Why Do We Put Candles On a Birthday Cake?
Alright, let’s talk about birthdays! If I asked you to name the best day of the year, chances are you’d say your birthday! And why not? It’s the one day all about you. You get presents, hear family members sing that classic “Happy Birthday” song, blow out birthday cake candles, and—best of all—eat birthday cake!
Seriously, what could be better than cake and presents?
But have you ever wondered why we celebrate birthdays the way we do? Like, who decided on the use of candles on a cake to count the years of the person’s age? And what’s the deal with making a wish before blowing them out? Well, sit tight, because we’re going to dive into the history of birthdays and find out!
The First Birthday Cakes Were for the Moon
Yep, you read that right—birthday cakes started with the moon. So, a long time ago, the ancient Greeks (we’re talking really ancient times here) used to believe in a whole bunch of gods and goddesses. One of their favorite goddesses was Artemis, who was in charge of the moon. The Greeks were super into the goddess of the moon, so they baked cakes just for her.
But not just any cakes—they had to be round cakes, to look like the moon. And then, they took it up a notch by adding candles to the moon-shaped cakes to make them glow! How cool is that? Poof…just like that the tradition of birthday candles was born…
Almost like a superstitious belief, they thought the smoke of the candles would carry their prayers all the way to the heavens, kind of like sending a message. Maybe that’s why we make a wish before blowing out the candles on our birthday cakes today. Just like in ancient Greece, we still light candles on our modern birthday cake sending our wishes up to the sky (though, I doubt the Greek moon goddess is reading them).
Romans Knew How to Party Too
The ancient Romans—yep, those toga-wearing, chariot-racing guys—were the first to throw birthday parties with cakes for regular people (not just moon goddesses). But hold on, these cakes weren’t like the fluffy, sweet ones we know today. The Romans’ birthday cakes were a little… boring. They were more like bread than cake. Yawn.
Luckily, the cake scene got a serious upgrade later on. But we’ll get to that in a minute.
Kinderfest? You Bet!
Fast forward a bit to the 18th century (the 1700s), when the Germans brought birthday celebrations to a whole new level. They had a special party for kids called Kinderfest—kind of like today’s birthday parties, but with a little twist.
They would bake a cake for the birthday kid, and for every year of life that child had lived, they’d put that specific number of candles on the cake. But here’s the kicker—they also added one extra candle. This extra candle was like a special way to wish for the kid to stay healthy and live a long life.
So, next time you see an extra candle on your cake, don’t forget—it’s there to bring you luck and wish you many more awesome birthdays to come!
Sweet Cakes Were a Big Deal!
Now, here’s something crazy—birthday cakes weren’t always sweet. Imagine sitting down to a birthday celebration and biting into a plain, unsweetened cake. Uh, no thanks, right? But back in the day, sugar was super expensive, so only the really rich people could afford to have sweet cakes. The rest of the people had to make do with basic, kind of boring cakes.
Luckily, as time went on and technology improved, confectioner’s sugars became cheaper, and soon enough, everyone could enjoy deliciously sweet birthday cakes. Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how awesome that is? I mean, no sugar on a birthday cake would be a major bummer!
Birthday Traditions Around the World
Now that we know how birthdays got started, let’s take a quick trip around the world to see how different cultures celebrate this awesome day.
- Mexico: Ever heard of a piñata? In Mexico, a birthday party isn’t complete without one! It’s a colorful, paper-mâché figure filled with candy and toys, and the birthday kid gets to whack it with a stick until everything falls out. Talk about a sweet surprise!
- China: In China, birthdays are all about longevity, so instead of cake, they serve up long noodles. The longer the noodle, the longer the life! Imagine trying to eat the longest noodle ever—good luck not making a mess!
- South Korea: You might already know this, but here in Korea, the birthday person eats seaweed soup (called miyeok-guk) for breakfast. It’s a popular tradition and is believed to bring good health, and it’s a nod to what moms eat after giving birth to regain strength.
- Jamaica: Things get wild in Jamaica—on your birthday, people throw flour at you! It’s messy, but it’s all in good fun. Flour-covered birthday kids are basically a tradition.
- Russia: In Russia, kids get birthday pies instead of cakes. And get this—the pies often have little birthday messages written inside! Imagine cutting into a pie and finding a sweet note baked right in.
How Do You Celebrate Your Birthday?
Every family and country has its own special birthday traditions, and that’s part of what makes birthdays so much fun. Maybe you always have a huge party with friends and family, or maybe you like to keep it low-key with a small celebration and just a few presents. Whatever your tradition, one thing is for sure—birthdays are awesome!
In my house, birthdays are a big deal. There’s cake (of course), but also lots of balloons, games, and way too much singing. We always try to outdo last year’s celebration, whether that means more candles on the cake or an extra scoop of ice cream. And don’t forget the best part—making a wish when you blow out the candles! But shhh, don’t tell anyone your wish, or it might not come true. Another Shh…I have a few beers when my son goest to sleep!
The Science of Making a Silent Wish
Speaking of birthday wishes, let’s talk about that. Why do we make a wish when we blow out birthday candles? It’s kind of a funny tradition, right? But it’s one we all take pretty seriously. Everyone holds their breath for a moment while the birthday kid closes their eyes and makes their secret wish. Then, with one big puff, they blow out the candles and—voila! The wish is locked in.
The cool part is, while the ancient Greeks were making heartfelt wishes to their gods, nowadays we use birthdays as a chance to hope for something special in the future. Maybe you wish for a new bike, a pet, or a super cool trip to an amusement park. Whatever it is, it’s your special moment to dream big!
Birthdays, The Light of Life
So, now you know—birthdays are more than just delicious cakes and presents. They’ve got history, culture, and all kinds of fun traditions from around the world, and they are also celebrated in different ways by families. And while every birthday is unique, they all share one thing: they’re a chance to celebrate YOU.
Whether it’s your first birthday, your tenth, or even your hundredth, every birthday is a time to look back on all the awesome things you’ve done in the past year and get excited about what’s coming next. So, next time your birthday rolls around, make sure to enjoy every second—eat that cake, blow out those candles, and don’t forget to make the biggest, boldest wish ever!
