In honor of my birthday (and all those cakes out there), I want to talk about the importance of enjoying your food, or more specifically your birthday cake. 

It is said that birthday cake first started with the Greeks, Romans, and Germans. The Romans would make a cake to celebrate the 50^thbirthday of a famous boy (not for the birthdays of girls, but we won’t get into that today…), and the Greeks would light candles to make their cakes glow like the moon. The Germans were the first to have birthday cakes for children, so we can thank them for the endless cake we ate as kids¹. 

Birthday cakes have been a staple of our birthday culture for centuries. Arguably the most important part of every kids’ birthday party; the creativity, fun flavors, and endless chocolate bring back so many memories. So why have we started to avoid dessert? We know it is a loved tradition, we know it makes us happy, and we know it satisfies our sweet tooth. 

I spent years avoiding any situation that included dessert. I was so scared of the consequences of what I ate. Scared of calories, scared of sugar and fat, and scared of not being perfect in my diet and image.  

I had to learn that birthdays and cake aren’t meant to be perfect. Expectations of the product are so high that we often forget that the ingredients are more important. 

Technically speaking, no, we can’t have our cake and eat it too. The thing is, life isn’t technical. Life is messy. Life is full of broken eggs, spilled flour, and messy faces. That’s what makes life, and cakes, beautiful. 

Having your cake isn’t about the cake sitting in front of you. It’s about the memories, feelings of joy, and wishes made. Having your cake isn’t about a perfect product. It’s about the people you share it with. Having your cake isn’t about the perfect design. It’s about what inspired you. 

After all, why have a cake if you can’t eat it too. 

Citations

Sterling, J. (2017, May 23). A Brief History of the Birthday Cake. Retrieved from https://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/brief-history-birthday-cake