The Origin of Birthday Cake In the Middle Ages, Europeans believed that birthdays were the day when the soul was most easily invaded by demons, so on birthdays, relatives and friends would gather together to give them their blessings and send cakes to bring good luck and drive away demons.
At first, only kings were entitled to eat birthday cakes. Today, both adults and children can buy a beautiful cake on their birthdays and enjoy the blessings from everyone.
The origin of full moon cake
When the baby is full moon, it is inevitable to pray to God for ancestor worship, and then shave the fetal hair. Adults always want their babies to grow up quickly. On the full moon, grandparents will send many full moon cakes to their babies, hoping that their grandchildren will win the first prize and have a happy life.
With the progress of the times, giving cakes at the full moon means "puffing", wishing the baby a bright future.
The origin of cake
The earliest cakes were made of several simple materials. These cakes are symbols of ancient religious myths and magical superstitions. The early economic and trade routes imported exotic spices from the Far East to the north, nuts, toilet water, citrus fruits, dates and figs from the Middle East, and sugar cane from eastern and southern countries.
In the dark ages of Europe, these rare raw materials were only available to monks and nobles. Their pastry creations were honey gingerbread and flat hard biscuits. Slowly, with the frequent trade, the eating habits of western countries have completely changed.
Soldiers returning from the Crusades and Arab businessmen spread the use of spices and recipes in the Middle East. In several major commercial towns in Central Europe, bakers' trade associations have also been organized. At the end of the Middle Ages, spices were widely used by wealthy families all over Europe, which further enhanced the imaginative baking technology of cakes. When nuts and sugar became popular, almond paste also became popular. This almond paste is baked in a relief mold made of wood carving, and the pattern on the mold is related to religious teachings.
"Happy birthday" and birthday cake
Birthday boys and girls all over the world should sing the song "Happy Birthday to you" before blowing out the candles on the birthday cake. Its lyrics and songs are so simple and catchy that even a three-year-old child can sing them without hesitation. Originally called Good Morning, this song was composed by Mildred and patty smith Hill in 1893. Their parents are a very enlightened Kentucky couple. They firmly believed in women's education-a novel idea in the middle of the19th century-and trained their two daughters as teachers. The two sisters, especially Patty, have been engaged in basic education for a long time. As a pioneer of preschool education, Patty has made remarkable achievements and has been the main spokesperson in the field of preschool education for decades. 1905- 1935, a teacher at Teachers College of Columbia University, became one of the earliest honorary female professors at Columbia University when she retired.
There must also be a birthday cake lit with candles at the birthday party. This may be due to the custom of the ancient Greeks to worship the moon and the hunting god themis with round honey cakes with candles inserted. After the medieval German bakers invented the modern birthday cake, people adopted a similar custom to pray for blessings on birthdays. The cake made in the morning is lit with a circle of candles, like a protective ring of fire. Candles are lit all day until dessert time for dinner.
The habit of blowing out candles may be related to the double meaning of birthday candles. Some people think that every birthday represents a step closer to death. At the birthday party, we celebrate not only our own growth, but also the shortness of life. So birthday candles symbolize double meanings: life and death, hope and fear, gain and loss, and so on.