 | |
Welcome to Celtnet's Birthday Recipes Page — This is a continuation of a series of pages on the history of certain occasions and the recipes associated with that occasion. This page is about birthdays and how they are celebrated. Here you will find information about the origins and practices of the festiviteis that mark the celebration of the day of a person's birth. You will also find recipes, sourced from across the globe, for foods, drinks and, most especially cakes, that are used to help celebrate and mark this special day in every person's life.
By definition, a Birthday is the anniversary of the day on which a particular person was born. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a party or, in some instances, a rite of passage. Indeed, it is the rite of passage that probably represents the origins of the annual birthday celebration. In most historic cultures the rite of passage represented a child's transition into adulthood and was typically associated with a ritual or rite of passage.
The first recorded annual birthday celebrations come from Persia (Iran) and Herodotus, in his Histories, Book 1, 1.133 reports of the Achaemenid Persians: Of all the days in the year, the one which they celebrate most is their birthday. It is customary to have the board furnished on that day with an ampler supply than common... They eat little solid food but abundance of dessert, which is set on table a few dishes at a time... They are very fond of wine.
In Europe, the practice of celebrating a person's birthday probably originated in Pagan times with the belief that evil spirits were particularly attracted to people on their birthdays. To protect the person, friends and family would visit, bringing with them good thoughts and wishes. However, with the advent of the Early Christian Church this practice fell into decline, as the celebration of anyone's birth (including Christ's) was considered to be a Pagan practice. As the Church evolved, it became common in both the Roman and Eastern Orthodox church to have a 'name day'/'Saint's day'. This being the celebration of the official day of a saint with the same Christian name as the birthday person. However, more often than not, the person's birthday and the saint's day were made to concur by giving a newborn the name of a saint celebrated on its birthday, or even the name of a feast if the birth day fell on a feast day. As a result the practice of celebrating birth days became accepted within the Church.
Birthdays are often centred around a decorated cake, the birthday cake (recipes for many variants of which are given below). Traditional cakes are fruit-cakes (also known as plum cakes) that are typically covered in marzipan (almond paste) and either glace icing or royal icing. However, chocolate cakes are common as are classic sponge cakes in in these cases it's more common to use a buttercream icing (or simply whipped cream). Typically the cake is covered with candles, one for each year in the person's life. Traditionally, the person whose birthday it is may make a silent wish and then blow out the candles. After that, the person can open their presents. It is also common for the person celebrating their birthday to cut the initial piece of the cake. In most English-speaking countries it is traditional to sing the song Happy Birthday to You to the person celebrating their birthday.
These days a child's birthday party may be held either at home, or in a public place. Soft drinks are often had alongside water and both sweet and savoury foods are typically served to the guests. Most commonly, a birthday cake is also served, which tends to be either a chocolate cake or a white sponge cake. Birthday parties for children often feature entertainment, costumes, party games, and may sometimes be based upon a theme.
Traditional birthday cakes tend to be quite heavy and are often rich fruit cakes similar to traditional Christmas and wedding cakes. Examples of traditional birthday cakes from around the world are given below.
Plum Cake
Trinidadian Black Cake (Trinidad)
Fruited Luncheon Cake II
Spice Cake
Rich Fruit Cake
Gluten-free Rich Fruit Cake
Rich Dried Wild Fruit Cake
Catherine Cake (Macedonia)
Liberian Cake (Liberia)
Dundee Cake
Welsh Rich Fruit Cake
Light Fruit Cake
Farmhouse Celebration Cake
West Indian Cake
Porter Cake
Lorrimer Plum Cake
Rich Plum Cake
Victorian Dundee Cake
Beetroot and Caraway Cake
Of course, no cake would be complete without icing (frosting). You can get a listing of all icing and frosting recipes featured on this site here.
For both children and adults chocolate-based cakes are also common as birthday cakes. Below you will find examples of classic chocolate cakes from many cultures and countries that can easily be adapted as birthday cakes.
Of course, no cake would be complete without icing (frosting). You can get a listing of all icing and frosting recipes featured on this site here.
Many culutres also serve white sponge-style cakes for birthdays. Below is a range of these cakes that can be adapted easily as birthday cakes. These types of cakes are particularly common as cakes for children and can be baked in shaped cake moulds.
Of course, no cake would be complete without icing (frosting). You can get a listing of all icing and frosting recipes featured on this site here.
Below are examples of other cakes from a range of countries and cultures that can also be used as birthday cakes, particularly if you are looking for something different or unusual to serve.
| Carrot Cake |
Chestnut Flour Cake (Italy) Portuguese Black Cake (Portugal) Frankfurt Crown Cake (Germany) Blue Lagoon Cake (Slovenia) Austrian Coffee Cake (Austria) Lemon Whisky Cake (Ireland) Honey Cake (Ireland) Fruited Sponge Cake (Ireland) Towering Praline Carrot Cake Lemon-soaked Pound Cake Pineapple Rum Cake Sara Lee Pound Cake German Marble Cake (Germany) Always Moist Pound Cake Heavenly Orange Cake Carrot Cake with Mango Chocolate-coated Carrot Cake Yoghurt Cake Marbled Chocolate Yoghurt Cake (France) Bitter Chocolate Marble Cake (France) Swiss Carrot Cake (Switzerland) Gumdrop Fruit Cake (Germany) |
Of course, no cake would be complete without icing (frosting). You can get a listing of all icing and frosting recipes featured on this site here.
Irish Cream (Liberia)
Sangria (Spain)
Liberian Ginger Beer (Liberia)
Bombaylinis (India)
White Sangria (Spain)
Champagne Punch
Of course, if you are looking for something more opulent and/or sophisticated you might want to peruse this site's selection of cocktail recipes.
Ice Cream with Rum
Strawberry Liqueur Ice Cream
Choc-de-menthe Ice Cream
Rich Trifle
Cointreau, Rhubarb and Orange Trifle
As well as the ubiquitous birthday cake, childrens' parties will also often have other savoury dishes and snacks as well as sweet dishes such as jellies (Jell-O) and trifles and, of course, ice cream. Examples of recipes that can be used for childrens' birthday parties are given below.
Classic Fairy Cakes
Spiced Farmhouse Fairy Cakes
Cobnut Fairy Cakes
Marshmallow Cake
Sticky Rhubarb Cake
Hummingbird Cake
Jelly Bean Confetti Cake
Rainbow Sherbet Cake
Excellent Small Cakes (Elizabethan)
Iced Charlotte Russe
Nutty Fridge Cake
Banana and Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
Of course, no cake would be complete without icing (frosting). You can get a listing of all icing and frosting recipes featured on this site here.
You should also not ignore this site's selection of cheesecake recipes.
Mamadou's Banana Glace
Vanilla Ice Cream
Baked Alaska
Walnut Praline Ice Cream
Banana Ice Cream
Banana and Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Blueberry Ice Cream
Cherry Ice Cream
Chocolate Ice Cream
Real Chocolate Ice Cream
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Old Time Vanilla Ice Cream
Dark Fudge Ice Cream
Blackberry Ice Cream
Rich Vanilla Ice Cream
Raspberry and Honey Ice Cream
Raspberry and Yoghurt Ice Cream
Strawberry and Honey Ice Cream
Trifle to Die For
Aruban Chocolate Trifle (Aruba)
Easter Trifle
Blancmange
Rice Flour Blancmange
Ground Rice Blancmange (India)
Creamy Lemon Blancmange
Chocolate Blancmange
Strawberry Blancmange
Italian Blancmange
Raspberry Blancmange
Rainbow Sherbet Dessert
You can find many more recipes for ice cream on the ice cream recipes list page and recipes for gelati (Italian ice creams) on the gelato recipes list page.
Baked Apples
Pineapple Beer
Elderflower Cordial (Ancient)
Elderflower Cordial
Jus de Bissap (Senegal)
Ginger Ale (South Africa)
Ethiopian Punch (Ethiopia)
Lemon Verbena Lemonade
Lemonade Concentrate
Lemonade (Turkey)
Blackberry Cordial
Green Mint Syrup (France)
Rainbow Sherbet Punch
Recipe Information: 56
Everything you want to know about Mediterranean Food.
Recipe Information: 35
Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day and most of us ignore it. It's when the body re-fuels itself for the day and skipping breakfast actually puts the body in 'starvation mode' and actually reduces brain function and makes weight loss more difficult. Breakfast needn't be complicated, but it should involve a balance of grains and fruit. Here are some ides for simple and nutritious breakfast recipes anyone can make.
Recipe Information: 56
You have probably already noticed that it has become incredibly popular to buy organic coffee. However, not everyone is fully aware of the many reasons why this is truly the best option.
Recipe Information: 35
Salmon is one of the most versatile fish in the world of cooking. Found in almost every market, fresh from the daily catch, it can be prepared in a number of ways, from extravagant and flavourful main dishes in classy restaurants, to a simple lunch in the nearest shack by the ocean shore.
Recipe Information: 35
A crockpot (also known as a slow cooker) can be an excellent means of cooking proper meals slowly for a long time. It allows you to make the most of poor cuts of meat and lets you cook your food over night or slowly throughout the day whilst you are at work. There are lots of recipes for crockpot meals on the internet, but you can adjuist pretty much any recipe for a stew or braising dish to the crockpot. This article shows you how to do this using a classic Turkish lamb and onion stew as an example.
Recipe Information: 114
A Keurig b60 coffee maker is used to brew k cups. These produce fresh coffee every time.
Recipe Information: 114
Everything you want to know about cake decorating sets.
Recipe Information: 66
Review of: The Big Book of Christmas Recipes, a kindle eBook by Dyfed Lloyd Evans. Christmas recipe and cookery.
Recipe Information: 56
Restaurant can combine customary cuisine in its menu with several dishes of exotic for us cuisine. In this case, you can take pleasure in the majestic taste of sirloin steak.
Recipe Information: 114
While we find ourselves using new technology and doing business differently, there are still some things that are not going to be replaced. The old griddle is something that will last a life time and beyond. It is well seasoned and broken in. There are people in the family who are envious.In business, there are ways of cutting corners but it will never replace honesty, ethical standards and the effort put into doing hard work consistently.
Ancient recipes, Roman Recipes, Meideval Recipes, Elizabethan Recipes, Georgian Recipes, Victorian Recipes
click here for the full story
printer version