Birthday Celebrations

Lindsay Shuler
Section 5








Food is the ultimate gathering necessity and over the years all cultures as a whole have added certain things that symbolized important things in their lives. For example, in Northern China, wheat noodles are used as a sign of longevity and put in a birthday soup, to help the person have a long and prosperous life. In all cultures there are different rituals that are done each birthday, some may include food and others may not.

It wasn’t until about a century ago, in the United States when birthday cakes took their role. Years before this, “cakes” were made from yeast resembling a pancake and used as a treat for the birthday celebrant. Cakes began to include dried fruit or fruit filling for special occasions in Europe during the fourteenth century. In the sixteenth century an Italian baker started making cakes with eggs and sugar rather than using yeast, giving it a lighter, more fluffy texture. This trend grew rapidly, but without more modern technology it was hard for the regular household to make one of these cakes, so at this time this was usually left up to a professional baker or pastry chef.

By the turn of the twentieth century, more modern products were being made to aid housewives in making cakes and other baked goods. Women’s magazines and newspapers were advertising for these products and also including some new recipes for them to try with their new products. Since cake making was made so easy, the spread of lavish, homemade cakes grew in a hurry. Layered cakes, frosting, decorations were of the utmost importance when making a cake.
When the birthday cake came into the spotlight, they were used for centerpieces at large parties or banquets and the more detailed the cake was, the more important was the event. In many instances, the way the cake was decorated meant more than how it tasted. I am sure that this is a changed in today’s times, but from looking at some of the cakes it seems that if the more decorated the cake was, it meant that the family or recipient had money.

Birthday cakes have come a long way from their plain fruit-filled shape back in the early European days. The American birthday cake in today’s time is a symbol of the person whom is being celebrated. For example, a cartoon character for a small child or a hobby for an older adult. Whichever it may be, the cake is the most important thing at a birthday party.

How do we know it’s a birthday cake?

This question has only one answer and it is the candles. Atop a finely created cake there should always be glowing candles. The candles resemble time, and represent how old a person is. This idea comes from mainly religious influences and signify a long life span.

Over time we have developed many birthday rituals and no birthday party is complete without them. First, the presenting of the cake is always accompanied by the “Happy Birthday” song, and then followed by the birthday boy/girl making a secret wish and blowing out the candles. In many other countries they have their own version of the song, and is sung in the same tune or sometimes different, but always in their native language. For younger children, the birthday party is to promote health and growth over the upcoming year and in older people it celebrates another year of life and gives encouragement for a youthful year to come. But all birthday’s should include birthday spankings, and in many American homes they give the recipient “one to grow on.”

Birthdays and birthday cakes have come a long way from the centuries before now, but now no ones special day is complete without one of these wonderful, meaningful, and delicious creations.





www.google.com/images/birthdaycakes
http://www.enotes.com/food-encyclopedia/birthday-foods
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcakes.html#poundcake
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcookies.html#shortbread