Belated birthday wishes for a friend
• Happy Little-Bit-Late Birthday! Sorry I forgot, but I wanted to send you belated birthday wishes all the same!
• Wishing you a belated happy birthday, pal! Sorry I missed the big day, but thought I’d extend your birthday a little longer.
• A belated happy birthday to you. May all the good things that life has to offer always find their way to your doorstep (hopefully quicker than this card!)
• Despite my wishes being a little late, you know they are straight from the bottom of my heart. I wish you success in all your endeavors. Happy belated birthday, my friend.
• It’s never too late to wish a wonderful friend like you happy birthday. May your life be full of peace, joy, happiness and success. Happy belated birthday friend.
Belated birthday wishes for your cousin
• Good things come to those who wait! Happy belated birthday Cousin!
• We all know that birthdays are special, but someone like you is special everyday! Happy belated birthday Cousin!
• I didn’t forget your birthday, I just wanted to prolong the celebration! Happy happy birthday cuz!
• In another part of the world it’s custom to send birthday wishes the day after someone’s birthday. I don’t know where, but I’m there! Happy belated birthday to my favourite cousin.
• I know it seems like I forgot your birthday, but actually I was just waiting for a quiet moment to tell you how special you are. Happy belated birthday cousin!
• Wishing my dear cousin a happy belated birthday! You will always be more like a sibling to me. Sending lots of love to you.
• Sorry this card is a bit late. I remembered your birthday, just not the date! Happy belated birthday cousin!
Belated birthday wishes for your niece
• Even though this is late, it’s never too late to wish you the best of everything! Happy birthday niece!
• Your birthday came, and then it went. Here’s the message I should have sent. Belated happy birthday my beautiful niece! Sorry this message is late, but I thought I’d include a small poem to make it up to you.
• May you always be as wise as the old oaks, as graceful as the falling leaves and more punctual than this birthday card. Happy birthday my dear niece. Sorry for the late wishes!
• Since you were born I’ve been wishing you only the best. It’s been a pleasure to watch you grow into the incredible woman you are today, and I am so sorry to have missed this momentous occasion. Sending you much love and the heartiest belated birthday wishes.
• You are an absolute joy in our lives and not a day goes past that I don’t think of you. Sorry to have missed your birthday, but I celebrate the woman you have become every day! Happy belated birthday niece!
Belated birthday wishes for your aunt
• This wish is late so that you can celebrate longer! Happy belated birthday aunt!
• To my favourite Auntie, happy happy belated birthday! I’m so sorry that I missed the special day, but, to me, you are special every day!
• Thank you for always being like a second mother to me. I appreciate all you do and wish you only the best for the next chapter in your life! Apologies for the belated birthday wishes!
• I’m so sorry I forgot your birthday, but how do you expect me to remember when you don’t look any older! Belated happy birthday to my beautiful aunt!
• Now that everyone else’s wishes have worn off, you can have a great big one from me! Happy belated birthday sweet Aunty!
• I’m so incredibly sorry for missing your special day Auntie! Please forgive me and accept my sincerest wishes in celebration of your birthday. I know that you will succeed in all that you set out to achieve.
Belated birthday wishes for your uncle
• The world is made up of two types of people. Meticulously punctual types and the awesome fun people like me who don’t own calendars. Happy belated birthday uncle!
• Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about you. Apparently very ‘lately’! Happy belated birthday uncle! Sorry I missed it! Will be sure to catch the next one. Wishing you all the best.
• Sorry I missed the beginning of this new chapter, glad to see that it's off to a roaring start! Happy happy belated birthday to you, Uncle!
• Sorry for the belated wishes but today, I’ll raise a toast to you and hope you enjoy all the finer things in life. You’ll always be the coolest uncle around. Happy belated birthday uncle!
Belated birthday wishes for your dog
• In my eyes, every day with you is worth celebrating! Sorry I missed your birthday my special pooch.
• Happy belated birthday dog! Sorry for the late wishes, but the treats will make up for it I’m sure.
• Thanks for being happy to see me when I come home, even when I miss your birthday! Happy belated birthday dog friend!
• Even though you had no idea, I feel terrible for missing your birthday! Happy belated birthday dog. Wishing you a happy future filled with walks, tennis balls and treats! Thanks for being my best friend.
• Sorry I missed your birthday, bud. It was the cat’s fault! Your belated birthday wishes come complete with a fancy cooked dinner and your favourite back rub. All the best for the dog years head!
Belated happy birthday in French
The French express their belated birthday wishes by saying ‘Joyeux anniversaire avec un peu de retard’.
Belated happy birthday in Spanish
In Spanish, they say ‘Feliz cumpleaños atrasado!’.
Belated happy birthday in Chinese
The way to wish someone a belated happy birthday in Chinese is ‘请接受我迟到的生日祝福’.
Belated happy birthday in Italian
In Italian, to wish someone a belated birthday you say ‘Auguri in ritardo’.
If you’ve missed a loved one's birthday don’t fret! These things happen and now you’ve got some ideas of how to make it up to them. Just remember that it really is the thought that counts. Even if it’s a little late.
“Chris, my exes birthday is tomorrow. Am I allowed to break the no contact rule to wish him one?”
Now, the important part to grasp right away is that wishing your ex a happy birthday isn't so much the issue here.
The No Contact Rule = A Period of time where you don't talk to your ex on purpose.
Now, the no contact rule is kind of a big deal here on Ex Boyfriend Recovery because it is essentially the foundation upon which every “ex recovery” campaign is built.
It doesn't matter if you want to get him back or simply get over him, the no contact rule is going to be present.
Lets talk numbers for a second.
Did you know that in my own independent research looking at all the success stories here on Ex Boyfriend Recovery over 70% of women who have gotten their ex back have utilized a no contact rule in some way shape or form.
That is insane.
But lets take it a step further.
Did you know that every single woman who has gotten her ex back in our Private Support Group has utilized no contact.
(That's 100% if you can't count 🙂 .)
But what does any of this have to do with wishing your ex a happy birthday?
The No Contact Rule And Happy Birthdays
I have made my case for why the no contact rule is essential for getting an ex back (if that is what you want.)
But do you want to know what destroys a no contact rule faster than anything.
Breaking it and then having to start over again from scratch.
Not a lot of people know this because they mostly take my advice at face value and just assume that things will remain the same throughout but the no contact rule can actually lose effectiveness every time you start it and then stop it.
Think of it like seeing a movie for the first time.
The experience of watching a movie for the first time is going to be the best. It's going to lose a bit of it's punch the next time you watch it and then the next time and so on and so forth.
Well, the same type of logic is going to apply with the no contact rule.
The most effective that it is ever going to be on your ex is when you try it on them for the very first time.
But lets say that you break it for some inexplicable reason and decide to start over again.
While the no contact rule can still be effective it won't be as effective as the very first time you tried it.
Get it?
So, where do happy birthdays come into play here.
However, I still haven't gone into one of the major problems that we have here at Ex Boyfriend Recovery with the no contact rule.
The Major Problem We Have With The No Contact Rule
The problems lies in the fact that the vast majority of the people who try it simply cannot stay in it.
They break it.
And after you look at the science of it, it makes a lot of sense.
Not a lot of people know this but after you go through a breakup the part of the brain that lights up and becomes active is the exact same part of the brain that lights up and becomes active in a drug addict.
If you have ever wondered why people going through heartbreak exhibit many of the classic signs of “withdrawal” well, that's why!
Now, the no contact rule takes someone in that state of mind and forces them to create a new habit where they aren't engaging in their addiction, their ex.
Rather, they are flat out ignoring them.
Of course, this also explains why so many men and women have trouble with it.
How many drug addicts are able to quit cold turkey?
The Answer = Not A Lot
I have found that most of the clients I work with who actually try implementing the no contact rule will fight every step of the way to look for an excuse to break it.
Do you see where I am going with this?
And that is where birthdays come into play.
What Happens When You Break The No Contact Rule To Wish Your Ex A Happy Birthday
I find it's often helpful to do this fun exercise so you can make the most of your interactions with your ex and believe me that really matters because in the grand scheme of things you only have a small amount of chances to really rebuild attraction.
So, lets do this fun exercise with a happy birthday text.
Here is the scenario.
You have been in the midst of a no contact period for 12 days and it just so happens that your exes birthday is on day 13. You debate back and forth on whether you should wish them a happy birthday and ultimately decide on the fact that you should do it.
So, day 13 rolls around and you send the fairly basic “happy birthday text” looking something like this,
Now, the way I see it is that there are three ways that your ex can respond to this.
The Basic Response
Thanks…
This is the most basic response you will get (and probably the most likely outcome.)
People are hardwired to say “thanks, “thank you” or some variation to being told happy birthday and therein lies the problem. Why would you subject yourself to lessening your position for a “thanks.”
This is the best outcome you can hope for and that in and of itself is depressing.
The Negative Response
If you get this response then it is pretty clear that you shouldn't have broken the no contact rule.
Why?
Because if your ex is literally sitting there and asking you,
“Hey, why are we talking?”
It clearly means that they are still holding some serious resentment towards you.
So, essentially what you will have done here is ended a no contact rule which has an added benefit of calming them down to have your ex tell you to f*ck off basically.
The No Response
For some reason I feel like I would fall into this category personally.
Some breakups cause people to use their own silence against you.
So, by wishing your ex a happy birthday and having them not respond to you it is their subtle way of letting you know,
“Hey, I saw your text but you are so beneath me I am not going to even give you the most basic response.
Ok, here is the point I am trying to drive home for you.
In fact, all it will end up doing is worsening it.
Nevertheless, I feel it would be short sighted of me to not take a look at the other argument.
The Final Conclusion: Should You Wish Your Ex A Happy Birthday
Here is a sad truth.
The “get your ex back” niche is full of shady characters.
They won't give away any of their “tricks” for free (not that their tricks are anything revolutionary) and I feel like half of them are just scam artists.
Nevertheless, that doesn't mean I haven't made a few friends over the years.
On the contrary, I would say that probably one of the best friends I have made in this space is a fellow by the name of Brad Browning. Now, Brad is really interesting in the fact that he is one of the very few “breakup coaches” willing to put his face on camera which you will find is extremely rare in this day and age.
Anyways, a few months ago Brad came to me with this really interesting idea.
Hey man, how would you like to do a Brad Vs. Chris video where we take questions from our audience and give our perspective?
Needless to say, I was in!
So, we filmed this beauty together,
Now, what a lot of people don't know about this is that we didn't know how the other was going to answer the questions that were chosen at random and we found that we disagreed on one thing in particular.
Happy Birthdays!
No seriously, scroll to 16 minutes and 07 seconds into the video and you can hear me making my argument for the fact that you shouldn't break no contact to wish an ex a happy birthday and you can hear Brad making his that you should.
Honestly, I think it is the most comprehensive talk that has maybe ever been done on the subject.
So, who is right?
Well, I am….
No, ultimately who is right is up to you (but I'm right 😉 .)
Let me just end by reiterating what I was saying in the video versus Brad.
I think it is a huge mistake to break the no contact rule to wish your ex a happy birthday.
Of all the things that you can say to your ex to get them to want you back “happy birthday” isn't going to be it.
Instead, all breaking the no contact rule to wish your ex a happy birthday will accomplish is ruining any progress you have already made.
You will essentially be giving into your addiction of talking to your ex and lower the no contact rule's effectiveness.
Just sayin!
Happy birthday to my loving boyfriend,
who is the best thing that has ever
happened to me… So far!
Well, who knows what the future holds!
Happy birthday from the one
who knows all of your annoying
habits, but still loves you anyway!
Happy birthday, honey!
Happy birthday to my boyfriend
who is flaming hot, hotter than
all the candles on his cake!
I hope that your day brings you
all the happiness that you deserve,
and that it is as sweet as you are!
Big kisses, handsome!
Happy birthday from the one person who
knows all of your flaws and imperfections,
but still loves you anyway!
In all seriousness though, your strengths
far outweigh any of your flaws! Wishing
you a day full of happiness, my dear, just
as you deserve!
Lots of love from your beautiful and
amazing girlfriend!
As you get older, my love, unfortunately so
do your jokes! Luckily you have a funny
girlfriend to make up for them!
Happy birthday!
I have a friend of a friend who is sick.
If I directly talked to the sick person I would say:
I wish you would get well soon.
But I want the first friend to tell the second one. So something along the lines:
Could you wish him a ... for me?
If it was his birthday I could say:
Could you wish him a happy birthday for me?
So how do you ask someone, to tell his friend that you wish him to get well soon?
Have you ever genuinely forgotten someone’s birthday? Most of us have. But not wishing someone happy birthday purposefully?
Is this some kind of sick game?
Not wishing someone happy birthday, especially if you’re a close friend, can be mortifying to anyone with a beating heart. Of course, these things do happen now and then when we’re busy in our lives. But could you ever do that to someone intentionally? *gasp!*
Everybody loves their birthday!
When the clock strikes midnight on the day of our birthday, we often look straight to our social media, ready for the onslaught of messages on our timelines, private messages, and cute photos dedicated to the various friendships in our lives. Social media might have a bad reputation for some things, but in terms of connecting with everyone we care about, it’s a great tool.
Part of the fun of celebrating my birthday has to be the messages I receive from friends and loved ones, and it’s sometimes the case that I have a special someone in my life that I’m waiting for a message from. What happens when it doesn’t come? It ruins my birthday, quite frankly.
You might be reading this and wondering what the fuss is about; if someone forgets your birthday, it’s fine, right? Yes and no. For me, if someone I care about doesn’t remember it’s my birthday, I’m not happy about it. Perhaps they don’t take birthdays seriously and that’s why, but I do, and I expect the same in return.
If they have a genuine reason, e.g. they are having a family drama or they’re sick, okay, I accept it, but if it’s simply because they were scatter-brained or didn’t care enough, I’m forced to think about my deeper connections with that person.
Why?
Because I wouldn’t forget theirs.
Now, what if someone you care about doesn’t wish you happy birthday, and they do it on purpose?
Again, you’re wondering why someone would do that. It’s a classic piece of narcissistic behavior and it’s something which narcissistic people use to make someone else feel bad and to regain control.
How is not wishing someone happy birthday a narcissistic move?
In order to really understand why this is such a problem, we first need to understand about narcissism. You’ve no doubt heard the term, most of us have, and it’s likely that a lot of you reading this have known a narcissist in the past. If you’ve ever been in a relationship with one, you’ll be all too aware of how difficult a situation this can be. [Read: Why do narcissists ignore texts and do the mean things they do?]
A narcissist is someone who only cares about themselves, they have an extremely inflated sense of self, and they will drag others down to exercise control. That’s a basic explanation, because narcissism actually goes far deeper than that.
If you are in a relationship with a narcissist, you’ll be aware of a range of different tools they use to keep your attention firmly on them, and to stop you from leaving them. At their very core, narcissists are deeply unhappy and unconfident people. They need constant approval and they will do whatever they need to do in order to get it.
Not wishing someone happy birthday is a tactic, because it makes that person wonder what is going on. Why hasn’t he/she wished me happy birthday? Why didn’t they remember my special day? Why aren’t I important to them?
Those are the questions that will be rushing through your mind. You’re also likely to start asking them the very same questions, if they’re someone you’re very close to. [Read: 16 characteristics of a narcissist that give them away instantly]
The fact you are doing this is pandering to their narcissistic needs. They see it as you being subservient to them. They are the dominant one and by you asking these questions, they think they have the power. They’re wrong, of course, because over time you’ll start to think “if this person can’t even muster up the words ‘happy birthday’, why should I bother.” Eventually you will leave, but it will not be an easy or quick process.
Narcissists love to break you down
The whole tactic of not wishing someone happy birthday maintains the control in their court. It makes you feel unhappy and low, and even though you’ve been given all the attention from others on your special day, you’ve been broken down by this person forgetting you. In some ways, narcissists feed of making others feel bad, because it gives them a power kick of feeling good.
A birthday is your special day and your narcissist partner or friend knows that. And what better way for them to take the limelight off you than by intentionally ignoring you on your special day? By doing this, they know they’d be in your thoughts when you should just instead be enjoying yourself.
Are narcissists really bad people?
This is a question that has been asked for years. We should point out that narcissism is actually a condition that requires attention and treatment. There are deep mental health issues at the very core of narcissism, which causes this person to act in that particular way.
Have you heard of gas lighting? This is making someone else believe everything is their fault. Narcissists use gas lighting on a very regular basis. [Read: 14 signs a narcissist is gaslighting and messing with your mind]
For instance, they do something wrong, e.g. they forget your birthday, but they make you believe that you made them forget. In the end you’ll believe it’s your fault. That is what makes narcissistic relationships so hard to leave, because you have no idea whether it’s them or you. It’s them, trust me, it’s them.
So, are narcissists bad people? It depends on whether they have any control over what they are doing or not. Someone who has a mental health problem doesn’t often realize what they’re doing. This doesn’t make them a bad person, it makes them a person who needs help. If however that person simply gets a kick out of making someone else feel down and miserable, then unfortunately yes, they are a bad person. [Read: 23 secret signs of narcissism people overlook until it's too late]
They could simply have forgotten
I’m going to end this chat on a happier note. If someone in your life forgets to wish you happy birthday, do not let this ruin your day. Remember that everyone has busy lives these days, and something could have happened which simply made it slip their mind. Perhaps they’ve been so busy at work that they didn’t even realize the date. I’ve done that countless time; just yesterday I was convinced it was Saturday when it was actually Friday!
Not wishing someone happy birthday isn’t always a negative thing, because it’s sometimes a genuine mistake. That person is likely to remember a couple of days later and be so mortified by their oversight that they contact you and apologize, or send you a belated birthday message. In that case, accept it and move on from the issue. Don’t automatically assume that everyone in your life who forgets to wish you happy birthday is making narcissistic moves! [Read: Am I being taken for granted? 16 discreet signs to know for sure]
Much of the time, the slight doubt involved in the behavior of a narcissist is what makes them so difficult to deal with. ‘Did they mean it?’ ‘Are they telling the truth?’ ‘Perhaps they really didn’t know,’ these are all things you’ll think about, and having that element of doubt will cause so much conflict in your own mind, you’ll let the issue go – until the next time.
The best advice to give is that if someone in your life forgets to wish you happy birthday, do not let it ruin your day. Focus on those who did send you a message, those who did come and see you or send you a card, and if it’s someone really special who forgets, do not give them the satisfaction of allowing their behavior to take away the shine of your special day. [Read: Texting your ex on their birthday – 16 clues to make up your mind]
The fact you’re still enjoying yourself regardless of their lack of consideration will be enough to throw their tactics right out of the water, and back in their face!
What you do need to be aware of however is constant examples of behavior that fall into the narcissist spectrum. It’s impossible to have a normal, loving relationship with someone who is narcissistic at their very core.
You will drive yourself crazy trying to understand it, and you will end up not trusting even yourself. In that case, the very best birthday present you can give yourself is to walk away and find someone worthy of your attention, and someone who will never forget the special days in your life.
Not wishing someone happy birthday intentionally is a terrible thing to do. Give them the benefit of doubt if you’re not sure it was maliciously intentional. But if you’re certain it was intentional, just return the favor and take a big step away from the narcissist.