Why we eat cake and blow out candles on birthdays

Eating cake and blowing out candles on your birthday is a very strong tradition that can be found in different parts of the world. This form of celebration is very common and is repeated every 12 months, but its origin has different explanations. Have you ever wondered why we put candles on the cake and what is the meaning of blowing them out with a strong blow?

O awesome.club decided to research a little about the origins of this custom. Check it out right now and understand why we celebrate birthdays with cake and candles.

The exact origin of the candle blowing ritual is unknown, however there are different theories that point to the reason for the tradition. One of them is attributed to a cult of the goddess Artemis, from Ancient Greece, as a way of celebrating her birth.

The birthday cake as we know it today has been part of birthday celebrations in the West since the mid-19th century. Despite the changes that happen over time and the variations that occur from region to region, the celebrations have a similar format and that consists of what most of us already know: a sweet cake with candles on top. The number of candles represents the years lived and the birthday person must blow out the candles and make a wish.

Making birthday cakes was already a custom in Ancient Rome, and the cakes always had the same circular and flat shape. In the 15th century, bakeries in Germany started making single-layer pies for their customers’ birthdays.

During the 17th century, cakes with more than one layer and icing frosting appeared, usually prepared by families with greater purchasing power. After the industrial revolution, the custom reached all social classes, and in the mid-19th century it became part of the culture of several European countries.

In Ancient Egypt, birthday parties were exclusive to royalty, a custom passed down to the Greeks who celebrated the birthdays of the gods. The most popular celebration was of the goddess Artemis, and it took place as follows: every sixth day of the month, a cake decorated with candles was prepared. Some time later, the ritual became part of the birthday celebrations of Greek heroes, nobles and aristocrats.

The lit candle ritual can be associated with certain types of ancient rituals, which normally involved the desire to eliminate the presence of evil spirits. People thought that these spirits came to visit the birthday people and the noise of the celebration was a way to scare them.

In 18th century Germany the custom of blowing out candles on children’s birthdays became more popular. When a child had a birthday, he was taken to an auditorium so that adults could protect him from evil spirits.

According to a document written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the number of candles represented the age of the birthday boy.

In a book from 1753, there is a description of how the candles were placed on the cake: they should be arranged on the outside, all lit and surrounding a single candle placed in the center.

The Swiss, in 1883, didn’t blow out all the candles at once; for them, they should be blown one by one.

Currently, in countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Brazil, there is a tradition of placing an order before blowing out the candles. Some people think that the wish only comes true if all the candles are blown out at once.

The shape of cakes varies a lot these days. In China, for example, people prepare a cake made from wheat flour with a filling. In South Korea, the cake gives way to seaweed soup. In Holland, it is customary to prepare a fruit pie with whipped cream.

What is the type of celebration that happens in your family? And what did you think of the history of these traditions? Share your opinion in the comments.