Why do we cut cake and blow candles on birthdays? | The Times of India (2024)

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Why do we cut cake and blow candles on birthday? ›

Cake holds a deep symbolic meaning in birthday celebrations. It represents the joy and sweetness of life, and blowing out the candles is seen as a way to make a wish for the upcoming year. The act of cutting and sharing the cake with loved ones also symbolizes sharing happiness and good fortune.

Ancient Greece celebrated birthdays with cakes, specifically the sixth day of every lunar year with moon-shaped cakes that included lit candles. The cakes were offered up for Ancient Greece's goddess of the moon, Artemis. The lit candles represented the moon's shine.

They baked round cakes to symbolize the moon. Candles were added to represent the reflected moonlight. Candles on cakes became a popular tradition long ago in Germany, too. For religious reasons, Germans would place a large candle in the center of a cake to symbolize “the light of life."

Somewhere along the line, superstition around the act of blowing out candles on cakes began to form, with people from a slew of different cultures fervently believing that one would be granted a wish if they could blow all the candles out in one fell swoop.

In earlier days sweets were part of momentous occasions. As time passes by, the trend moves on from delicious sweets to delicious cakes. This is how birthday cake cutting logic came into existence. The creamy layers of cakes with colorful toppings will exhilarate the celebrant's heart and also the others at the party.

It's a tradition to make a wish while blowing out the candles representing one for each year of life. Sometimes an extra candle is added for the coming year. Then one blows out the lit candles while making a silent Wish. Some ancient greek ritual beliefs say the smoke takes the wish up to the gods like a prayer.

The precise origin of birthday candles is shrouded in history, but it's widely believed they were first used in ancient Greece. The Greeks placed candles on cakes to honor Artemis, the goddess of the moon, symbolizing the moon's glow. The tradition evolved in Germany during Kinderfest celebrations.

Each candle on a birthday cake has a special meaning beyond just giving light. Symbolising Age and Fresh Starts: When candles go on top of a birthday cake, they show how many years someone has lived. Every year, another candle is added, showing how time keeps going round and round.

Meaning of birthday candles

The flames of a candle represent purity and divine light. It is customary to make a wish before blowing out your birthday candle. When you blow out all the candles at once, it means that all your wishes will be fulfilled during the year. However, it depends on your beliefs.

In 2017, a study published in the Journal of Food Research found that blowing out candles led to a 1400 percent increase in bacteria than not blowing out candles. While bacteria can make someone ill, spreading your saliva over your cake may be gross, but it's not necessarily dangerous.

Why is cake cutting so important? ›

Cutting the Cake

The cake cutting represents the first activity done as a couple, although historically the bride did this act alone to symbolize the loss of her virginity. Cake cutting became a more complicated process as cakes became multi-tiered and the number of guests reached the hundreds.

The three candles means past, present and future and put out 2candles which mean past and present. And it implies good luck if the last candle which means future can keep being lit long. What a good tradition it surly is!

The cake was to symbolize status and social standing and was to match the bride's white dress to symbolize purity and importance. In Victorian times the wedding cake was known as the 'brides cake' and originally the bride would cut the cake and distribute it to her guests herself.

One of the best-known versions takes us back to 18th century Germany. At that time, it was a customary part of the festival called "Kinderfest": two candles were placed on the sweets made for the children being celebrated, one to represent the light of his life and the other symbolizing the years to come.