Ever wondered why we blow out birthday candles and make a wish? Discover the fascinating history behind this familiar ritual, from German birthday traditions to the modern wish-making custom.
Birthday means cake, and on the cake, colourful candles. Then, you make a wish and blow them all out in one go. We’ve all done this since we were kids. But have you ever stopped to think why we do this? Turns out, there’s a pretty cool history behind it.
It all started in ancient Greece
According to historians, this custom began in ancient Greece. The Greeks used to celebrate the birthday of Artemis, their goddess of the moon. They would make round cakes to look like the full moon and light candles on top.
For them, the candlelight was as sacred as the moonlight. They believed that the smoke from the candles carried their prayers up to the gods. This is how the tradition of lighting candles on a cake and making a prayer began.
The modern custom comes from Germany
The way we celebrate birthdays today actually comes from 18th-century Germany. Back then, they had a children’s birthday festival called Kinderfest.
The Germans would place candles on the cake matching the child’s age, plus one extra candle. This extra one was a symbol of hope for the coming year. The candles were kept lit all day to keep evil spirits away. Finally, the birthday kid would make a secret wish and try to blow out all the candles in one breath. It was believed that if they succeeded, their wish would come true.
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The smoke carries our wishes
In ancient times, people considered fire to be very sacred. The belief was that the smoke rising from the blown-out candles carries our secret wishes to heaven. And there’s a reason for all the loud clapping afterwards, too! The noise is meant to scare away any evil forces.
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