Quote reads: "There is still no cure for the common birthday" John Glenn
Journaling reads:
Why do we put candles on a birthday cake?
ANCIENT BEGINNINGS
The ancient Greeks have got a lot to answer for, so it’s not that surprising they’ve got something to do with it. Apparently they baked round honey cakes and lit long taper candles to place at the altar of moon goddess Artemis. The glowing cakes supposedly looked like the moon and they believed that the smoke from the candles carried their thoughts and prayers up to the gods.
MODERN CELEBRATIONS
Well it seems the symbolism of candles is something that has carried throughout the ages, as they are also linked to the German Kinderfest in the 18th Century. Many think this is where our modern association of birthday cake and candles comes from. At that time, they believed you were more likely to be visited by evil spirits on your birthday and so they’d literally surround children with much merriment, a plain bread-like cake and lit candles to protect them. Sounds… a bit creepy.
Nowadays, the only evil spirits you’ll have to ward off are the ghosts of misspent youth and regret of all the times you passed on second helpings of dessert. That is, if you’re old like me, otherwise children’s birthday parties are usually delightfully raucous occasions full of cake, music and mischief! And fewer candles.
