A little
History about Birthday Cards and Birthday celebration.
Birthday Superstition
It is
believed by many scholars that birthdays began in the pagan culture of Europe
because of the fear that evil spirits are more attracted to a person on their birthday.
Friends and family would visit with well-wishes to ward off the evil spirits.
Birthdays were usually only celebrated by nobility (which may be why we like
to put a
Birthday
Crown on the birthday person) until the Germans began the
practice of celebrating
children’s birthdays called “kinderfeste” and bake a
special sweet cake.
Birthday Cake
Another theory about the origin of birthday
cake is that it came from the ancient Greeks. They would bake a round cake lit
with candles to offer to Artemis, the Moon Goddess.
The Birthday Candles
The Birthday candles helped to send prayers up to the gods, thus came about the custom of making a
wish before blowing out your birthday candles. In Germany the candle on a birthday
cake was symbolic for the light of life.
Happy Birthday Song
It began as the “Good Morning to You”
song with the now familiar “Happy Birthday to You” tune, and was written by
Mildred Hill and Dr. Patty Hill as a kindergarten school song. Patty Hill is
credited with changing the lyrics to “Happy Birthday” after the song gained
popularity (and yes, it is still copyrighted).
Significance of Birthday Cards
Birthday Cards are an important means of communicating good wishes and love to
a person. They carry a personal touch that makes them endearing and very
special. Emotionally charged cards help to convey feelings of love that most
people find difficult to express.
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