Birthday Cake

Where did that dern Birthday Cake tradition that we all do come from anyway?

Some historians think that the custom of the birthday cake was observed in ancient Greece, and they report that the birthday cake began with the Greeks who used to make honey cakes or bread. Ancient Romans celebrated three different types of birthdays: Private celebrations among family and friends, the birthdays of cities and temples, and the birthdays of past and present emperors or members of the imperial family. The 50th year was celebrated with a honey cake made of wheat flour, grated cheese, honey, and olive oil.

Others contend that the Birthday Cake tradition was started in Germany in the Middle Ages where a sweetened bread dough was made in the shape of the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes and were used to commemorate his birthday. The Birthday Cake later re-emerged in Germany as a kinderfest, or a birthday celebration for a young child.

In England, birthday cakes are baked with symbolic objects inside. In medieval times, objects such as coins and thimbles were mixed into the batter. People believed that the person who got the coin would be wealthy, while the unlucky finder of the thimble would never marry. Today, small figures, fake coins and small candies are more common. (I also know this to be true of Mexico, when I went there on a mission trip we had a pie with either a baby, a ring, or a thimble in it. The baby represented that the recipient was supposed to host a party. The ring meant the recipient was to be married within the year. And finally, the thimble meant bad luck for the poor guy who received that. In our cake all everyone received were babies, maybe because it was around New Years and the baker was feeling particularly jazzy about the festivities.)

Birthday candles originally were placed on cakes to bring birthday wishes up to God. In ancient times, people prayed over the flames of an open fire. They believed that the smoke carried their thoughts up to the gods. Today, we believe, that if you blow out all your candles in one breath, your wish will come true.

So out of all the sites I visited I could not come up with conclusive evidence, most speculation similar to this above. But one thing I do know for sure is this:

Singing "Happy Birthday to You" has also been a long-standing tradition on birthdays as well. It was written by two American sisters in 1893, and has been translated into several languages around the world.

Long live the Birthday song!