12 Amazing Fun Facts About Birthdays: Discover the Surprises and Traditions You Never Knew!
1. Artemis' Candle Blowout
Ever wondered what your birthday wishes and a hunter moon goddess have in common? It all dates back to a Grecian candle blowout: The tradition of blowing out candles on birthday cakes began in ancient Greece as a way to honor Artemis, the goddess of childbirth and wildlife, during her festivals where moon-shaped cakes were baked, and candles represented stars and moon which were associated with the goddess of hunting. The candles would be blown out and their smoke was believed to carry prayers up to the heavens, eventually evolving into the modern-day birthday celebration during the Middle Ages in Europe!
Source => greekreporter.com
2. Julius Caesar's Leap Year
Leap into the party: Julius Caesar wasn't trying to make February 29th birthdays extra special when he concocted the leap year idea. Actually, he had his trusty astronomer Sosigenes revise the calendar to account for Earth's orbit that takes 365.2422 days, requiring an extra day every four years to keep things in celestial harmony.
Source => bbc.com
Did you know the universe was already dancing for about 9 billion years before your birth? Click to discover more cosmic fun facts!
=> Fun Facts about My-Birthday
3. Greeks' Wishing Ritual
Before your wish goes up in smoke, add a pinch of mythology to sweeten the ritual: The age-old tradition of blowing out birthday candles can actually be traced back to ancient Greece, where moon-shaped cakes with candles were offered to Artemis, the lunar goddess, to honor her glory. The Greeks believed that extinguishing the flames while wishing upon the waxy constellation would send their prayers straight to Artemis and the gods, laying the foundation for the candle-blowing and wish-making customs we celebrate today.
Source => hamperworld.co.za
4. Alabama's Giant Cake
When the sweet tooth of Fort Payne could no longer be ignored, Alabama decided to bake just a 'little' birthday treat: In 1989, Fort Payne whipped up a mind-boggling centennial cake weighing an astounding 128,238 pounds, but their sweet victory was short-lived as Las Vegas swooped in last year with an even grander 130,000 pound masterpiece for their centennial celebration.
Source => americanprofile.com
5. Ancient Honey Cake Life
Before bees became yesterday's news for avocado-toast-loving Millennials, our ancient Greek and Roman friends were livin' that sweet honey cake life: During the Roman holiday Liberalia, priestesses baked honey cakes with pine nuts, sweet wine, pepper, and hazelnuts as offerings, while they sipped wine diluted with water, sometimes mixed with honey and spices, giving a cold shoulder to the concept of beer.
Source => getty.edu
6. Chihuahua Fiesta
Who let the dogs out, fiesta style: A pair of Chihuahua-loving party animals hosted a fabulous birthday bash for their pampered pups, complete with customized decorations, a menu catering to both humans and canines, interactive games, and a contest rewarding the most stylish Mexican-inspired ensembles worn by the attendees.
Source => pethelpful.com
7. Pagan Party Poopers
Back in the day when pagan party poopers decided birthdays were a no-go zone for Christian peeps, finding a cake-filled bash was rarer than spotting unicorns playing poker: It wasn't until the 4th century that Christians began to embrace the joy of celebrating birthdays, kicking things off with a little shindig for Jesus on Christmas.
Source => pumpitupparty.com
8. Babylonian Zodiac Trendsetters
Before the Kardashians, there were the Babylonians: trendsetters in the art of gossiping about the stars, way back in the days of yore - 2500 years ago to be precise. The serious scoop is that these OG stargazers intricately mapped the skies, mathematically calculated celestial pathways, and established the zodiac signs we know today, like Aries, Gemini, Virgo, and Leo.
Source => fu-berlin.de
9. "Happy Birthday" Outlaws
Feeling like a rebel when belting "Happy Birthday to You" at a public gathering? Worry not, my fellow outlaw: since 2016, a federal judge revoked the copyright claim on the song, so everyone can now sing it as loudly and freely as they please, without shedding a single cent on licensing fees!
Source => pumpitupparty.com
10. Google's Multiple Birthdays
Much like a forgetful grandparent fumbling for the right date on a birthday card, Google's been known to scribble and cross out its birthdate more than once: Settling on September 27 for its official birthday celebration, this search engine giant initially came to life in January 1996 as a humble university project by student prodigies Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Though the Google empire was officially incorporated on September 4, 1998, the chosen party date commemorates the impressive milestone of pages indexed. Like a wily grandparent, Google stealthily expanded its digital brood, now boasting a billion users for each of its adored offspring, be it Gmail, Android, Google Meet, or that sassy superstar, YouTube.
Source => indianexpress.com
11. Baby Cake Smash Masterpieces
When cake becomes the new canvas for baby artists, every mouthful contributes to a masterpiece: The tradition of cake smashes, originating in the US, sees parents splurging up to £800 for their child's first birthday where the sweet treat is eagerly destroyed and devoured, and the ensuing chaos is captured by a professional photographer, with an accompanying bubble bath to minimize the evidence on the little painter.
Source => bbc.com
12. North Korean Birthday Dilemma
In North Korea, getting older just got more complicated, like choosing the right flavor of kimchi or ranking your relatives by loyalty to the regime: over 100,000 citizens celebrate their birthdays on either July 9 or December 18, due to the tragic anniversaries of the passing of Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on July 8 and December 17, making birthdays a definite no-go on those somber days.
Source => reddit.com
