September 13, 2022

Why do we celebrate birthdays and why are they important? Read on to explore the history of birthdays and why birthdays are special.

What is a Birthday

Put simply, a birthday is a person’s yearly celebration of their birth. It is an annual celebration of another year of a person’s life. We often sing happy birthday to the person who is celebrating their special day. We also give them a present or put candles on their cake. These are just some of the activities that are done on a birthday. Some birthdays are deemed more important than others. For example, milestone birthdays often rate a mention as birthdays we look forward to celebrating.

Milestone birthdays include

• 1st Birthday
• 10th birthday – reaching double digits
• 13th birthday – becoming a teenager
• 18th birthday – becoming an adult in some countries (Australia, Europe, UK etc).
• 21st birthday – another celebration of becoming an adult
• 30th & 40th Birthday
• 50th Birthday – Half a century milestone
• 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th Birthday – every decade is an adult milestone
• 100th Birthday – a very special milestone birthday that sadly only few reach.

There is no best age for a birthday, but the best time is when you can spend special moments with friends and family.

Why do we celebrate Birthdays

We celebrate birthdays to remember, acknowledge, and appreciate the life of a person who has been born. Birthdays are about celebrating the life of someone. They are not about buying gifts or throwing a party for family and friends. Rather, they are about celebrating a person’s life. Birthdays commemorate life in all its wonderful ways and make it more special. Birthdays are important because they remind us that we are alive and have another year to live. Also, birthdays help us appreciate what we have in life: work, family, friends, and so on.

But many people don’t understand why we celebrate birthdays at all, let alone have elaborate parties with gifts and rejoicing on Facebook. We do it because it is fun to celebrate something that brings us joy and people celebrate birthdays because it is a chance to appreciate life. Birthdays usually bring about family gatherings and parties so that people can spend time with their loved ones. Celebrating birthdays helps us enjoy more than the usual day of the year because it reminds us of the past and gives us optimism for the future.

The origins of Birthdays

The origin of birthdays is unclear and there is no ‘exact’ answer of when did people start celebrating birthdays. People starting celebrating birthdays in ancient times in different cultures, but there are only a few accounts of it. Birthdays in ancient Greece and Rome were an important social event, and birthdays are still important today for the same reason: to express joy at a person’s physical existence.

Today we celebrate birthday parties, gifts and presents. These are ways we express our love and gratitude to the people who contribute to our happiness. We also have more sophisticated social rituals than they did in ancient times. But there is one thing they continue to do well: bring us together with friends and loved ones to celebrate the day a person starts living, in a special way that is unique to every birthday.

Who invented Birthdays

Birthday parties date back to ancient Rome, where humans made the first history of celebration for birthday in 700 B.C. The earliest recorded birthday party appears in the Bible. It describes an Egyptian Pharaoh whom Joseph served as having a party to mark his birthday – in Genesis in the Old Testament.

Why do we celebrate Birthdays with cake

Birthday celebrations usually entail food and drink when celebrating with a party. There is a saying that a ‘party without cake is just a meeting” ~ Julie Child. We celebrate birthdays with cake because it is the most delicious and beloved birthday tradition of all. In classical Roman culture, cake was served at special celebrations such as birthdays and weddings.These were not the elaborate cakes we see today. Instead, they were flat circles made of flour and nuts, yeast and honey. As time went on, birthday cakes became more of a tradition for the wealthy and not widespread throughout the general population until after the Industrial Revolution.

Birthday candles are an important tradition for a birthday and birthday cake. For children in particular, one candle marks each year of their existence. For adults any amount of birthday candles is acceptable. In particular, candles in the shape of numbers are a popular way to show an age without the large amount of candles needed.

To blow out the candles is thought of as a time for the birthday boy/girl to make a wish. This often follows the singing of the popular song “Happy Birthday to You”.

Original Post: Why do we celebrate birthdays