I wonder how many people had birthdays today? I know of three good friends who are celebrating. One is celebrating her 50th; another one is celebrating her 60th and my other friend is celebrating reaching 72. And to think somewhere, a baby is being born today and will celebrate a year from now.
Do you ever wonder where birthday celebration began? Well, I do. I am always curious, how things got started.
One thing that I did learn was that birthday festivities did not begin until calendars were created. That makes sense. No one had a way to keep track of time except by the sun, moon, seasons and other events.
The first reference to a birthday were the Egyptians when they celebrated Pharaoh's birthday. The actual date that was celebrated was when Pharaoh became King. This date was more important than their actual birth. The Greeks felt that each person had a spiritual god that would be with them throughout the years.
The Romans would celebrate men turning 50 years old and they would receive a special cake baked with wheat flour, olive oil, grated cheese and honey. Women did not begin to celebrate birthdays until about the 12th century.
If you are going to have a birthday celebration, you need a cake and candles. The Greeks would offer up moon-shaped cakes filled with candles. The flames from the candles gave a radiance glow of beauty. The blowing out of the candles was a prayer to the gods.
In earlier years, sugary cakes were only enjoyed by the wealthy. Sugar use to be a luxury only enjoyed by the wealthy. It wasn't until the Industrial Revolution when everyone was able to afford sugar. After that everyone enjoyed having a sugary cake to celebrate their special day.
"Happy Birthday" was written by two sisters who were school teachers. They wrote the song "Good Morning to All" in 1893 and it was published for other teachers. The song was to be sung in class before students started their day. The lyrics of the song became what we know as "The Birthday Song".
The gathering of friends and family and noisemakers were welcomed to protect the birthday person from any harm. The gifts that were brought would ward off evil spirits.
Some interesting facts. October 5th is the most common birth date in the U.S. Are you asking "Why?" Think about it. Nine months before is New Year's Eve. A time of celebration. May 22nd is considered to be the least common birthday in the U.S. Nine months before May 22nd is August. I guess August was too hot and no one wanted to be close to each other.
Now you know why birthdays are celebrated. This year you can play a little trivia on your day of celebration.
"You are beautiful, for you are fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalms 139:14 God has made you and His Spirit lives within you. He wants you to celebrate life and a new year!
2 comments:
Love this, Denise. You always write such interesting information! I like the info. about the most and least celebrated birthdays........interesting, I have several friends with Oct. 4th birthdays and my grandfather on my Mom's side was born on May 22nd! According to many members of his family, he was the most successful of the 8 children born to his parents. He died when I was only 8, but I have wonderful memories of him. He was quite generous and his name was Ernest True. His headstone at his gravesite in Bishop, TX says He was Earnest and True.
Well written Denise. So many fun facts I learned! Thanks for sharing!
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