It is as simple and intuitive once you know how.

Open the calender app -> select the date for the event -> tap to create new event -> enter relevant details -> scroll down to reminders -> tap the green + sign -> select any option for a reminder from the dropdown menu

 

This is ok for normal events in your calendar, but if you are using your calendar to display birthdays using the data held in your google contact's record (or indeed from the record stored on your phone), then if I remember correctly, I have a feeling this cannot be done (on GB at least). Someone will be along to verify this. I can't remember seeing this option on birthday event types.

I'm on D4 Rom now which is ICS CM9 based, and it CAN be done on this.

 

@swayzak no you don't need duplicates. you can edit exist events from your google calender.

@hawker Am on the stock ROM and you can actually do this.

Select the date with the event on your calender app -> tap the event -> tap the options menu -> select edit -> scroll down to reminders -> change as you want and hit save

p.s. I can't post GB guide as I am on ICS but I recall the steps to be identical

 

A "birthday" synced from google calender is an "event", every b'day or meeting or anniversary you put in there is an event.

In the screenshots I provided it was a birthday event only.

Are the options different in GB (perhaps I recalled wrong) ? Can you post screenies?

 

Hmmm... then I guess you have to wait till ICS comes to your device for the edit option

 

I have just gone back over to GB to test. How thoughtful am I?

I can confirm, for birthday events brought in from the contacts record, as I thought, you cannot set a reminder to them.

 

You the man Hawker, can expect this dedication from you

 

I am using an app called 'birthdays-free'. This picks up birthdays from your google account and reminds you, it also tells you how old the person is

 

Well the option to remind on a birthday was certainly there on D4Rom. This is ICS (CM9 based) so its either an ICS or CM9 feature.
Going on what Forbidden is saying, it seems its an ICS feature.

 

The reminder option was surely available on GB too. Of this I am damn sure.

BUT you can't edit events synced from google calender and set up a reminder for those on GB (apparently), but following ICS update I can edit those and set up reminders for them too. And that is what swayzak requires, if I am right, as his b'days and other events are already on his google calender.

 

U can set up reminder under Clock-alarm-set up yr time & date as per normal alarm but when scroll down at the end of it you wil see name and you type a short task for eg "feed cat" and save it. in this way when the alarm goes off u get to see yr task. The old Nokia phone hv an alarm tone for Reminder tasks but not this suppose high tech phone