The custom of the birthday cake was observed in ancient Greece and the birthday cake began with Greeks who used to make honey cakes or bread.
Ancients Greek also was known used to make ‘birthday cakes’ to celebrate the moon. The cakes were round like the moon and candles were added to make them glow.
Others said that the birthday cake tradition was started in Germany in the Middle Ages where a sweetened bread dough was made in the shape of the baby Jesus in swaddling clothes and was used to commemorate his birthday.
In the last 200 years, a birthday cake has assumed an increasingly important role in birthday party food.
The song of ‘Happy Birthday’ was composed in 1893 as ‘Good Morning to All by Mildred and Patty Hill, both were kindergarten teachers. However, the original words were change is unknown.
Birthday candles originally were placed on cakes to bring birthday wishes up to God. In ancient times, people prayed over the flames of an open fire.
Some scholars claim that modern birthday cake, topped with candles, are related to those once created for Artemis. The lit candles are reminders of the sacred fires of this ancient Greek deities.
Artemis, goddess of the moon and the hunt, celebrate her birthday on the sixth day of every month by baking a large cake of flour and honey, topped with lighted candles.
Blowing out the candles and ‘making wish’ are obviously remnants of forgotten magical rituals – perhaps those performed to gain favor of Artemis.
History of birthday cake
