Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Who doesn’t love birthday parties, with all the food and the fun things that comes with it? But have you ever wondered when does this celebration started and where? Lets find out!
Did you know that the HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG Is the most recognizable song in the English language, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, and it started as a song for schoolkids.
A BIRTHDAY IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF A PERSON.
Every one of us have a birthday, for almost all people a birthday is a reason to celebrate. But why do we celebrate? What’s with the cake with candles and the singing of birthday song, balloons, gifts and decorations. Every year people come up with different ideas of how to celebrate it. Some people really spent a lot of money from the venue, food , invitations and decorations. For some its a simple family celebration with close friends. A small gathering to get together with family and love ones.
DID YOU KNOW IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE IDEA OF CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS CAME FROM A PAGAN TRADITION. MANY CHRISTIANS DIDN’T CELEBRATE BIRTHDAY HISTORICALLY BECAUSE OF ITS LINK TO PAGANISM. BUT THEY MADE EXCEPTION FOR THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.
On the day of major change in your life,like the day that you turn a year older, Pagans believed that evil spirits lurked around. So to scare evil spirits candles are lit and loud parties. Surrounding the celebrant until the next day, when its safe and the evil spirit have moved to another person.
WHO STARTED BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS? Egyptian Pharaohs started the celebration but its not celebrated on the day that they we’re born. But celebration happened on coronation day because Egyptians believed that Egyptian kings becomes gods once they were crowned.
Ancient Romans were the first to celebrate birthdays for the common man (just for men).Only until around 12th century females birthday are celebrated.
WHY CANDLES WITH CAKE? It was believed that the birthday candle tradition started with the Greeks in ancient Greece. People used to make offering to Artemis, the goodness of hunt. Offerings are in form of moon shape cake with candles on them.
The contemporary birthday cakes were invented by German bakers.
Germany, is the closest prerequisite to the contemporary birthday party. This celebration was held for German children, or “kinder,” and involved both birthday cake and candles. Kids got one candle for each year they’d been alive, plus another to symbolize the hope of living for at least one more year. Kids blow out the candles and make a wish as part of this celebration.
WHY DO WE BLOW UP CANDLES?
Candle is a light in the darkness. Some believed that the smoke from the candles carry their wishes and prayers to the gods who lives in the sky.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU SONG
“Good Morning To All” was written by Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill
in 1893. This song was intended to be sung by students before classes began. The song eventually caught on across America, giving rise to a number of variations. Robert Coleman added a few extra lyrics on the songbook that he published in 1924, it quickly come to overshadow the original lines. The new rendition became the version we now all know, “Happy Birthday To You.”
Oct. 5 is considered to be the most common birthday in the United States. The reason is pretty obvious: go back 9 months, and you’ll find a conception date of New Year’s Eve.
May 22 is considered to be the least common birthday in the United States.
WHY DO WE CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS?
Every people have their own views on this celebration. Others say this practice is not biblical and we should not do it.
But anywhere else around the globe, every culture have their own way of celebrating this event.
For me, whatever the origin of this celebration maybe. I can celebrate it and thank the Lord for adding one more year to my life. And for giving me a new year of life. Its really a day of celebration , a day of thanksgiving, a day to rejoice and give praise to the giver of life.
Whatever your reason on celebrating this event in your life. Always remember to give thanks to the one you gives you life, the one who sustains, guides and protect you. Our God in heaven – the giver of life.
