Regarding your last paragraph: I thought it was a very good thing, not hurtful at all. I think this is an excellent exception to the general rule of not mentioning parties people won't be invited to: letting people who will suspect anyway that there was a party happening know why they weren't invited is a good thing (or can be, depending on what the reason is). So I will expect to not be invited, and I'll just happily send you good-birthday wishes.

Your birthday is two months after mine, to the day. I don't remember realizing that before. And yes, birthdays are excellent holidays. I don't really understand people who stop celebrating their birthday after becoming an adult--you don't get any other days in a year, usually, where it can be a special day just for you. I usually at least take the day off work, now that I have a job where I can afford to do that.