This week a close friend of ours celebrated a Big Birthday.
Being Threeologists it also set us thinking about the best things and traditions around this regular event in all of our calendars and one that gives us the opportunity to celebrate those we love and, for one day of the year at least, give ourselves a pat on the back …
And so … we’ve come up with our Top 3 Best Things About Birthdays along with a little background context.
- Cake.
Obviously birthdays are a massive excuse to consume as much cake as you can get your mitts on.
The tradition of birthday cake dates back to ancient Greece, where people brought round cakes to Artemis, goddess of the moon, as offerings.
In Germany, during the Middle Ages, “Kinderfest” involved cakes with candles, symbolizing the “light of life” and over time, the practice spread across Europe, with cakes becoming central to birthday festivities.
The ritual of blowing out candles and making a wish is believed to have originated in 18th-century Germany, and today, birthday cake is a universal symbol of celebration and indulgence.
Slightly worryingly the word “cake” comes from Old Norse “kaka” which in Spanish means something very different but that doesn’t deter those of us who’ve had an interest in cake since we were little boys and have no intention of ever changing.
For future reference, we love all types of birthday cake, even those smothered in icing, and Alan doesn’t even like icing. - Presents.
Clearly presents play a critical role in the enjoyment of birthdays, particularly as a kid, though as you get older the stress of finding the right present, and within the required time, does slightly offset that one way boyhood pleasure of just receiving.
And as you get older do you gamble on friends and family surprising you with a jumper you wouldn’t want your grandpa to be wearing or just reduce the stress and avoid the disappointment by giving them a birthday wish list?
Bitter experience leans us towards the latter.
It’s also something the Romans did for us as the custom has its roots back in the day with the word “present” coming from the Latin “praesentare,” meaning “to place before.”
Gift-giving was believed to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits – some of the jumpers I received over the years would certainly fulfill that latter task. - Champagne aka Fizz
We had a difference of opinion with number 3 but as its Alan’s list, we’re running with his because there’s a point in everyone’s life when a birthday ceases to be a day of unalloyed glee and becomes a time for reflection on time passing, ageing, mortality, you know, the serious stuff.
For Alan, the right amount of birthday champagne soon puts paid to all of that and it definitely fits in with the tradition of toasting most special occasions with a little fizz.
To anyone having a birthday – we raise a glass, just save us some cake.