What’s an hip Indian birthday without the marvelous chocolate topped cake with candles affixed, an auspicious event now mostly without the traditional ‘laddoos’ and a major announcement with the crinkling of wine glasses ! These have become so much a part of the celebratory customs that the traditional ‘kheer’ and ‘dahi’ have been slightly relegated though still in vogue in the hinterland.
With this has come many an adage which is so popular in usage today that the significance of the delicious ‘cake’ is overlooked. Sample these – ‘it’s a cake-walk (so easy to attain) or it’s a piece of cake (so very cool) or one that is less complimentary ‘He loves to have his cake and eat it too !’ Something beautiful happening is often said to be ‘the icing on the cake’ ! And yes, also remember the nasty bit from French Queen, Marie Antoinette ‘ If they can’t have bread let them have cake..’ which eventually led to her execution !
Few eatables have so many connotations as the good old cake which is for a good reason available in innumerable varieties and flavours – chocolate, plum, walnut, fudge, marble, vanilla, pineapple, fluffy and plain to name a few. Of course, chefs all over the world have perfected and ‘caked’ this art !
But cakes and candles have a long history behind them. Researchers say that candles, being slow-burning, are believed to be symbolic of the passage of time. In fact, they were often used as timekeepers. Though the exact origin and significance of the candle blowing ritual is unknown, the history of placing candles on top of the cake is believed to have started in 1808. The tradition at the time was to place one candle on the cake for each year of the individual’s life, so that the number of candles on top of the cake would represent the age of that person.
Some say that candles were placed on the cake because people believed that the smoke of the candle carried their prayers to gods. Others believe that the custom originated in Germany where people used to place a large candle in the center of the cake to symbolize ‘the light of life’. People place candles on birthday cakes and a silent wish is made before blowing out the candle. It is believed that blowing out all candles in one breath means the wish will come true and the person will enjoy good luck in the coming year.
However, after the first three, though not all birthdays are landmarks – unless it’s say (start of the teens !) 13th , (becoming a major !) 18th, ( entering the naughty 40s !) 40th, completing the big half-century, 50th , and time to hang-up the boots, 60th – friends and family will inundate your Whatsapp with peppy messages, collages and funny pics to brighten up the day while gifts, cakes and champagne may flow, making it all short-lived but memorable.
Then you have birthdays of a different kind – like the one celebrated by the ruling party to mark their fourth year in power with lots of fanfare and suitable noises from both ardent supporters and vociferous critics – as if to remind us that ‘men may come and men may go, but celebrations and cakes will be together forever’ !
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