My dh royally screws up birthdays. . .forgetting a b-day pales in comparison to the things my dh has done. One year we had a heart to heart. Turns out he's just crazy about me

but can't for the life of him keep things straight. It's not personal. . . So I leave hints. Some of them are horribly obvious (Like the LL bean catalog left open on a closed toilet seat with a sticky attached saying "This is what I want for my birthday.")
But the point is, sometimes men need a little help and communicating what would make you feel loved and appreciated doesn't diminish the celebration. . .just makes it more enjoyable IMO. (I have to say though that if dh ever completely forgot the anniversary, he'd be in trouble.)