Birthday Cake
The birthday cake has been an integral part of the birthday tradition in Western cultures since the middle of the 19th century. The Greeks were some of the first to celebrate birthdays with cakes, however these were the birthdays for the gods and goddesses. The celebration for the Greek moon god, Artemis, included a cake topped with lit candles.
The cake, or sometimes a pastry or dessert, is served to a person on his or her birthday, and is often decorated with small novelty candles, with the person's name and/or a message of congratulations inscribed with icing. The phrase "Happy Birthday" did not appear on birthday cakes until the song Happy Birthday to you was popularized in the early 1900s.
Tradition holds that the person with the birthday may make a wish, which will come true if all the candles can be blown out in one breath. As with Christmas puddings there are various traditions of coins or touch pieces being added for good luck. (source: wikipedia)
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