What’s the worst thing thats happened to you in your birthday?
February 19, 2026
Maybe prince Andrew will be scrolling for a cheer up since he was arrested at 8am on his 66th birthday.
What was your worst birthday?
30 comments
A surprise party *shudder*.
Found out my boyfriend had been cheating on me with my best friend, that was a rough one.
My dad overdosing and dying lol
My mum died
Seeing my dad for the final time and having to ring my brother to say don’t wait till tomorrow to come as there’s not enough time
My shitty ex left me in Edinburgh at a museum on my own as he was bored and just wanted to go to the pub. At the time I didn’t drink.
On the same bday holiday he wanted to keep drinking at a bar but i wanted to head back to the hotel. Then he got moody at me for deciding to leave.
Left him drunk on the train back at York. He was acting like a drunken ass harassing somebody. He still annoyingly found his way back to our Hull flat a few hours later.
While it’s my bday today. Having a nice chilled day with my partner. I’m at the pub. He’s doing yet more charity shops. And he’s emotionally healthy enough to not be moody with me if I want to do my own thing sometimes
Both of my best friends lost a parent on my birthday a year part, so it is a terrible reminder for them and me every year 💔
A few years back, my flight home got cancelled, and as the next available one was only the day after, I was provided with a hotel room. The airline messed up the booking though, so I had to spend 4h on customer service calls to sort that out. Then, after finally getting booked into a new hotel, the kitchen was out of order, so the room service consisted of delivery pizza (which at least was very good. And there was cake).
Walt Disney died on my 12th birthday.
Being arrested and locked up is going to take some beating, especially for a ‘Royal’.
6 comments in and we’ve got a scale from “*suprise party*” to “*my dad died*”.
Wild.
For me, I’m firmly in the suprise party end of the spectrum for the worst thing that’s happened to me on a birthday.
My 13th birthday i started my first every period. I had a sleepover with 2 girls who hadnt started theirs yet. My sister accidentally walked in on me in the bathroom trying to change my sanitary towel and they both saw. I was mortified and ended up sending them home and crying all night.
First birthday that I felt even vaguely like celebrating after the death of my mother.
Sitting in a pub having morning coffee with family when a friend rang to say “happy birthday” and “oh, I’ve got about 6 months to live”.
She died 5 months later.
Yeah, still not celebrated a birthday since.
Knelt on a putrified frog at the fancy picnic.
On my 10th birthday. We would make a cake on each of our birthdays in my family. On my 10th my brother and I were mixing the cake mixture in a bowl in our kitchen sink. My brother reached for something and accidentally knocked a full cup of washing powder into the cake mix.
Cue floods of tears and end of the world scenario. When I calmed down we made a new cake but I was mortified as we were no longer allowed to make a 4 egg cake and parents would now only spare 3.
I am still in PTSD counselling 40 odd years later.
I had the flu for my 35th birthday
I was fine the day before, maybe a slight sniffle, was much better the day after, but the day of my 35th, I was in bed all day, shivering, high fever, not eating, barely drinking, highly medicated and slept for 90% of the day.
I’d booked the day off work as well, so that was completely wasted.
celebrated my 40th during covid lockdown – that was disappointing as didn’t get to go anywhere, do anything or celebrate at all really, which sucked for a milestone birthday as i was stuck indoors with the Mrs and a 2 year old, but was still better than when i had the flu.
Got stabbed, was my 31st. Was working, routine call or supposed to be anyway. Colleague and I got a pretty good do’in and both had stab and slash injuries.
Was more of an ongoing thing, but like 5 years in a row someone in my family kicked off and ruined it (usually my mother’s boyfriend). One year he was so stroppy about not being centre of attention I didn’t even get a cake
Well, one year, I was born. Then it’s been downhill ever since.
My twin nearly dying or my dad dying 11 days before 11th birthday
My mum died early on the morning of my birthday. I was there, we knew it would be any time. Then my little sister attacked me when she arrived.
I’m no contact with my sister now, and haven’t celebrated my birthday since.
My mum told me she had cancer (she didn’t)
5 years old. Party at McDonald’s for my classmates. I wanted a cheeseburger. As a majority of the rest of the kids wanted a hamburger, it was deemed easier if I just had a hamburger too.
They also locked me in the fridge for 30 seconds.
I’m still paying for therapy.
Trapped a nerve in my back was in agony, had to wait 5 hours while wearing basically a shawl because I hadn’t been wearing PJs, and then when I picked up my prescription I had to pay for it for the first time ever as it was my 19th birthday so free prescriptions ran out the day before for me!
I was probably 9 and had a Harry Potter themed birthday. I was very obviously dressed as Hermione and my dad’s mate who was acting the sorting hat put me in HUFFLEPUFF.Â
I fled the room and cried.Â
I have a sad and gross answer…Dec 2024, my 23rd birthday, I was recovering from major surgery for a tumour, had just got out of hospital for a pulmonary embolism, had a surgical drain hanging out of my abdomen that was ripping through my flesh making a giant hole and leaking inside-juice, and thought it would be my last birthday due to the tumour being incorrectly diagnosed as a rare untreatable cancer. I was mostly bed bound but had to have an emergency doctors appointment because I had a fecal impaction (from all the opiates I was on) so bad that I couldn’t walk or sit. Came home, took laxatives and did two enemas that didn’t work, eventually had to put on a glove and dig it all out myself. Was the most disgusting and painful thing I’ve ever done. Didn’t want to eat anything for the entire day, took more painkillers and spent the rest of the day in bed, in pain from surgery, in the dark, thinking about how I was going to die at some point.
Anyway, I lived, and I try to be grateful for that 😅
My mum asked me to visit.
When I got there, she needed me to dig a grave for her dog.
I missed most of my 4th birthday party because I got my head caught in a railing and had to wait for the fire brigade to come and get me out.Â
Not as bad as most people. But on my birthday maybe 6 or 7 years ago I decided to actually do something for the first time in maybe 12 years that didn’t involve just going out for a meal with my girlfriend. I hadn’t had a night out on my birthday since my 21st.
I have quite a lot of friends across three different groups and my birthday fell on a Friday. We’d just moved into a place together so finally had space to have friends over.
I bought a load of food and a load of alcohol. I lived on a farm where the landlords had holiday lets that were free and she said some of my friends could stay, or stay a tent in the field. Whatever they like they could do it.
My best mate was working and a few people had already let me know they couldn’t make it (either because of kids, whatever) and we would do something another time. I was still expecting like at least 10 people to show up, maybe as much as 20.
Nobody showed up. Not one. I’m quite tough and I never get upset, but that fucking hurt. I’ve felt rejection before, part and parcel of being a guy and growing up, but that hurt so bad.
I’m 40 this year and in my head I’d always wanted a big party for my birthday, but don’t think I’m going to do it. More of us have kids now and we see each other as a group even less than ever before and I can’t risk that happening again.
30 comments
A surprise party *shudder*.
Found out my boyfriend had been cheating on me with my best friend, that was a rough one.
My dad overdosing and dying lol
My mum died
Seeing my dad for the final time and having to ring my brother to say don’t wait till tomorrow to come as there’s not enough time
My shitty ex left me in Edinburgh at a museum on my own as he was bored and just wanted to go to the pub. At the time I didn’t drink.
On the same bday holiday he wanted to keep drinking at a bar but i wanted to head back to the hotel. Then he got moody at me for deciding to leave.
Left him drunk on the train back at York. He was acting like a drunken ass harassing somebody. He still annoyingly found his way back to our Hull flat a few hours later.
While it’s my bday today. Having a nice chilled day with my partner. I’m at the pub. He’s doing yet more charity shops. And he’s emotionally healthy enough to not be moody with me if I want to do my own thing sometimes
Both of my best friends lost a parent on my birthday a year part, so it is a terrible reminder for them and me every year 💔
A few years back, my flight home got cancelled, and as the next available one was only the day after, I was provided with a hotel room. The airline messed up the booking though, so I had to spend 4h on customer service calls to sort that out. Then, after finally getting booked into a new hotel, the kitchen was out of order, so the room service consisted of delivery pizza (which at least was very good. And there was cake).
Walt Disney died on my 12th birthday.
Being arrested and locked up is going to take some beating, especially for a ‘Royal’.
6 comments in and we’ve got a scale from “*suprise party*” to “*my dad died*”.
Wild.
For me, I’m firmly in the suprise party end of the spectrum for the worst thing that’s happened to me on a birthday.
My 13th birthday i started my first every period. I had a sleepover with 2 girls who hadnt started theirs yet. My sister accidentally walked in on me in the bathroom trying to change my sanitary towel and they both saw. I was mortified and ended up sending them home and crying all night.
First birthday that I felt even vaguely like celebrating after the death of my mother.
Sitting in a pub having morning coffee with family when a friend rang to say “happy birthday” and “oh, I’ve got about 6 months to live”.
She died 5 months later.
Yeah, still not celebrated a birthday since.
Knelt on a putrified frog at the fancy picnic.
On my 10th birthday. We would make a cake on each of our birthdays in my family. On my 10th my brother and I were mixing the cake mixture in a bowl in our kitchen sink. My brother reached for something and accidentally knocked a full cup of washing powder into the cake mix.
Cue floods of tears and end of the world scenario. When I calmed down we made a new cake but I was mortified as we were no longer allowed to make a 4 egg cake and parents would now only spare 3.
I am still in PTSD counselling 40 odd years later.
I had the flu for my 35th birthday
I was fine the day before, maybe a slight sniffle, was much better the day after, but the day of my 35th, I was in bed all day, shivering, high fever, not eating, barely drinking, highly medicated and slept for 90% of the day.
I’d booked the day off work as well, so that was completely wasted.
celebrated my 40th during covid lockdown – that was disappointing as didn’t get to go anywhere, do anything or celebrate at all really, which sucked for a milestone birthday as i was stuck indoors with the Mrs and a 2 year old, but was still better than when i had the flu.
Got stabbed, was my 31st. Was working, routine call or supposed to be anyway. Colleague and I got a pretty good do’in and both had stab and slash injuries.
Was more of an ongoing thing, but like 5 years in a row someone in my family kicked off and ruined it (usually my mother’s boyfriend). One year he was so stroppy about not being centre of attention I didn’t even get a cake
Well, one year, I was born. Then it’s been downhill ever since.
My twin nearly dying or my dad dying 11 days before 11th birthday
My mum died early on the morning of my birthday. I was there, we knew it would be any time. Then my little sister attacked me when she arrived.
I’m no contact with my sister now, and haven’t celebrated my birthday since.
My mum told me she had cancer (she didn’t)
5 years old. Party at McDonald’s for my classmates. I wanted a cheeseburger. As a majority of the rest of the kids wanted a hamburger, it was deemed easier if I just had a hamburger too.
They also locked me in the fridge for 30 seconds.
I’m still paying for therapy.
Trapped a nerve in my back was in agony, had to wait 5 hours while wearing basically a shawl because I hadn’t been wearing PJs, and then when I picked up my prescription I had to pay for it for the first time ever as it was my 19th birthday so free prescriptions ran out the day before for me!
My fiancée of 12 years waited until I went to sleep and then snuck out to go and shag his sisters best mate 😒
I was probably 9 and had a Harry Potter themed birthday. I was very obviously dressed as Hermione and my dad’s mate who was acting the sorting hat put me in HUFFLEPUFF.Â
I fled the room and cried.Â
I have a sad and gross answer…Dec 2024, my 23rd birthday, I was recovering from major surgery for a tumour, had just got out of hospital for a pulmonary embolism, had a surgical drain hanging out of my abdomen that was ripping through my flesh making a giant hole and leaking inside-juice, and thought it would be my last birthday due to the tumour being incorrectly diagnosed as a rare untreatable cancer. I was mostly bed bound but had to have an emergency doctors appointment because I had a fecal impaction (from all the opiates I was on) so bad that I couldn’t walk or sit. Came home, took laxatives and did two enemas that didn’t work, eventually had to put on a glove and dig it all out myself. Was the most disgusting and painful thing I’ve ever done. Didn’t want to eat anything for the entire day, took more painkillers and spent the rest of the day in bed, in pain from surgery, in the dark, thinking about how I was going to die at some point.
Anyway, I lived, and I try to be grateful for that 😅
My mum asked me to visit.
When I got there, she needed me to dig a grave for her dog.
I missed most of my 4th birthday party because I got my head caught in a railing and had to wait for the fire brigade to come and get me out.Â
Not as bad as most people. But on my birthday maybe 6 or 7 years ago I decided to actually do something for the first time in maybe 12 years that didn’t involve just going out for a meal with my girlfriend. I hadn’t had a night out on my birthday since my 21st.
I have quite a lot of friends across three different groups and my birthday fell on a Friday. We’d just moved into a place together so finally had space to have friends over.
I bought a load of food and a load of alcohol. I lived on a farm where the landlords had holiday lets that were free and she said some of my friends could stay, or stay a tent in the field. Whatever they like they could do it.
My best mate was working and a few people had already let me know they couldn’t make it (either because of kids, whatever) and we would do something another time. I was still expecting like at least 10 people to show up, maybe as much as 20.
Nobody showed up. Not one. I’m quite tough and I never get upset, but that fucking hurt. I’ve felt rejection before, part and parcel of being a guy and growing up, but that hurt so bad.
I’m 40 this year and in my head I’d always wanted a big party for my birthday, but don’t think I’m going to do it. More of us have kids now and we see each other as a group even less than ever before and I can’t risk that happening again.