Since it’s my little sister’s birthday today, I thought I’d write a short post on the history of birthday candles.

The earliest recorded use of candles on cakes is the ancient Greek practice of baking cakes for Artemis, goddess of the moon, the hunt, and chastity. The round cakes represented the moon, with candles adding light.

Cakes specifically for birthdays (rather than weddings) originated in 15th century Germany. These single layer cakes were especially popular for first birthdays.

In the 18th century children’s birthday parties called Kinderfesten became popular. It seems that the custom was to light one candle for each year of the child’s life, plus extras in hopes of a long life to come. Candles may have been chosen to symbolize the “light of life” or due to the superstitious belief that they warded off evil spirits.

In 1746, Count Ludwig Von Zinzindorf celebrated his birthday with a festival, including a cake. “[T]here was a Cake as large as any Oven could be found to bake it, and Holes made in the Cake according to the Years of the Person’s Age, every one having a Candle stuck into it, and one in the Middle.”

Another interesting historical description comes from Johan Wolfgang von Goethe, who described the birthday cake of Prince August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg in 1801: “a generous-size torte with colorful flaming candles – amounting to some fifty candles – that began to melt and threatened to burn down, instead of there being enough room for candles indicating upcoming years, as is the case with children’s festivities of this kind.”

Eventually the custom of birthday candles spread across Europe, though only the wealthy could afford elaborate frosted cakes.

In the United States celebrating birthdays did not become widespread until the 19th century. Incidentally by the end of that century ingredients had become cheap enough — thanks to the industrial revolution — that the masses could afford birthday cakes.

And, as you know, birthday cakes with candles are now ubiquitous in Western culture.

Sources

• “The History of the Birthday Cake” from Hankering for History
• “How the Practice of Putting Candles on Cakes for Birthdays Started” from Today I Found Out
• “Why Do We Blow Out Candles on Birthday Cakes?” from mental_floss

Happy Birthday, Emily!