Belated Happy Birthday not Happy Belated Birthday

[CherrySocks]

I am just creeping into Pedants' Corner to share this with the world - "Happy Belated Birthday" doesn't make sense - the birthday itself is not late. It is the wishing of happiness that is late. I am belatedly wishing you a happy birthday. A Belated 'Happy Birthday.'
Thank-you for listening.

Haha, I love it! It bothers me to no end because it literally makes zero sense. I got a smartshow 3d birthday video once that said "Happy Belated Birthday" and it I'm still proud I replied with a thank you, not a paragraph of clarifications about how it made no sense.

@AnneButNotHathaway That's the thing, there's never a time when you can tell someone, they've either just said it to you or to someone you know.