What is the meaning of putting candles on a birthday cake?!
What is the meaning of putting candles on a birthday cake?
I am trying to find out when this started, and who started this, and the background reasons behind this
Answers:
The birthday cake has been an integral part of the birthday tradition in Western cultures since the middle of the 19th century.
The cake, or sometimes a pastry or dessert, is served to a person on his or her birthday, and is often decorated with small novelty candles, with the person's name and/or a message of congratulations inscribed with icing. The phrase "Happy Birthday" did not appear on birthday cakes until the song Happy Birthday to You was popularized in the early 1900s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/birthday_ca...
History of Birthday Candles
It is said that the custom of placing candles on a birthday was started by early Greeks who used to place candles on the cake that they offered to Artemis - the Goddess of Moon. Lit candles made their round shape cake glow like the moon. Germans, who perfected themselves in the art of candle-making placed candles on the cake but for religious reasons. They used to place a big candle in the centre of the cake to represent ‘light of life’. The candle is marked with lines and numbers, usually 12, which would be burned every year.
Scholars also say that the custom of placing candles originated because people believed that Gods lived in the skies. They thought that lit candle helped to send signals and prayers to the god so that they could be answered more effectively. The other belief that people held was when a person makes a wish while blowing out the votive candle a signal or message was received by the god and the prayers would be answered.
Birthday Candle Traditions and Beliefs
Even today people hold a lot of superstitious beliefs about birthday candles. Person celebrating his or her birthday makes a silent wish while blowing out the candles on the cake. It is said if the person is able to blow out all candles in one breath it signifies that the wish would be answered and that the person would enjoy good luck in coming year. Another superstitious belief is that if a person reveals the birthday wish it does not come true.
Several Latino cultures observe an interesting candle-lighting ceremony on a girl’s 15th birthday called a ‘Quinceanera’. The religious ceremony is held in a church and marks the girl’s passage into adulthood. In a gesture of recognizing her heritage and her spiritual journey, the young woman lights her parent’s candle with the flame of her own candle. Her parents in turn illuminate the candle of their parents, and so on.
http://www.tokenz.com/birthday-candles.h...
It is said that the Greeks make one of the first cakes. Very different from the birthday cakes of today, these cakes were made of honey and bread. These cakes were thought to be used for birthday celebrations.
Romans actually celebrated three types of birthdays. One for family and friends, one for the cities and temples they lived in and one for members of royalty. Their birthday cakes were said to be made of flour, grated cheese, honey and olive oil.
Many say the first true birthday cakes were made in Germany. A sweetened bread dough was shaped in the likeness of the baby Jesus and dressed in swaddling clothes to commemorate his birth. Many years later Germany started to use these cakes as a celebration of their young children’s birthday.
In England, birthday cakes were baked with small symbols mixed up in the batter. Whoever found these trinkets were said to have bad luck or good luck depending on the trinket pulled from their cake. Many think that’s why we still decorate our own cakes today with candles and candy. A tradition that started in the center of a cake now rests on top for all to enjoy.
Birthday candles were originally placed on top of birthday cakes in the hope that the candles would carry thoughts up to god. People not only wished but also prayed over their candles, believing that the smoke from the candles had special qualities. The practice of wishing on your birthday candles still survives today. There are also many other birthday desserts that can be purchased for that surprise party.
http://www.history1700s.com/store/birthd...
The customs of offering congratulations, presenting gifts and celebrating - complete with lighted candles - in ancient times were meant to protect the birthday celebrant from the demons and to ensure his security for the coming year. . . . Down to the fourth century Christianity rejected the birthday celebration as a pagan custom."
The book The Lore of Birthdays (New York, 1952) by Ralph and Adelin Linton, on pages 8, 18-20 had this to say: "The Greeks believed that everyone had a protective spirit or daemon who attended his birth and watched over him in life. This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born.
The Romans also subscribed to this idea. . . . This notion was carried down in human belief and is reflected in the guardian angel, the fairy godmother and the patron saint. . . . The custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeks. . . . Honey cakes round as the moon and lit with tapers were placed on the temple altars of [Artemis]. . . . Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowed with special magic for granting wishes. . . . Lighted tapers and sacrificial fires have had a special mystic significance ever since man first set up altars to his gods. The birthday candles are thus an honor and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune"
http://www.abcog.org/birthday.htm...
to celebrate your # of years alive and make a wish:)
I think the candles can express the age of the person who celebrates birthday.
i dont know its fun and as it woz my sons b day to and mine tomoz who care just blow them out and make a wish but shhhhhhhhhhhh ont tell any1 yr wish it wont come true mine never does so ill tell u mine wot i am going to wish for
ROBBIE WILLAMS
do u think he will knock on my door tomoz
oh well a girl can dream lol xxx
All I know is if they put any candles on my birthday cake it would spontaneously combust. may be it is to humiliate people. Think of all the children that cry when their cake is in front of them and everyone sings Happy Birthday.