Can we ever imagine celebrating birthdays without some birthday cake? Well, obviously the answer is no. No matter in which part of the world we celebrate birthdays, the ritual of cutting a delicious cake and sharing it among the loved ones has become a way of life in the contemporary times. Birthdays are a time of celebrations, of camaraderie, of togetherness. But, did you ever stop to wonder whether it was like this always? Well, it wasn’t so. The tradition of cutting a cake is an interesting piece of study to put it precisely. History bears the evidence that the birth of a child was always celebrated in every culture. The anniversary of the birth was celebrated with something sweet which has transitioned to take the place of the birthday cakes in the modern times to put it precisely. It can be said that the celebrations including a sweetmeat is as old as civilization for the matter. Interested to know more about why we cut cakes on birthdays?
The Greeks And Romans
Greeks and the Romans are considered to be the trendsetters. The Greeks used the Plakous which is the modern cake’s ancestor to celebrate their weddings and later on birthdays to put it precisely. They made it by mixing honey with bread. They also made Satura to offer the Moon goddess, Artemis.
The Romans were not left far behind. They decided to add a twist with that of some cheesecake to put it precisely. The Romans liked to celebrate the birthdays of their Kings and nobles and hosted multiple birthday celebrations for their loved ones including family and friends.
Even before the birthday cake was introduced as a ritual, the Germans, Russians and the British had a semblance of the Greek and Roman birthday cake which comes as no surprise. It was the Germans who layer on is known to introduce the layered cakes that has become a popular choice among birthday cakes online in the present.
Ancient Indians
Indians are known for their ancient traditions of indulging in sweetmeats resembling kheer, payasam, jamuns along with traditional Indian sweets to put it precisely. They made these at home and even offered the deities at home or in the temple and later on shared these with their friends and family.
The Evolution And Tradition Of Cutting A Cake On Birthdays
It is commonly believed that with the spread of rapid industrialization and trade, the tradition of cutting a cake on birthdays did spread. The intermingling of cultures is a major factor in this cake. The customary tradition of cutting a cake is known to have originated with the British. The British also had a tradition of hiding money or coins within the birthday cake. They believed that this would work as a blessing for the boy or the girl as they would be fortunate enough to have money throughout the year as well as the sweetness that the cake provided on their birthday.
Initially the ritual of cutting a cake was observed within the rich strata of society as not everyone had the means to buy the resources to bake a cake to put it precisely. Thereafter, these became affordable and thus became a ritualistic practice among the majority in spite of the culture that he/she belonged to.
This ritual of cutting a cake on birthdays is indeed a borrowed trait. The birthday cake has itself evolved over the years. First, they were coarse like bread and sweetened with honey. The garnishing included fruits and nuts. Gradually people used their creativity and experimentations in the baking field has lead to the use of frostings, whipped cream, edible flavours and flavoured butter etc.
It is all about wishing that life tastes as sweet as the cake that one cuts on their birthday. Today no one can think of birthdays without a proper cake cutting ceremony. People order assorted range of the best birthday cakes and also send these as amazing gifts for the birthday of their loved ones. In exciting designs and delectable flavours, the birthday cake makes for royal and luxurious ways of pampering oneself and then, sharing it with the close set of people. After all, what are birthdays if not cutting cakes, singing songs, making merry with sessions of endless laughter, fun and frolic?
Do give it a thought!