No matter if you purchase a fancy cake from a store or bake one at home with care, no birthday celebration is truly complete without a cake adorned with candles!
But have you ever wondered why a birthday cake is such a vital part of celebrating a birthday? Well, the tradition reaches far back into the annals of history!
Join us as we delve into the origins of the very first birthday cake and trace its journey through the ages, right up to the present day. If today happens to be your birthday, make a wish, and let’s explore the world of birthday cakes together!
The birthday cake by ancient Greeks.
The ancient Greeks can be credited with the tradition of celebrating birthdays with cakes, a practice we still observe today.
Interestingly, the Greeks adopted this birthday celebration idea from the Ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians had a custom of marking a pharaoh’s coronation as a god or goddess, referring to it as their “birthday.”
In Ancient Egypt, cakes held great significance and were crafted as offerings to deities, kings, and heroes. These cakes were considered unburnt sacrifices and bloodless offerings, sometimes used as an alternative or addition to animal sacrifices.
Inspired by the Egyptian birthday rituals, the Greeks began offering cakes to Artemis, their moon goddess, as documented in ancient writings by Philochorus.
The Greek birthday cakes took the form of baked bread, biscuits, various sweet pastries, and honey-sweetened sponges known as meli. To add a celestial touch, candles were placed on the cakes to make them shine like the full moon, paying homage to the moon goddess, Artemis.
The birthday cake’s first actualization.
From the Middle Ages onwards, Germans have been observing Christ’s birth with Nativity displays, Christmas trees, and a special birthday cake.
Interestingly, the tradition of the birthday cake also found its way into children’s birthday celebrations, originating from the customary practice of honoring Jesus’ birth.
During the 1400s, children’s birthday parties were known as “kinder fest” in Germany. Parents would prepare the cakes in the morning for the Kinderfest celebration, and they would place a candle on the cake to symbolize the child’s age and the passing year.
The mass adoption of birthday cakes.
The widespread availability of goods like sugar due to globalization in the 16th and 17th centuries, along with technological advancements, led to a significant drop in the price of ingredients, making cakes more affordable for everyone.
As we entered the 1800s, birthday celebrations became more common, especially with the industrial revolution.
This period saw the rapid growth in the popularity of birthday cakes, giving rise to the concept of “modern cakes.”
In today’s world, we celebrate a wide range of unique milestones, achievements, and festivals, and cakes have become an integral part of these occasions.
After all, every special moment deserves a delicious cake!
Sweet facts about modern-day birthday cakes.
In Mexico, the tradition is to offer the first slice of your birthday cake to the person you hold most dear.
In Korea, they have a unique birthday cake known as tteok, which is a must-have during a child’s first birthday celebration. Tteok is a steamed rice cake filled with various ingredients and is typically served with Korean seaweed soup.
Meanwhile, in Denmark, traditional birthday cakes take on the shape of the person celebrating their birthday. These are called “Kagemand” for a cake man and “Kagekone” for a cake woman.
A traditional birthday treat in India is the Mawa cake, crafted from milk and nuts. It’s cherished for making the birthday celebrant feel extra special due to the time and effort it takes to prepare.
Greece and Turkey have their own unique birthday cake called Revani. This delightful cake is made from lemon and semolina topped with a thin layer of sweet orange syrup, giving it a unique and gooey texture.
In Jewish traditions, the iconic birthday cake is known as ugat yomledet. It’s a chocolatey and moist sponge cake generously adorned with frosting or whipped cream. It’s a must-enjoy treat, best accompanied by a glass of milk or even dunked in it, much like an Oreo.
We owe a big thank you to the Ancient Greeks for introducing the concept of cakes, to the Germans for embracing birthday cakes, and, most notably, to bakers since the 1800s who added sweetness to cakes, a tradition we continue to relish today!
While birthday celebrations may differ from one country to another, there’s one thing we all have in common – the joy of birthday cakes for you and me.
