Birthdays are original, personal, noteworthy traditions. The birthday is the anniversary of one’s birth, and for most people the day is a joyous, merrymaking occasions.   The start of birthday history began when ancient peoples began taking notice of the moon’s cycles, changing seasons, and that the pattern repeated itself over and over. They began to mark and note time changes.

Eventually, to mark time changes, the calendars were formulated, and thus the ability to celebrate special occasions the same day each year.

It is also believed that Birthday celebrations began as a form of protection from evil spirits.  To ward off evil spirits friends and family would gather around and bring good cheers, wishes to the birthday person, and noisemakers to chase the evil spirits away. People also believed that the gods lived in the sky and by lighting candles and torches they were sending a signal to the gods so that they could be answered.

 Another way of sending a signal to the gods is making a wish and blowing out the candle.
When the iced and decorated cake is brought to the table, it’s ablaze with candles. The lighting of the birthday candles is believed to have started with the ancient Greeks. Today blowing out all the candles and  making a secret wish is a popular tradition. Traditionally, one candle is placed on a cake for each year of the individual’s life.

There are few records that exist of early birthday celebrations. Only ones documented are for kings, and high ranking nobility.  Some historians believe these early celebrations resulted in the custom of wearing “crowns’. Children’s birthday celebrations were started by the 18th century Germans with “Kinderfeste”. “Kinder” meaning children and “feste” meaning  festival or celebration. Today, the birthday party is eagerly awaited by every child.

The service of a birthday cake is often preceded by the singing of Happy Birthday to you in  English speaking countries, or an equivalent birthday song. In fact, the phase ”Happy Birthday” did not appear on cakes until the song “ Happy Birthday to You”  was popularized in the early 1900s.  In Western nations birthday cake is sometimes served with ice cream.

A birthday cake is shared amongst all the people attending a birthday party. This represents sharing of joy and togetherness. As a courtesy, it reflects one’s hospitality and respect for guests.Birthday History

Birthdays are original, personal, noteworthy traditions. The birthday is the anniversary of one’s birth, and for most people the day is a joyous, merrymaking occasions.   The start of birthday history began when ancient peoples began taking notice of the moon’s cycles, changing seasons, and that the pattern repeated itself over and over. They began to mark and note time changes.

Eventually, to mark time changes, the calendars were formulated, and thus the ability to celebrate special occasions the same day each year.

It is also believed that Birthday celebrations began as a form of protection from evil spirits.  To ward off evil spirits friends and family would gather around and bring good cheers, wishes to the birthday person, and noisemakers to chase the evil spirits away. People also believed that the gods lived in the sky and by lighting candles and torches they were sending a signal to the gods so that they could be answered.

 Another way of sending a signal to the gods is making a wish and blowing out the candle.
When the iced and decorated cake is brought to the table, it’s ablaze with candles. The lighting of the birthday candles is believed to have started with the ancient Greeks. Today blowing out all the candles and  making a secret wish is a popular tradition. Traditionally, one candle is placed on a cake for each year of the individual’s life.

There are few records that exist of early birthday celebrations. Only ones documented are for kings, and high ranking nobility.  Some historians believe these early celebrations resulted in the custom of wearing “crowns’. Children’s birthday celebrations were started by the 18th century Germans with “Kinderfeste”. “Kinder” meaning children and “feste” meaning  festival or celebration. Today, the birthday party is eagerly awaited by every child.

The service of a birthday cake is often preceded by the singing of Happy Birthday to you in  English speaking countries, or an equivalent birthday song. In fact, the phase ”Happy Birthday” did not appear on cakes until the song “ Happy Birthday to You”  was popularized in the early 1900s.  In Western nations birthday cake is sometimes served with ice cream.

A birthday cake is shared amongst all the people attending a birthday party. This represents sharing of joy and togetherness. As a courtesy, it reflects one’s hospitality and respect for guests.