Kids Birthday Parties – The history of the birthday party
Have you ever wondered why you get to celebrate a birthday party every year?
The answer doesn’t come from just one place. Modern birthday parties borrow from many different traditions – and it begins all the way back in Ancient Egypt!
The Ancient Egyptians didn’t celebrate the birthdays of regular people. They celebrated the birthday of the birth of their gods, which happened one year after the god was said to have been born.
This is the first recorded instance in history where birthdays were celebrated every year.
The Ancient Greeks were next to add something to the modern birthday celebration – candles! Just like the Egyptians, the Greeks would celebrate the birth of gods every year.
In their celebration of Artemis, goddess of the moon, they would illuminate a kind of bread with candles, which was said to be like the glow of the moon. The tradition of candles has been kept to this day.
It wasn’t until the Ancient Romans that the birthdays of regular people were celebrated – but it was only the men. The birthday of a man was celebrated every year with a feast, friends and family, and gifts. It also included a cake made of flour, cheese, and honey.
Women’s birthdays weren’t celebrated until the 12th century AD in the West. Kids birthday parties weren’t celebrated until this date, too.
Until the 4th century AD, birthdays were outlawed by Christian people, as they were said to be pagan traditions. So Christmas – the birthday celebration of Jesus Christ, wasn’t celebrated for over 300 years after his birth. Since then only certain Christian groups such as Jehova’s Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays.
Finally, birthday cakes as we know them were invented by German bakers in the 18th century, and have been an important mainstay in the celebration of a birthday since then!
In the modern day, a kids birthday party costs an average of $2000, with parents spending up to $10000 on a child’s party.
So next time you celebrate a birthday, think of the rich history behind this special celebration!
At Wannabees Family Play Town, Kids Birthday Parties are fun, weatherproof, and everything is organised by a team of expert party professionals! We have all inclusive party packages to suit every budget.