You must have organized so many birthday parties in your life, but have you wondered how it has been started? Well, according to the historian, the tradition of celebrating a birthday started 3000 years before the common era. The Egyptians used to celebrate the birthday of their pharaoh, who was considered the divine intermediary between God and the Egyptians.
Slowly, this tradition has transformed and converted into the way we used to celebrate now. It has gone through several changes from Greek to Roman that we have discussed in this article.
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The History Behind Birthday Celebration And Tradition Of Gift Giving
After a long time, the Greeks adopted the Egyptian style of birthday celebration, where they used to throw parties for Artemis, who was their lunar Goddess. This is the time when cake became part of birthday celebrations. Greek people used to offer moon-shaped cakes to their lunar Goddess while decorating them with a candle on the top.
The tradition of gift-giving also started during this time only to prevent the evil spirit. The Greeks believed that bad spirits used to haunt and harm people celebrating their birthdays. So, all the friends and families you used gather in one place and present a gift to protect the birthday person.
In today’s modern times, you can send birthday cakes as a gift to someone special to show your care and love. Presenting a cake as a gift also symbolizes the sharing of joy and love and the spreading of unity in society. So, besides giving a traditional gift you can present a cake not only on birthdays but also for the occasion like Christmas.
Now, coming back to the topic, this tradition of celebrating a birthday was adopted by the Romans and transformed according to their convenience. Look further to learn more about the way of celebration and how it is similar to modern-day celebrations.
The Tradition Of Throwing A Birthday Party
Romans were the first people to start celebrating birthdays as we know them now. This was the first time when people started throwing a party on the day of the birth of a common people. They often used to organize a lavish party while showing a gift to the birthday boy or girl, and the real tradition of gift-giving started.
During this time, this tradition spread to other parts of the world, including America. Though it has been popularized throughout the world, celebrating a birthday was uncommon for middle-class families. During the 1800s, throwing a party on birthdays was only seen in the elite society.
Slowly, time changed, and parents of socioeconomic backgrounds started throwing parties for their children. This tradition became popular in common families, too, where people started recognizing the special say of their loved ones every year. It was a revolutionary change in society where the cake-cutting tradition opened the opportunity to start the cake and gift business.
Transformation Of Birthday Celebration In Modern Times
You must be lucky to be born in these modern times where birthday parties are an integral part of society. It has come from various transformations over a period of time, which is completely different from previous ages. This is the time when even common people can organize a lavish birthday party for their loved ones.
Some people took it to the next level as they even organized destination birthday parties, grills-out parties in the backyard, or just simply having a dinner party with family. It is also a great day for couples to spend quality time together and throw the best party for their partner to showcase their love and concern.
You must also agree that with the introduction of the Internet and services like online cake delivery, organizing a birthday party has become super easy. Now, you can easily get a cake via cake deliverry in Mumbai or the place you are currently living and organize the best party ever. You even get a personalization option where you can customize your cake according to the recipient’s interest and preference, which was not possible in the early days.
Additionally, the culture of gifting has also changed, where you can easily order gifts from online sites, just like cake. And the best part is, people have become more sensible as they don’t only present some physical items, but also share their values with the birthday person as a gift which helps to make their life better. You can even find gift items made of environmentally friendly materials that help to promote a healthy environment for our upcoming generations.
Promote The Importance Of Birthday Celebration
So, this was the rich story behind the birthday celebration and gift-giving tradition, which has gone through several changes. However, it is really exciting to know how the future of celebration will be as it has already begun to change with the introduction of online gift and bakery shops. Till then, make your next birthday celebration that you have never organized before and contribute to the change that is going to happen in the future.