http://www.boroday.info/sign-language-happy-birthday-song/
For my sister’s birthday I wanted to surprise her with a balloon bouquet, flowers were out of my budget range but I knew I could afford a nice spread of balloons. She worked as a hair stylist in Ketchum, Idaho and I wanted a big birthday display to celebrate her birthday. The balloons would be a nice way to announce it was her birthday.
I ordered the Mylar silver balloons with prints and I specified the best of the worst, the tacky rose and flower prints, the sappy cartoon animals with “Happy Birthday” written in garish colors. It was going to be great and very hard to miss.
The sentiment I wanted was simple, “Happy Birthday, Luv ya” I even spelled out luv l-u-v for the order taker. Instead of the traditional love you.
The big day came and I called her to see if they had been delivered. Yes, they had been delivered and they took up half of her front space. Bright, tacky and colorful in all their floating wonder, just as I had ordered.
Then she told me that the card was a little strange. Instead of being signed with, “Luv, ya” it was signed lub ya, l-u-b. English was not the order takers first language and I had not enunciated the v sound. I am sure she thought the request was quite strange but didn’t question me. Maybe not that strange, it was famous Ketchum, Idaho (where all the celebrities and beautiful rich people play in Sun Valley) and this request may not even rank close to strange on the celebrity scale.
We both started laughing at the mistake and to this day we sign off with a hearty lub ya.
The balloons have paid off handsomely in dividends, everyone did wish her a happy birthday and we have added a new term to our vocabulary.
Happy birthday in ASL
