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Birthday wishes
for your brother.

Only a sibling knows the right thing to say, and it usually involves something he would rather forget. Use that.

The birthday wishes for your brother are sorted by who is signing. Pick your group, add his name, and sign.

Create a cardRead a sample card

Everyone's words in one card.

Updated

Half a biscuit over a mug of tea, the other half gone in, and the words one, two, three, four. Happy birthday. Try not to go soft.

You still owe me for that incident. You know the one, and so do I.

From Kofi

You are older now, which means I win. Happy birthday.

From Rosa

We love you more than words in a card can say. Have a wonderful birthday.

From Sam

Pick a design

  • Pop birthday card. Happy birthday.
  • Blowing out the candles. Small hands on a big cake. Happy birthday.
  • Midcentury birthday card. Happy birthday.
  • A pair of socks. Happy birthday. It's socks. You knew it was socks.
  • Two-colour printed lettering. Happy birthday. Yes, there's cake. No, you don't have to speak.
  • A striped painted candle. Happy birthday.
  • Wrapping scraps after a party. Happy birthday.
  • Tasting the wine. We tasted six. We remember four. Happy birthday.
  • Marker lettering. Happy birthday. I got you a card. "present" is crossed out and "card" written above it.
  • Cheers. Same table as last year. Same toast. Good to see you.

The question

Each writer gets a question.

One at a time, about Sam. They answer in their own words, or write without one.

Who they are to you
  1. Something Sam did this year that you still think about.
  2. Words of Sam's that you have caught yourself using.
  3. A day Sam made better just by turning up.
  4. Something Sam taught you without meaning to.
  5. A small thing about Sam that nobody else would notice.
  6. The story about Sam you tell most.
  1. The moment you knew you had a proper friend in Sam.
  2. Something Sam did that only a friend would.
  3. A thing you still laugh about together.
  4. The time Sam turned up when it mattered.
  5. Something Sam knew about you before you said it.
  1. Something Sam did for the family that went unsaid.
  2. A habit of Sam's that you have caught yourself copying.
  3. A memory of Sam from when you were younger.
  4. Something Sam put up with from you.
  5. Something Sam taught you, mostly by example.
  1. A small thing Sam did that you noticed and never mentioned.
  2. The moment you knew.
  3. Something Sam did this year that made things easier for you.
  4. A thing about Sam you would not change.
  5. Something Sam carried that was yours to carry.
  1. The thing you go to Sam for.
  2. Something you picked up from working beside Sam.
  3. A bad day at work that Sam turned round.
  4. Something a new starter should be told about Sam.
  5. Something Sam did that made the job feel worth doing.

Or write without one.

Birthday messages for a brother

Pick your group, put his name in, and sign.

From a sister

  • Happy birthday to the only person who knows exactly what I mean when I pull that face. You know the one.

  • You have been annoying me for decades and I would not change a single year of it. Happy birthday.

  • Growing up with you was chaotic and I am only just recovering. Many happy returns.

  • You still owe me for that incident. You know the one, and so do I.

  • I got the better sibling and I think we both know it. Have a great day.

From a brother

  • Happy birthday, mate. Still cannot believe Mum let you get away with that when we were kids.

  • You are older now, which means I win. Happy birthday.

  • Happy birthday. You were a terrible co-conspirator but an excellent brother.

  • The years have not changed you much, which is both a good and a bad thing. Have a good one.

  • Another year, same brother. Fortunately, you are one of the better ones.

From parents

  • Happy birthday to our boy. Watching you grow into the person you are has been the best part of our lives.

  • We are proud of you every single day, not just today. Happy birthday, son.

  • Happy birthday. You have given us more joy than you will ever know, and a fair amount of grey hairs too.

  • We love you more than words in a card can say. Have a wonderful birthday.

From the whole family

  • Happy birthday from all of us. You are stuck with this lot and we would not have it any other way.

  • We got together to say happy birthday because one card felt better than six separate ones. Love you.

  • The whole family thinks you deserve a brilliant day. So does the dog, for what it is worth.

  • Happy birthday. The family card means nobody had to admit they forgot individually.

Short

  • Happy birthday, brother. Have a good one.

  • Many happy returns. Love you lots.

  • Happy birthday. You are one of the good ones.

  • Big day. Hope it is everything you want.

  • Happy birthday. Glad you are mine.

What to leave out

Do not bring up anything he is sensitive about. Age as a joke lands when both of you find it funny, and only you know if that is true.

Do not write something vague enough to go on any card. A message that could be for a colleague or a stranger is one he will not remember.

Do not pile on if other cards in the family have already made the same joke. One sibling teasing him is funny. Five is a pile-on.

Do not apologise for a late card inside the card itself. If it is late, send it anyway and say nothing about the date.

One card from everyone

Family spread across three postcodes. One link, one card, opens on his birthday.

  1. 01

    Set his birthday.

    The card opens that morning. Everyone else can sign right up until midnight the night before.

  2. 02

    Send the link to the family.

    Each person writes their own message and signs their name. No chasing, no forwarding, no group chat chaos.

  3. 03

    He reads it on the day.

    Every message, every name, in one place. He keeps it.

Create a card

Questions

What do you write in a birthday card for your brother?

One thing only you would know, plus a birthday wish. The shared history is what makes it a sibling card rather than a generic one.

What do you write for a brother's big birthday?

Mark the year without making it about getting old. Say what he has done with the time, not how much of it has gone.

Can a group card work for a brother's birthday?

Yes, especially when family are in different places. One card collects every message and opens on the morning of his birthday.

Part of group birthday card.

More guides

Somebody has a day coming up.

Create a card

Everyone's words in one card.