Ever stopped mid-candle-blow and thought, Why am I doing this? Who decided it was normal to stab a perfectly good cake with fire hazards? Turns out, history is weird.

Stabbing a cake with wax sticks, setting them on fire, and then spitting all over it - when you think about it, birthday cakes are kinda gross. But hey, tradition!

What my birthday cake will probably look like next year | Image via Clipart Kid

So now that I’m at that stage in life when the cake is having to get larger to accommodate the required number of candles, I decided to find out exactly what this tradition is all about. And it seems that no one on the world wide web can agree on exactly where it comes from.

Ancient Beginnings

The ancient Greeks have got a lot to answer for, so it’s not that surprising they’ve got something to do with it. Apparently they baked round honey cakes and lit long taper candles to place at the altar of moon goddess Artemis. The glowing cakes supposedly looked like the moon and they believed that the smoke from the candles carried their thoughts and prayers up to the gods.

So basically, they invented the first birthday wish. Though back then, instead of 'I hope I get a pony', it was more 'Please don’t smite me, Artemis.' Priorities.

Modern Celebrations

Well it seems the symbolism of candles is something that has carried throughout the ages, as they are also linked to the German Kinderfest in the 18th Century. Many think this is where our modern association of birthday cake and candles comes from. In 18th-century Germany, birthdays came with a side of existential dread. They thought kids were more likely to be visited by evil spirits on their birthday - so naturally, they surrounded them with fire. Seems totally safe and not at all traumatising.

These days, the only spirits we worry about are the ghosts of bad decisions, questionable life choices, and the regret of ever saying 'No thanks, I’m full. That is, if you’re old like me, otherwise children’s birthday parties are usually delightfully raucous occasions full of cake, music and mischief! And fewer candles.

Candles vs Sparklers

As with everything in life, birthday cakes have evolved. Thanks to COVID, blowing all over a cake before serving it to friends is now less charming, more biohazard - so enter the rise of cake sparklers. Candles are now not as commonplace due to worries of contamination. Cake fountains or sparklers have gained popularity due to no blowing required and the added drama.

Regardless, one thing's for sure. What was once a very plain affair, the humble birthday cake from ancient times, is now an opportunity to indulge your sweet tooth and make lasting memories of turning one more year wiser. And that’s great news for us because, in case you hadn’t noticed, that’s totally our speciality.

I think I’d pass out if this monster was covered in candles that I had to blow out! Thankfully, rules about having the EXACT same number of candles as years you’ve been on this planet have relaxed a bit, which will also save you and your frosting from having a meltdown.

No need to waste a birthday wish on a cake - just order one now. We’ll even throw in a cake sparkler, so you can enjoy the drama without the spit. We also recommend the not-so-subtle heavy hint dropping to your nearest and dearest. Just tell them to search for ‘Anges birthday cake’ and they’ll find us. And what's even better, we include a cake sparkler with every birthday cake. It's on us :)