What does 'happy birthday' mean?

It's the usual Norwegian birthday greeting, literally meaning congratulations on the day itself rather than the age. It's used both verbally, in cards, and in messages, and works for all ages and occasions.

What do you write in a birthday card?

A congratulation, one sentence about the person, and a wish for the day or the coming year. The middle sentence is the most important – it's what makes the card not just for anyone.

How do you write a personal birthday greeting?

Mention something specific: a trait, a memory you share, or something the person achieved in the past year. 'Thanks for always answering the phone' says more than 'you're a good friend', even if it's shorter.

What do you write to someone turning 50 or 60?

Milestone birthdays can take more seriousness than regular ones. Say something about what the person has meant, or what you admire. Avoid jokes about old age unless you're sure they'll be well received.

Is it too late to send a birthday greeting the day after?

No, but say it outright. 'I'm a day late, but happy birthday anyway' works better than pretending nothing happened. To avoid the problem next time, you can write the greeting in advance and schedule when to send it.

Happy birthday: 30 birthday greetings

Det korte svaret

A good birthday greeting has three parts: the congratulations, one sentence about the person, and a wish. The middle one makes all the difference. Without it, the greeting is interchangeable; with it, the card stays on the shelf.

You don’t have to be poetic. ‘‘Thanks for always answering the phone’’ hits harder than most poems.

6 korte bursdagshilsener

For colleagues, neighbors and people you know a bit.

1
Happy birthday! Hope it’s as lovely as you deserve.
2
Hip hip hooray! Have an absolutely brilliant birthday.
3
Many happy returns. Enjoy today – and the rest of the week too.
4
Congratulations on your day! Cheers to you.
5
Happy birthday to you. Glad you exist.
6
Hooray for you! Hope your day is great from the first coffee.

6 hilsener til noen du står nær

The birthday is one of the few occasions where it’s perfectly fine to say outright what someone means to you. Use it.

1
Happy birthday! There aren’t many I can tell absolutely everything to. You’re one of them. Thanks for that.
2
Your birthday is a great chance to say something I should say more often: you mean a lot to me. Congratulations.
3
Many happy returns! The world is a better place with you in it, and my life is definitely better.
4
Happy birthday. Thanks for always answering the phone, even when it’s late and I’m nagging.
5
Congratulations! I’m lucky to have you. Hope your day is absolutely top-notch.
6
Hooray for you today. You’re one of those people who make things feel easier. Congratulations.

5 morsomme bursdagshilsener

1
Happy birthday! You’re not older, you just have more seasons behind you.
2
Congratulations! Age is just a number. Admittedly a number that’s growing alarmingly fast, but still.
3
Congratulations! Today you can eat cake for breakfast without anyone saying a thing. Enjoy the privilege.
4
Hooray! Another year without serious incidents. Well done.
5
Happy birthday. I considered buying something funny, but ended up with something you can actually use. Sorry about that.

8 hilsener til runde dager

40, 50, 60, 70 – and 18. Round-number birthdays can take more seriousness than regular birthdays, and people remember what was said.

1
Happy 50th! Halfway through the race, and you’re still leading.
2
Fifty years, and still the funniest in the room. Happy birthday!
3
Happy 60th! Sixty years of experience, and still curious about new things. That's not a given.
4
Happy 60th birthday. May the next decades be as fulfilling as the last.
5
Happy 70th! Seventy years is a long time to be a good person. Thank you for being one.
6
Heartfelt congratulations on your milestone birthday. A proper milestone deserves a proper party.
7
Happy 40th! Now you finally have enough life experience to stop pretending.
8
Happy 18th! Welcome to adulthood – it's just like childhood, only with bills.

5 sitater til bursdagskortet

A quote gives the card a different weight than your own words — but well-known quotes are usually copyright protected, and those who reproduce them online rarely have permission. These are therefore written by us, and free to use.

1
Getting older isn't about losing something. It's about collecting more versions of yourself.
2
The best years are usually the ones you didn't even notice you were in.
3
A birthday is a reminder that someone is glad you exist. Accept it.
4
You don't count the years. You count the people who show up.
5
Age is the only gift no one can exchange, and the only one everyone wants more of.

If you’d rather have a poem, there are 16 originals in happy birthday poems, with special verses for milestone birthdays.

Fire grep som løfter enhver bursdagshilsen

Replace ‘‘you are’’ with ‘‘you do’’. ‘‘You are kind’’ is a label. ‘‘You always call the day after something difficult’’ is proof.
Mention the past year. Birthdays mark the year – say something about what has happened since last time.
Write the name. ‘‘Happy birthday, Mari’’ is warmer than ‘‘Happy birthday’’, for reasons no one can quite explain.
Don’t apologise for the gift. ‘‘Just a little something’’ makes the gift smaller, not you more modest.

Hilsen og gave i samme forsendelse

A card without a gift feels thin, and a gift without a card feels anonymous. With a Send a gift card the two hang together: the recipient opens the greeting first, then chooses which gift card the amount should be used on.

If you’re late, this is also the only option that arrives the same minute you send it.