The history of birthday cake originated in ancient Greece. The Greeks made cakes to honor Artimus, goddess of the Hunt. We eventually started to used the cakes for our own birthdays. When it comes to candles the Greek would light one of multiple candles to represent the glow of the moon. Many other cultures also believed that the smoke from the candles carried their prayers and wishes to their gods who lived in the skies, which can explain why we make a wish and blow out the flame. Some scholars believed the lighting of candles begun in Germany where the germans would place a lit candle on a cake to represent the "light of life." Today we light candles based on tradition, and hope.
Birthday cake comes in all shapes and sizes. Colors and decorations add a creative flair that everyone notices. Back in the midieval times, England would bake their birthday cakes with symbolic items inside. Items like coins and thimbles where mixed in the batter. The English believed the person who got the coin in his piece of cake would be blessed with good luck and wealth. While he who got the thimble would never marry.
So, now you can have your cake, and learn about it too!
cheers! :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWow!! I didn't know about the history of birthday cakes. Even the candles that carried their prayers and wishes to their gods who lived in the skies. It's amazing learning history back then.
ReplyDeleteI always wondered how blowing out the candles to make a wish started.. I find it funny, this semester I am taking a mythology class. We learn some crazy things in the class, but it is true that everything in today's society ties back to some kind of myth with the gods. I find it fascinating.
ReplyDeleteAlexis--Good topics and ideas and development in you new entries.
ReplyDeleteTURN OFF WORD VERIFICATION.