Claudia Tihan is helping us heat up the chilly winter months on her birthday … because we’ve got her spiciest snaps together in honor of her 29th birthday!

The star is celebrating another trip around the sun on Thursday … presumably in her favorite outfit — a tiny 2-piece bikini, and nothing else.

Of course, she could be spending the afternoon in bed … and, we’re sure a ton of her fans would love to be lying right there next to her!

In honor of Claudia, take a few minutes and guess what word we’re looking for connected to her … and, while true, it’s not just “HOT!”