“Birthdays are nature’s way of telling us to eat more cake.”
We are always excited about birthdays because it is our birthright, isn’t it? And do you know the reason behind this excitement? The thing that is as important as getting wishes on your special day?
The birthday cake!
The excitement we always have to see how our cake looks, and to cut it while our loved ones sing the birthday song for us. No matter what a person’s age is, every other person is always excited about and look forward to their birthday and their birthday cake.
But do you know the exact reason why do we cut cakes on our birthday? Why do we sing the birthday song? You must know that, reader.
And that is why we decided to let you know the importance of things you do on your birthday. Here’s what you are going to read;
| – Why do we cut cakes on birthdays? |
| – Cake song meaning. |
| – Special birthday candles |
| – The evolution of birthday celebration. |
| – Cut the cake’s meaning. |
Let the party Begin!
Why do we cut cakes on birthdays?
During the ancient Greek times, round baked honey cakes topped with candles, which used to symbolise the moon, were offered to the moon goddess, the Artemis, as a special way of paying tribute.
The candles were burned as an offering and thanking to their gods and goddess. This is how the concept of cake cutting slowly came into existence and became world popular.
Birthday cake with candles
The tradition of placing birthday cakes with lots of candles also came into existence from ancient Greek.
On the sixth day of every lunar month, the Greeks used to honour their moon goddess, Artemis, by burning candles and attributing them to her.
Not only the round cake or candle theme came from ancient Greek, but the blowing out candles was also a thing given to the world by them.
While offering the moon shaped (round) cake to the moon goddess, they used to place and then blow the candles. While in today’s times, it is considered a gesture of making a wish.
Cut the cake meaning
Although the evolution of the cutting cake was invented by the Greeks, over the centuries, cake cutting was adopted by many cultures for different reasons.
The meaning behind cutting a cake on the wedding day is represented as the first activity done by the couple together.
Nowadays, the bride and groom cut the cake together, but years ago, it was a tradition done only by the bride as a sigh of the loss of her virginity.
Woah! Now who would have thought about that?
Special birthday candles
Do you know, there is one more significance to the special candles blown on birthdays? THE EVOLUTION OF BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION suggested that birthday candles started holding a special symbolic power.
It was believed in the past that the evil spirits used to visit people on their birthdays. To protect the birthday person from that evil spirit, people must light candles, surround the birthday person and make merry as sounds and lights are used to scare away the evil spirits.
Well, not just that but this evolution also shows that the Greeks took this idea of celebration from the Egyptians of paying respect to their gods in such a way.
While ancient Romans were the first to celebrate birthdays for the common man, just man. Celebrating birthdays for women came centuries later.
Another new and interesting fact, isn’t it?
Someone’s got a birthday I wonder who?
So many significant things, but what about the cake song’s meaning?
Well, if you have read what’s written above, you must have found out the meaning of the cake song as well.
It was a special blessing and wish filled song that was sung on special occasions like birthdays, so that people can make noise and can sing and laugh together in order to scare away the evil spirit by blessing the birthday person.
Who would have thought about such a unique and unexpected meaning and usage of the birthday song?
Conclusion:
The birthday cake tradition is a lot older than you think. Not just any celebration but it was a ritual done by ancient Greeks and Egyptians to pay respect to their deities.
Over the centuries, this is how the significance of cake cutting, candles and birthday song has evolved.
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