📌 Did you know?

👉 Ancient Origins: The tradition of birthday cakes can be traced back to ancient Greece. The Greeks would make round cakes to honor Artemis, the goddess of the moon, and they would place candles on the cakes to symbolize the glow of the moon.

👉 Candles Tradition: The practice of putting candles on birthday cakes is believed to have originated in Germany. During the 18th century, Germans would place a large candle in the center of the cake to symbolize the “light of life” and smaller candles around it representing the child’s age.

👉 The Song “Happy Birthday”: The “Happy Birthday” song, often sung when presenting the birthday cake, is one of the most recognized songs in the English language. It was originally composed in 1893 by sisters Patty and Mildred J. Hill as “Good Morning to All” and later adapted with the birthday lyrics.

👉 Cake Ingredients Symbolism: In medieval times, the ingredients used in birthday cakes were considered symbols of good fortune. Flour symbolized wealth, eggs represented fertility, sugar was thought to bring sweetness and happiness, and butter denoted the richness of life.

👉 First Birthday Tradition: In many cultures, the first birthday is celebrated with special significance. For example, in Korea, the tradition of “Dol” involves a birthday table laden with symbolic items that the child is encouraged to pick from, supposedly predicting their future path in life. The birthday cake, often a colorful rice cake, is a central part of this celebration.