I find my birthday stressful. I'm not exactly sure why, except perhaps that I hate to be the centre of attention.
I also find it really hard to come up with ideas for presents and find it stressful when people keep asking me. 
Not that I don't appreciate them for wanting to buy me something, but with certain family members it often feels like it's more about them showing how generous they are, than about what I would actually like to receive - so if I ask for something small that I genuinely would like I get told off. 
There's always a lot of pressure from friends and family to 'do something to mark the occasion', but in truth I'd really rather not. I enjoy opening the cards my dcs have made and the little presents they choose with dh to give to me and we all enjoy the ritual birthday candles at tea time, but for me that's enough.
It's actually my birthday next week and yet again I've been pressurised into arranging something to celebrate. Only it's not going to be anywhere near my birthday anyway, as each time I tried to organise a date someone couldn't come and had a strop that they wouldn't be there. I've only arranged a very low key trip to a country park with a picnic (weather permitting) as I really want the children to enjoy it and know that the place we are going will be a delight for all of them.
To be honest, organising it has been a real pita and something I could really have done without the stress of. That probably makes me sound really ungrateful, which I'm not, I just don't appreciate being railroaded into planning and organising an event that is supposedly 'for me' when I am the only person that wouldn't mind if it didn't happen. 
Having said all that, I have absolutely no objection whatsoever to other people celebrating their own birthdays in whatever manner they wish, be it huge and extravagant or small and low key. It's really down to the individual, their personality and likes and dislikes.