Do You Know Why We Eat Cake On Our Birthdays?

Video: Do You Know Why We Eat Cake On Our Birthdays?

Video: Do You Know Why We Eat Cake On Our Birthdays?
Video: Why Do We Eat Cake On Birthdays 2024, December
Do You Know Why We Eat Cake On Our Birthdays?
Do You Know Why We Eat Cake On Our Birthdays?
Anonim

Cakes are a favorite pastry of young and old and add festivity to any occasion. But when it comes to a birthday, a cake is a must.

The first thing that children think of when they mention a birthday is a candle cake. And do you know why we eat a cake on our birthdays and where does the tradition of placing and lighting candles on it come from?

From ancient times in different civilizations there are sweet temptations that are similar to the cake. They looked more like bread, sweetened with honey and decorated with dried fruits and nuts. In ancient Greece, they prepared ritual breads with honey, intended as a gift to the gods.

People placed lighted candles on these sweet loaves, as fire was considered a means of communication with the heavens. In ancient Rome, flat cakes were part of weddings and birthday celebrations.

With the advent of Christianity, these customs were gradually abandoned because it did not pay much attention to the day of birth of the individual. During the Middle Ages, bakers prepared fruit cakes and ginger breads, which lasted for several months.

Birthday cake
Birthday cake

Cakes are a relatively new culinary invention. They appeared in the middle of the 18th century in Western cuisine. Initially, these cakes were intended primarily for the rich, because sugar was a very expensive product.

In the 18th century, the development of German confectionery and interest in ancient customs, as well as the overall development of technology, were the prerequisites that led to the invention of cakes and the emergence of the tradition of placing lighted candles on top of them. The belief is that when you blow out the burning candles on your birthday cake, one wish will come true.

Although cakes are gaining popularity thanks to German and Austrian confectioners, neither Germany nor Austria has a monopoly on the sweet temptation.

For modern people, the cake is associated with solemnity and its presence on the table creates an additional festive mood. Today, the cake is an integral part of celebrating a birthday, and making a wish and blowing out the candles are almost a must!

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