Interesting Historical Facts About Birthdays

Discover some historical facts about birthdays that may surprise you!

We know very little about the historical origins of birthdays. They are celebrated all over the world, even though we as humans may not be completely honest about how old we really are!

What are birthdays?

A birthday is basically the celebration of a special event. That event is, of course, the birth of a person. The day is usually celebrated with a party or something similar that brings together friends and relatives.

We have compiled some fun historical facts about birthdays through the ages, and we are sure you will find them entertaining and even find some surprises along the way!

Some interesting historical facts about birthdays

The origins of birthday parties belong to a pagan tradition from long before Christianity arose. Many of the traditions associated with this celebration have their origins in magical or religious rituals.

Lighting candles on a cake was originally intended to protect people from evil spirits. In addition to trying to guarantee the person’s good health and happiness for years to come.

The influence of the stars

This tradition, originally pagan, has direct links to astrology. It was the astrologers who, when they invented calendars, could calculate birthdays.

This calculation was originally only for the upper classes. That is, for kings or members of the nobility or the people of importance in a particular place.

They did it because the decisions of these people and what happened to them throughout their lives have affected society as a whole. In this way, calendars and horoscopes went hand in hand.

Greece and Rome

In ancient Greece, all the men who celebrated their birthdays gathered on the same day. This was a private party in exclusive clubs.

The Romans may have conquered the Greeks, but it was the Greeks who conquered the Romans culturally. In this way, their influence spread throughout the world.

The Greeks believed in the existence of a protective spirit (which they called daimon). This character emerged according to their beliefs on the day a person was born, with the task of accompanying him or her for the rest of his or her life.

Christianity

Since these rituals had a pagan origin, Christianity found it difficult to accept the idea of ​​a birthday party. The Christians were not only indifferent to them, but they were completely opposed to even celebrating them with a feast.

Christianity, in its infancy, opposed celebration in all its forms. Whether they were pagan or magical / religious, they believed that these traditions would question the belief that there is only one God. Or, if not, they would attribute magical powers to the elements of nature, such as the stars.

Later, with the consolidation of the Catholic religion in Rome, this tradition was no longer seen as an evil. We should remember that Catholicism adopted several pagan traditions. They did not celebrate birthdays as such, but All Saints’ Day was celebrated in different ways.

Some historical facts about birthdays relate to the universalization of this celebration. In Rome, when Christianity became the dominant religion, there was a need to assign a date for the birth of Jesus, the Savior.

Biblical and religious birthdays

The Bible mentions only two birthdays. The first is King Herod, who, among other things, commanded that John the Baptist’s head should come to him on the day he celebrates his birthday.

The second birthday mentioned in the Bible is Pharaoh. To celebrate, he had planned to execute the bakery manager.

The most famous birthday in the world is the one when Jesus was born on December 25th. The Church chose that date, not because of its historical precision, but to replace a pagan celebration.

The date in question was originally a celebration of the sun’s rebirth, which coincided with the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere.

Long birthday parties

There are some birthday parties that last for up to 9 days. Others are celebrated collectively during the lunar New Year, for example in Vietnam.

In turn, many Muslims do not celebrate birthdays because of a tradition associated with the Prophet Muhammad.

There are other traditions around birthdays that have not always been accepted by society.

Today, birthday parties are meant to celebrate life and show love to the birthday children. In the West, we usually greet them with a cake, candles and company with those closest to us. Everyone gathers to give their best wishes to the one who celebrates the end of a year of his life and the beginning of a new one.

Happy Birthday!!