Birthday traditionsCheck out these wonderful birthday traditions! Are you still planning your party? Then now's a good time to dive into the world of birthday traditions. Discover a few nuggets of information and inspiration to make that party extra special! The "Happy Birthday" song"Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday to you..." one of the most popular songs in the world, started life as a song to greet children to the classroom.And the original words? "Good Morning to All"... With the original song written in 1893 by American sisters Patti and Mildred Hill, this song is now copyrighted - which means that public singing of "Happy Birthday to You" in restaurants, for example, is theoretically illegal unless authorized! Usually the song is sung when the lights are dimmed and the cake is brought in with candles flickering. It is one of the most poignant birthday traditions. Own up - who doesn't want a photo of the birthday child's face when the cake is brought in? Which brings me to... Birthday candlesWhat a good idea this was! I love candles on a birthday cake. We now use them to signify the age of the child - but some sources tell us that the historical meaning could point to the light of the candles offering protection from evil spirits.The rising smoke from candles was believed to signify prayers being wafted up to God - from which we have taken the idea of making a wish and blowing out the candles. I'm finding it harder and harder to blow them all out at once though... not a problem for our little ones, I hope! Let's start cutting the cake - oh, the cake! Birthday cakesAnother great invention! The Ancient Greeks made cakes to celebrate the birthday of the moon goddess Artemis, although others believe the modern birthday cake originated in Germany.I'm sure the Ancient Greeks wouldn't recognize today's birthday cakes! Featuring...
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Our cakes are not only baked at home, but mass-produced in supermarkets or available for online ordering. Birthday presentsGiving birthday presents is a rather modern birthday tradition. In ages past, kings and queens might have expected their subjects to give them gifts; the ordinary man, woman, or child would not have experienced this, and may well not have known when their date of birth was anyway!Present giving goes along with the old idea of protecting someone from evil: wishing them well, surrounding them with good thoughts. The Victorian development of Christmas as a time to give gifts may well have sparked enthusiasm to enjoy birthday gift-giving too - when people began to be able to afford such luxuries, and at a time when the manufacture of toys was just beginning. How could anyone have foreseen the huge choice of toys and games on the market today? There is still a place for the traditional birthday gift, however. For a first birthday party or toddler party, gemstone gifts associated with the month of birth are still a good choice. "Memory" gifts, such as charm bracelets or footprint/handprint keepsakes are also popular. But for the child - nothing beats a great toy they've set their heart on! Birthday cardsBirthday cards go back around a hundred years, and, again, were probably influenced by the Victorian Christmas, which inspired the first Christmas cards.Early Victorian birthday cards featured flower girls, chubby cherubs and wildlife scenes. How this birthday tradition has changed! E-cards, singing cards, personalized photo cards - modern tools bringing this tradition firmly into the 21st century. Birthday gamesClassic kids' games played at parties have become one of the most enduring birthday traditions of modern times.Modern traditions? Yes, most of these games seem to have relatively modern origins, but they are certainly just as important to us as some of the older traditions. Kim's Game, for example, originates from a spy story called, not surprisingly, "Kim," written by Rudyard Kipling in 1901. The spy was trained to observe and remember small details and this was the inspiration for the party game. Written records giving evidence of early party games are scarce; the Oxford English Dictionary, for example, has no records of Pass the Parcel before 1967 - although it has traced Pin the Tail on the Donkey back to 1887. Birthday traditions are all about having fun. And the games we enjoyed as kids - we want our own kids to enjoy, too!
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