Birthday cakes are a tradition that exists since the ancient Romans. But you had wondered, why do we blow the birthday candles? Or when did the tradition of doing so begin?
There is no clarity about who began with the tradition, some attribute it to the ancient Greeks, but the first records are from the 18th century and place Germany as the protagonist.
Greek origin
Some believe that the tradition began in ancient Greece when people brought honey cakes adorned with burning candles to the temple of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.
The candles were lit to shine like the Moon, a popular symbol associated with Artemis.
German origin
However, in the XVIII, the Germans had the tradition of eating cake on birthdays, especially when the baby celebrated his first year of life, a celebration called ‘ Kinderfest ‘, on the cake two candles were placed, one to represent the light of his life and another that symbolized the coming years.
The flames had to be lit throughout the day and were replaced when consumed. At the end of the day they turned off in a breath.
It was believed that the smoke that the candles emitted when it went out helped to bring to God the wish made during the birthday.
Pagan origin of birthday candles
The pagan belief is that evil spirits visited the person on his birthday. To keep evil spirits away, people lit candles and made loud noises on their birthday
Who invented the candles?
It tells the story that were invented between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries BC by the Egyptians, who made them with muddy branches with ox tallow or lambs.
But as we know them now they began to be manufactured in the Middle Ages, with tallow and beeswax.