Birthday Celebration Tradition: How it Started?

Birthday is a special day for everyone in their life. Whether you celebrate it or not, it is always been a special day and you can’t help to feel happy about it! Birthday celebration surely a tradition to some people, have you ever wonder how did it start? Let’s find out together about it!

First Birthday Recognized is in Bible

In Genesis, you can find how Pharaoh was celebrating his birthday. 

“Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: He restored the chief cupbearer to his position so that he once again put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand.” — Genesis 40:20–22

This is known as the first time birthday being recognized, around 3.400+ years ago! You can see how the Pharaoh celebrates his birthday, by having a feast with his officials and raising the chief cupbearer back to his position which he presumably lost. Despite it is the first birthday celebration, it is just for the monarchs who were seen as being close to the Gods. The birthday celebration is not for the average people at this time yet.

Candles on the Cake

Let’s give our thank you to the Greeks and Romans for bringing this tradition to our birthday celebration. Candles on a cake symbolized light spirits as protection from evil spirits. The Greeks use round cake shapes as a form of tribute to Artemis, God of Moon. To read more on Birthday Cake history, you can click here to read more about it!

Birthday Celebration for Common Man (Just Man though)

The first birthday celebration for the common man was in the Ancient Romans time. Romans will celebrate friends and family birthdays, just men, while the governments make a public holiday in honor of more famous citizens. Those celebrating a 50th birthday party would receive a special cake made of wheat flour, olive oil, honey, and grated cheese. Female birthdays were not celebrated until around the 12th century.

We Celebrate Birthday Every Year!

Since then, the revolutionary industry makes it easier to produce delicious cakes in masses. So it’s not just for the wealthy people anymore, the birthday celebration is for all of us! The ingredients and the celebration easier to do it now, it’s not an exclusive celebration anymore! Nowadays we celebrate a birthday to cherish the day we were born and be happy for it.

It is hard to imagine if we can’t celebrate our birthday because we are not noble or a man! Be grateful for that and happy that we can celebrate it now with cakes, candles, parties, presents, and the most important thing with our Loved Ones ❤️