet that's in their "Welcome to High School" packet. The next girl who might be willing to give this dumbass (a*****e?) a shot should be informed enough to require proof of growth on his part.
When we were kids, our mom was taking my twin sister and I plus one friend to Burger King for our birthday present (we were dirt poor, so the meal + a kids toy was a big deal, and we would get to play in the play thing! Exciting stuff!) Mom stopped at the bank, and a cop recognized her as she was going in. Of course she was drunk, because she always was at the time, so she got arrested right in front of us for a DUI.
Our friends mom came and got her immediately, but we were left waiting over an hour in the back of our moms car for our negligent dad to come pick us up. We were both sobbing at this point, but he forced us to go to Burger King anyway, screaming at us the whole time for not being happy enough.
I think we just huddled in the play structure for an hour pretending to play until he let us go home. I remember it was f*****g freezing inside the building and it was probably the most miserable I’ve ever been. That friends mom stopped letting her hang out, and I don’t think we celebrated another birthday until college lmao
This is a f****d up story on so many levels. First off all is she too poor to provide for her children properly but has enough money to get drunk. She than is driving under the influence not only putting her kids but someone elses kid in danger. They got to wait in their moms car alone instead of being taken care of by the police and than got yelled it for not being happy???
When I was very young, my dad made some food for me but he hid chilli's inside it which he knew that I'm allergic to and found it funny to mess with people's food.
.. well judging by the way he was encouraging me to try it, I knew something was up and refused to eat. This made him furious. He stormed upstairs and grabbed all of my unwrapped birthday presents and threw them downstairs. He proceeded to stamp and crush every single one of them.
Then the next day he made me call every person who bought me these gifts and tell them that I was stupid and broke them. It was humiliating.
Your dad was an abusive jerk that had a tantrum because you refused to allow him to bully you. I hope that you don't have anything further to do with him. What type of person tries to poison their child and gets mad because the kid won't take the bait.
My 21st. My gf at the time arranged for a surprise party for me inviting all my friends.
Only one person showed up.
On my 6th birthday my favorite of two cats had to be put down. I was too young to understand why it couldn't wait until later in the week.
Meatball was great. He let us put our baby doll clothes on him.
My birthday is in February. For my 11th birthday my parents didn’t get me a gift just a card. They said because they bought me a brand new bike at Christmas money was a bit tight.
My brother’s birthday is in June, he also got a brand new bike at Christmas and a brand new PlayStation for his birthday.
Not that big a deal compared to some stories, but not getting a gift from your parents and then your brother getting 2 amazing gifts kinda sucked as a kid.
Trump got elected.
My parents decided to use my 17th birthday to announce they were getting divorced.
Just why?! They actually thought this through in their head and were like "yeah that sounds good"
Back a while ago when I was turning 21 I had both strep throat and mono at the same time. Due to the meds I couldn't drink. On top of that, the morning of my 21st birthday I walked out to the garage and found the family dog has died. He was ill but it wasn't expected that he would have died that day and I was home alone when I found him.
Flash forward to my 32nd birthday and my mom is texting me while I am out to dinner with my wife... and the new dog that was around 8 or 9 years old was dying randomly and eventually died like half an hour later.
Apparently my birthday is the Friday the 13th for dogs.
lol........im sorry........the last sentence has me cracking up but on serious note RIP to both your dogs
My Uncle went missing on my 16th birthday. His body was found a month later :/
Doesn't suck as much as others, but gf at the time (now wife) tried throwing me a 30th B-day party. Told her up and down would be a bad idea, due to several factors, but mostly because it was on the last Saturday before Christmas. No matter what I say, she is intent on throwing this. Come the big day, she makes all kinds of food and treats and only person who comes is my Mom. She was teary-eyed the whole night, keeps telling me how sorry she was, meanwhile I laughed the whole time.
I got a bad grade on my math review sheet that day. I came home and my mom had an epic freak out. She began to threaten to home school me or send me to a different school. This went on and on. After a few hours she stopped put some candles on a birthday cake and demanded I smile for a picture then proceeded to yell at me.
9/11
I mean, that wasn't my worst birthday personally, but it's kinda hard to argue that it's the suckiest thing that happened on my birthday.
when a thousand people died, you were born you clearly are one in a thousand
Oh man, I went to Paris last year around my birthday to perform there in theatre. It was my first time in Paris, I brought my girlfriend with me and it was my first time performing on some big theatre festival. Turns out the festival didn't have any audience comming, I broke my toe accidentaly kicking some concrete block while walking to meet my girlfriend near Centre Pompidou, where we got into a huge fight and we pretty much broke up. I think Paris hates me.
When I was seven, my mother hired a pony and a cart to come to my house for all the kids. And I got a really bad rash. From the pony. And all the kids got to ride the pony. And I had to go inside, and my mother was rubbing cream on me, for probably three hours, and I never came outside. And by the time I got out, the pony was already in the truck and around the corner. So that was my worst birthday.
I met the woman my boyfriend was cheating on me with as she was leaving his house. And when I went to go home to go take a nap and cry, I found my mom had given my bed to my cousin.
Got told my gf at the time wanted a break, then she went out and locked me out of my house and slept with the dude she saw when she was out in my own bed
It was my 20th birthday
When I was away at college, my parents sent me a birthday card. They put in a note that my aunt had terminal cancer and was going to die in the next month or two.
Happy Birthday! Your aunt is going to die soon.
my pet rat got euthanized on my birthday due to relations with a tumor on her cheek.
My 8th birthday was completely f****d because my mom and her boyfriend broke up after a violent fight right before. She could only buy me a $3.98 toy from the dollar store because of that. She had a black eye and isn't in any of the photos, save for one my great aunt took and my mom tore it up. Also because of that I didn't/couldn't have any friends attend the party. It was just me, my brother, mom, my great aunt, and my grandpa and stepgrandma. Usually my grandma (mom's mom) would attend parties but we can't remember why she wasn't there. In all the photos you can tell my brother and I are really trying to look happy but there's one photo that catches our faded smiles and we're looking down/off to the side rather sadly and I think it sums up the overall feel of the day.
My parents hosted a "family birthday party" when I turned 16.
It started out just fine, but went downhill fast when family members got into an *intense* argument over politics.
Nothing would stop them from yelling at each other and eventually slamming doors as they left in a huff! It really ruined the occasion.
The US invaded my country when i was turning 10.
Cool thing was they took down the military dictatorship of Noriega...
Sucky thing was i was not able to go to the movies and catch a Baby Herman & Roger Rabit short film i wanted to see.
Oh yeah... and the dead. Yeah... the dead also sucked.
Got diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis arthritis on my 9th birthday
It was 2001. I was 7 years old and we had just cut the birthday cake and everyone was all merry, having snacks that mom had prepared. Dad called us into the living room to watch a movie. He had just turned on the TV to “a movie that had very realistic graphics.” Except that it wasn’t a movie. It was the LIVE news, on the 9/11 attacks in the US. We watched in horror as we slowly realised that what was happening was REAL. I still remember clearly how horrified my parents were, watching footages of the plane crashing into the towers & it shortly collapsed after. :/
Had the same birthday as a guy in my class. In the school cantina is was a tradition to sing Happy Birthday to the birthday kid. I’m sitting there eating with my friend when the cantina lady comes up and says: “we have to sing Happy Birthday!” I say “no, that’s so embarrassing!” She replies: “but it’s not for you, dear!”
Btw, it was a really small school.
My last birtday was really f****d. On the day itself, my uncle had a funeral and on the day of family celebration I ended up in hospital - with torsion of my testicle.
Not really a big deal, but it hurt and I remember it.
22nd birthday, boyfriend of about 4 years waited until the end of the day to wish me Happy Birthday. We were in separate countries at the time and had been texting all day, as usual.
He was pleased as punch with himself - the intent had been to make me think he'd forgotten all day, and then he could be like surprise! He hadn't actually forgotten! And I would be really happy?
Of course this meant that he'd deliberately upset me all day. I didn't forgive him for it at the time, but I didn't break up with him like I should have because I was young and stupid.
Today's my birthday, and I probably shouldn't have started it off with that.
At least now you know it could be worse? Happy Birthday! I'm cursing you with the curse of happiness and good fortune, it's unbreakable so don't even try!
Load More Replies...Four years ago. I had to have a kidney stone surgically removed. Was diagnosed in the morning and told to return in the afternoon for the procedure. When I checked in at Registration, she asked for my date of birth to which I replied, "today. Worst birthday ever."
My Dad took his life on my birthday last year so that was awesome (/s). This year was a milestone birthday and I refused to spend the day moping and being sad so we did something fun to celebrate and I now have a funny memory of my Mom getting tipsy.
My birthday is Christmas Eve... bad enough on its own, but my mothers was Christmas Day. After a short battle with cancer my mother died shortly for Christmas. We made the choice the bury mum before Christmas so at least we could all be at peace with Christmas that year. The only day was... yes you've guest it was the 24th Christmas Eve my birthday! Such a sad day really followed up by equally a sad day... there is more to this story however, last year my aunt who was a wonderful soul passed away suddenly on the 23rd of December. So really Christmas and birthdays and the build up are not as joyous as they should be!
I was in a psychiatric hospital on my birthday one year. I'd survived kidney failure (I'd been told I was 30 mins from a fatal heart attack due to high levels of potassium in my blood) so I thought my birthday was something to celebrate, that I was still alive. But my mum and her bf and my dad and his wife had both scheduled trips away on my birthday and wouldn't be here and my sister said she was busy when I asked if we could go out for lunch or something. I already suffered from depression and anxiety (and undiagnosed ADHD) and felt like I wasn't wanted when I found out I'd be alone on my birthday. I was suicidal and voluntarily went into hospital. On the actual day all I had was a phone call from my dad (whilst he was away) and nothing from anyone else. If I'd had access to anything that could have taken my life then, I would have tried. The next year they had a big family party but I felt this was just to prevent me from having another breakdown.
My cousin's funeral was on my 13th bday, he died in service, horrific drowning. My now long ago ex, decided to beat me up after my 21st party in a Maccas car park- why because he didn't get to have a 21st and was jealous.
One day after my 11th birthday, my mum died. It was absolutely awful.
This year I had covid for my birthday. It attacked my brain and I was extremely unstable mentally and emotionally. Tried to get family members to help with my kids but since I had covid they all refused (even though they are all anti-vax and think covid isn’t real). My own mother hung up the phone on me. I thought I was dying.
I had been very sick for a long time, and had been in agonising pain all day. When the birthday cake came out, I burst into tears because I was in too much pain to even face the idea of having a slice, let alone enjoy my birthday. I still get sad when I think about that.
I really wanted to see Blue Man Group. Like for years. My sister buys tickets for her and my mom to go… on my birthday. Still makes me sad decades later. But when my sister and I went to Las Vages about 10 years later, I made her take me to see them. Worth the wait, such a good show!
My mom had the flu on my thirteenth birthday. My grandmother died a month before my eighteenth birthday. My mom broke her ankle a week before my twenty second birthday. Someone in my family is either sick, having surgery, or in the hospital around my birthday. I share my birthday week with my mom.
On my birthday, I have had my entire family forget my birthday. I have been served lawsuit papers in my birthday. I have had the restaurant I wanted to go to closed from fire. I have been accused of stealing on my birthday. My spouse started a fight because he didn't want to go anywhere,on my birthday. Have been given useless c**p for my birthday., I had family tell me your getting a meal, I pick ,you don't get to choose, and you don't get any dessert. This is gotten to where I don't want to 'celebrate' any more. Am I the only one?
My 13th Birthday my dad walked out. My husband's 37th Birthday his mum died. so yeah, birthdays are just rubbish
Since 10 years i always travel for my bday. And its soooooooooooo much better then organizing a bday party. I went for another countries to just the city next door. Best way to spend money and avoid stress.
Morning of my 9th or 10th birthday, still pitch-black outside, woke up being bundled into the family van. Turns out we were driving all the way down to the Mayo clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. From central Georgia. Don't even remember what it was for, no one looked sick.
Found out my grandfather was dying of terminal metastasized cancer on my birthday, and he was dead less than two days later. This was five years ago, and I still can't enjoy my birthday because of it.
My birthday was on Monday and I’ve had the flu and my period all week. Lovely birthday present. Trying to change out pads with vertigo from low blood sugar is not an experience I wish on anyone.
I always said I wanted to celebrate my 30th. Me and my bf were supposed to go to a restaurant for dinner with some friends. The first part was when he asked if he could use track bottoms instead of jeans, sure use whatever. We went to pick up our friends and turned out we were just going to order to pizza in their house... like what? It's my 30th! So we then went out. I felt like s**t and I was the bad guy in the end... I'm not 35 and still think about it... then on his 40th it was lockdown...
My dad called a family meeting to tell my siblings and I he was having an affair. It was my 16th birthday. The good news is my parents went to a lot of counseling and many years later their marriage is better than ever. Still the worst birthday ever.
I am an introvert so I cannot relate at all to these posts/comments! I hated that part of my childhood. No matter how much I protested my parents set up birthday parties for me. Once when I got really pissed off and went to my room and refused to come out the FKing grounded me! As an adult, I feel I should have absolute control of my life and demand no birthday cr@p. I have quit two jobs on the spot because they disregarded my wishes. Birthday parties are NEVER about the birthday person! It is just a sh*t excuse to have a party at your expense. That has been my experience.
My worst birthday so far was when I was like 5 and my mom made me hold our bird on my arm when I didn't want to and then the bird bit me so hard I was bleeding a lot. After that I got a really cute piggy bank and I went to my room to start filling it up with whatever money I could find. I accidentally put something else in there and I couldn't open the bottom, so I went down to my parents to ask if they could open it for me. Apparently they were fighting about something and my mom threw my brand new piggy bank across the room and it completely broke. Not as bad as some of the ones on this list, but yeah.
I was born on Mother's Day to a woman who couldn't even correctly spell 2/3 names she gave me. She remembered Mother's Day every year but always had to be reminded of my birthday. My 10th birthday she left and didn't come back for a week. That was fun. Nothing to make a kid feel worse than sitting alone with a pity cake and blowing out the wrong number of candles. Oh well. I'm 30 now and I don't celebrate my birthday anymore! Can't be disappointed if you stay home reading instead!
The day before my 11th birthday my grandmother lost her battle with Cancer. Looking back now it seems fitting that she went on Elvis' birthday. She was the biggest Elvis fan and I think she was probably his birthday present.
I've got few 😅 I've had shared birthday with my brother (3 days of a difference) for 13 years, where I would be constantly in the background and only called to blow the candles and my presents were my parents, or brother presents, while my brother presents were his. On my 14th birthday my parents forgot about me, rushed me to see my friend, while they got me some small present (it was a sims magazine). Then since my 15th birthday to my 18th birthday, my parents would argue with me on that day, without any good reason (e.g. because I took a break in preparing to the party, or I went to pick up a call with wishes). On my 20th birthday my ex-bf broke up with me. So yeah, not so good memories 😅
I've had a few. Note: Born in summer. (1.) My parents & siblings had pranked me about forgetting my 11th bday. I was crying whole day under a mattress, until they "surprised me". (2.) I was forced to go to some tutoring schools during many of my summers. Not summer school, I've always made good grades. I am one out of 5 kids who only went. So I spent most of my birthdays at class. The teachers had always been cool and provided balloons and sweets. (3.) In my 20s when I take time off I still get calls to work from home...even on my birthday. Each year I take time off and the same people just keep at it. Like dude I don't even bother you on holiday. smh (4.) I now celebrate alone due to trust issues. I have a better time without people and don't deal with disappointment. (5.) Had a dentist apt that day last year. Only day I can get at earliest for a cleaning and a filling while I had time off. lol #5 is the least worst out of this list tbh.
I forgot about this year's birthday too. It's a mix bag though. I got bad sunburn (Edit: forgot to renew the sunblock) before my birthday and it was painful (H3ll's Itch). I went out anyway and even had to travel (brought the meds). Nice travel, but the H3ll's Itch was a thorn in the side. :\
Load More Replies...Sharing my half sister's story here because she's a grown a$$ adult and still very bitter about it (I totally get it but it was over a half a century ago ffs) Anyway, our parents (well our dad and my mom) got married on her birthday.
Why can't adults be upset that their birthday was wack?
Load More Replies...Today's my birthday, and I probably shouldn't have started it off with that.
At least now you know it could be worse? Happy Birthday! I'm cursing you with the curse of happiness and good fortune, it's unbreakable so don't even try!
Load More Replies...Four years ago. I had to have a kidney stone surgically removed. Was diagnosed in the morning and told to return in the afternoon for the procedure. When I checked in at Registration, she asked for my date of birth to which I replied, "today. Worst birthday ever."
My Dad took his life on my birthday last year so that was awesome (/s). This year was a milestone birthday and I refused to spend the day moping and being sad so we did something fun to celebrate and I now have a funny memory of my Mom getting tipsy.
My birthday is Christmas Eve... bad enough on its own, but my mothers was Christmas Day. After a short battle with cancer my mother died shortly for Christmas. We made the choice the bury mum before Christmas so at least we could all be at peace with Christmas that year. The only day was... yes you've guest it was the 24th Christmas Eve my birthday! Such a sad day really followed up by equally a sad day... there is more to this story however, last year my aunt who was a wonderful soul passed away suddenly on the 23rd of December. So really Christmas and birthdays and the build up are not as joyous as they should be!
I was in a psychiatric hospital on my birthday one year. I'd survived kidney failure (I'd been told I was 30 mins from a fatal heart attack due to high levels of potassium in my blood) so I thought my birthday was something to celebrate, that I was still alive. But my mum and her bf and my dad and his wife had both scheduled trips away on my birthday and wouldn't be here and my sister said she was busy when I asked if we could go out for lunch or something. I already suffered from depression and anxiety (and undiagnosed ADHD) and felt like I wasn't wanted when I found out I'd be alone on my birthday. I was suicidal and voluntarily went into hospital. On the actual day all I had was a phone call from my dad (whilst he was away) and nothing from anyone else. If I'd had access to anything that could have taken my life then, I would have tried. The next year they had a big family party but I felt this was just to prevent me from having another breakdown.
My cousin's funeral was on my 13th bday, he died in service, horrific drowning. My now long ago ex, decided to beat me up after my 21st party in a Maccas car park- why because he didn't get to have a 21st and was jealous.
One day after my 11th birthday, my mum died. It was absolutely awful.
This year I had covid for my birthday. It attacked my brain and I was extremely unstable mentally and emotionally. Tried to get family members to help with my kids but since I had covid they all refused (even though they are all anti-vax and think covid isn’t real). My own mother hung up the phone on me. I thought I was dying.
I had been very sick for a long time, and had been in agonising pain all day. When the birthday cake came out, I burst into tears because I was in too much pain to even face the idea of having a slice, let alone enjoy my birthday. I still get sad when I think about that.
I really wanted to see Blue Man Group. Like for years. My sister buys tickets for her and my mom to go… on my birthday. Still makes me sad decades later. But when my sister and I went to Las Vages about 10 years later, I made her take me to see them. Worth the wait, such a good show!
My mom had the flu on my thirteenth birthday. My grandmother died a month before my eighteenth birthday. My mom broke her ankle a week before my twenty second birthday. Someone in my family is either sick, having surgery, or in the hospital around my birthday. I share my birthday week with my mom.
On my birthday, I have had my entire family forget my birthday. I have been served lawsuit papers in my birthday. I have had the restaurant I wanted to go to closed from fire. I have been accused of stealing on my birthday. My spouse started a fight because he didn't want to go anywhere,on my birthday. Have been given useless c**p for my birthday., I had family tell me your getting a meal, I pick ,you don't get to choose, and you don't get any dessert. This is gotten to where I don't want to 'celebrate' any more. Am I the only one?
My 13th Birthday my dad walked out. My husband's 37th Birthday his mum died. so yeah, birthdays are just rubbish
Since 10 years i always travel for my bday. And its soooooooooooo much better then organizing a bday party. I went for another countries to just the city next door. Best way to spend money and avoid stress.
Morning of my 9th or 10th birthday, still pitch-black outside, woke up being bundled into the family van. Turns out we were driving all the way down to the Mayo clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. From central Georgia. Don't even remember what it was for, no one looked sick.
Found out my grandfather was dying of terminal metastasized cancer on my birthday, and he was dead less than two days later. This was five years ago, and I still can't enjoy my birthday because of it.
My birthday was on Monday and I’ve had the flu and my period all week. Lovely birthday present. Trying to change out pads with vertigo from low blood sugar is not an experience I wish on anyone.
I always said I wanted to celebrate my 30th. Me and my bf were supposed to go to a restaurant for dinner with some friends. The first part was when he asked if he could use track bottoms instead of jeans, sure use whatever. We went to pick up our friends and turned out we were just going to order to pizza in their house... like what? It's my 30th! So we then went out. I felt like s**t and I was the bad guy in the end... I'm not 35 and still think about it... then on his 40th it was lockdown...
My dad called a family meeting to tell my siblings and I he was having an affair. It was my 16th birthday. The good news is my parents went to a lot of counseling and many years later their marriage is better than ever. Still the worst birthday ever.
I am an introvert so I cannot relate at all to these posts/comments! I hated that part of my childhood. No matter how much I protested my parents set up birthday parties for me. Once when I got really pissed off and went to my room and refused to come out the FKing grounded me! As an adult, I feel I should have absolute control of my life and demand no birthday cr@p. I have quit two jobs on the spot because they disregarded my wishes. Birthday parties are NEVER about the birthday person! It is just a sh*t excuse to have a party at your expense. That has been my experience.
My worst birthday so far was when I was like 5 and my mom made me hold our bird on my arm when I didn't want to and then the bird bit me so hard I was bleeding a lot. After that I got a really cute piggy bank and I went to my room to start filling it up with whatever money I could find. I accidentally put something else in there and I couldn't open the bottom, so I went down to my parents to ask if they could open it for me. Apparently they were fighting about something and my mom threw my brand new piggy bank across the room and it completely broke. Not as bad as some of the ones on this list, but yeah.
I was born on Mother's Day to a woman who couldn't even correctly spell 2/3 names she gave me. She remembered Mother's Day every year but always had to be reminded of my birthday. My 10th birthday she left and didn't come back for a week. That was fun. Nothing to make a kid feel worse than sitting alone with a pity cake and blowing out the wrong number of candles. Oh well. I'm 30 now and I don't celebrate my birthday anymore! Can't be disappointed if you stay home reading instead!
The day before my 11th birthday my grandmother lost her battle with Cancer. Looking back now it seems fitting that she went on Elvis' birthday. She was the biggest Elvis fan and I think she was probably his birthday present.
I've got few 😅 I've had shared birthday with my brother (3 days of a difference) for 13 years, where I would be constantly in the background and only called to blow the candles and my presents were my parents, or brother presents, while my brother presents were his. On my 14th birthday my parents forgot about me, rushed me to see my friend, while they got me some small present (it was a sims magazine). Then since my 15th birthday to my 18th birthday, my parents would argue with me on that day, without any good reason (e.g. because I took a break in preparing to the party, or I went to pick up a call with wishes). On my 20th birthday my ex-bf broke up with me. So yeah, not so good memories 😅
I've had a few. Note: Born in summer. (1.) My parents & siblings had pranked me about forgetting my 11th bday. I was crying whole day under a mattress, until they "surprised me". (2.) I was forced to go to some tutoring schools during many of my summers. Not summer school, I've always made good grades. I am one out of 5 kids who only went. So I spent most of my birthdays at class. The teachers had always been cool and provided balloons and sweets. (3.) In my 20s when I take time off I still get calls to work from home...even on my birthday. Each year I take time off and the same people just keep at it. Like dude I don't even bother you on holiday. smh (4.) I now celebrate alone due to trust issues. I have a better time without people and don't deal with disappointment. (5.) Had a dentist apt that day last year. Only day I can get at earliest for a cleaning and a filling while I had time off. lol #5 is the least worst out of this list tbh.
I forgot about this year's birthday too. It's a mix bag though. I got bad sunburn (Edit: forgot to renew the sunblock) before my birthday and it was painful (H3ll's Itch). I went out anyway and even had to travel (brought the meds). Nice travel, but the H3ll's Itch was a thorn in the side. :\
Load More Replies...Sharing my half sister's story here because she's a grown a$$ adult and still very bitter about it (I totally get it but it was over a half a century ago ffs) Anyway, our parents (well our dad and my mom) got married on her birthday.
Why can't adults be upset that their birthday was wack?
Load More Replies...