Two of my sisters and two of my children were born in November, so let's talk about birthdays.
You all know the song, "Happy birthday to you." It's normally sung as a cake, with lit candles, is brought into the room or placed on the table. Someone hollers "make a wish," then the birthday kid -- or adult -- blows the candles out with one breath. I'll admit, it's difficult to get them all with one breath if there are more than 25 on the cake, or if they are trick candles.
Have you ever heard of those? Trick candles usually have magnesium dust in the wick. After the person blows out the candles, a glowing ember reignites the magnesium, and that reignites the residual wax in the wick. I know the trick to blowing them out -- and keeping them out -- with one breath, but I won't tell.
Once when 35 candles were on my cake, it set off the smoke alarm!
Happy Birthday, cake, ice cream, presents, noise ... where did it all begin? The answer will reveal why some Christians, Puritans as well as contemporary individuals, don't celebrate them. They consider the festivity as pagan. They saw it as evil, arrogant and ego-building.
It seems that birthday celebrations began in ancient Egypt. The date of birth was viewed in conjunction with astronomy, hoping "the stars" might predict their future. Also, a Pharaoh re-established his "birth-date" to when he became Pharaoh, because that's when the people viewed him as a god.
The ancient people thought that demons were especially active during major events in our lives, so they made loud noises to scare them away. During new year festivities, the noise comes from guns, fireworks, and other means. For birthdays, noise-makers of many types are employed. But they also thought joy and happiness warded off demons, so gifts were given to make the person happy.
Candles might have come from the Greeks as they honored the goddess Artemis. They were lit to glow like the moon, which was a symbol associated with that goddess.
Various cultures counted birthdays differently. For example -- In June of 1969, we spoke with Chief Eagle of the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. In the past they didn't think of years; they counted winters. (The Sioux call themselves the Lakota or Dakota -- which means, Our People.)
It appears that the birthday cake, as we know it today, was first invented in Germany for their Kinderfeste, or Children's Festivity. Creamed ice -- I said that correctly -- was known as early as the second century B.C. But ice cream might have been invented in the mid-1700s A.D. It's said that President George Washington spent $200 for ice cream in the hot summer of 1790.
The original tune for "Happy Birthday" was written in 1893 by two sisters (Patty and Mildred Hill), both Kentucky school teachers. Their song was called "Good Morning To All," and was sung by the students each school morning. But when a child had a birthday, the sisters substituted the lyrics Happy Birthday To You.
Sept. 9 and Oct. 5 compete as the most common birth date in the United States, but Feb. 29, on the calendar every fourth year, is the least common birth date in the world.
The majority of American children celebrate birthdays with a cake topped with lighted candles. Most families use the candles to represent how old a person is. When the cake is set before the guest of honor, he or she is supposed to make a wish without telling anyone what it is. After making a wish, he or she tries to blow out the candles. If all the candles go out with one breath, it is believed that the wish will come true.
Birthdays are celebrated more for children than for adults, unless it's a milestone birthday such as 21, 30, 40, 50, 75, or 100. But have you ever thought about why we even bother to celebrate birthdays? Very simply, it's a time for friends and family to come together and rejoice with you, to tell you how much you mean to them. Or to congratulate you for surviving another year.
With so many people hurting, feeling rejected, or unimportant, celebrating their life and honoring them is a wonderful way to express your love to them, and tell them how much they mean to you. It doesn't need to cost much, but it's important to show your family and friends that you care.
-- Gene Linzey is a speaker, author and mentor. Send comments and questions to [email protected]. Visit his website at www.genelinzey.com. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
Religion on 11/13/2019