Ancient History Behing Birthday Cake

Birthday customs such as eating cake and blowing out candles have become so common that it's difficult to fathom a world without them!

These customs are regarded as inseparable rituals that must be followed on a birthday because they are the foundations of a birthday celebration. But have you ever pondered why we celebrate birthdays with cake? Furthermore, why do we blow out the candles on those identical cakes? Where did these customs originate? What is the origin of birthday cake?

Artemis was the goddess of the moon, chastity, and hunting in Greek mythology. The Greeks celebrated her birthday by baking spherical cakes and lighting candles on them to represent the moon. The full moon would be represented by the spherical shape of the cake, while the candles would represent the light of our nearest celestial neighbor.

But whence did the Greeks acquire the idea for these festivals?

Believe it or not, they obtained it from the Egyptians, notably through the pharaoh's crowning ceremony. Crowning a pharaoh was seen by ancient Egyptians as the pharaoh becoming a god. As a result, the crowning event was widely attended. Large festivals in honour of a person or a divinity were borrowed by the Greeks.

Prior to the invention of "birthday parties," it is thought that the Romans used to prepare cakes to commemorate the birthdays of those who were higher up in society. Birthdays as "celebrations" with cake, on the other hand, have a far later history.

It is estimated to have started in Germany between 1400 and 1500 AD. The "Kinderfest" was a children's festival in Germany. In German, the word "Kinder" signifies "children." As a result, it was a children's festival, as the name suggests.

On their birthdays, the Germans believed that youngsters were particularly vulnerable to damage from demons or evil spirits. As a result, cakes were cooked in the morning on their birthdays, and the custom of adding as many candles as the child's age (plus one!) was born.

The additional candle symbolized the parents' wish for their child to survive another year.

The cakes with the candles were prepared in the morning, and every candle that went out was quickly replaced by another. This went on until the child was told to blow out all the candles at once at the end of the night.

This was done because it was believed that the candles assisted in transferring the child's wishes to god, and that blowing them out all at once strengthens both the wish and the child's connection to god!

Germans and Europeans migrated to American lands in the late 1600s, bringing cake and celebration to a new world. Colonialism was at its peak in the 1600s, so these practices spread to Africa, West Asia, Asia, and other places. However, baking was very different back then than it is now.

Baking was mostly only possible with yeast back then, which made it a long and complicated process. So, how did this practice evolve into the one we know today? And what has changed?

Alfred Bird, a British chemist, was working on a series of food products in the 1800s. Elizabeth Bird, his wife, was allergic to yeast and eggs. To make "baking powder," he combined tartaric acid, cornstarch, and sodium bicarbonate instead of hydrochloric acid (previously known as muriatic acid, which was used to initiate baking).

As simple as it may sound, this shift was monumental. Cakes could now rise higher and lighter, and the process was much faster than when yeast was used.

A "cake" used to be a flat, round, fruit-filled treat, but the delicacies produced by baking powder were far more sophisticated—and delicious!

This recipe was developed at a time when the Industrial Revolution was gaining traction, and a capitalistic system was establishing itself in Europe and other parts of the world.

As a result of baking powder's ability to reduce baking time and mass production made possible by the industrial revolution, bakeries and cakes became a thriving industry where everyone could have a cake and everyone could celebrate their birthday the right way!

It's fascinating to consider the evolution of cake as a concept and a physical dish throughout history. Such rituals and long-standing traditions that have existed for such a long time are frequently overlooked.

However, questioning the source of such things will provide us with more meaning, allowing us to better shape our actions. What it was yesterday, what it is today, and what it might be tomorrow is an intriguing train of thought for a variety of disciplines.