Not until men first charted the stars thousands of years ago, and linked their fates with events in the sky, did personal birthdays down to the hour of birth become important. To know ones' moment of birth meant that a horoscope could be drawn up. The horoscope was considered critical to good life and a happy marriage.
As with much that is new, the rich and prominent were the first to enjoy birthday celebrations. Egypt's Pharaohs ordered businesses to close on their birthdays and gave enormous feasts for their hundreds of servants. Cleopatra gave Antony a birthday dinner with gifts so plentiful that some party goers arrived poor and left wealthy. Persian noblemen observed their natal days by barbecuing an ox, a camel, and an ass and serving hundreds of small cakes. In ancient Greece, wealthy males could join a birthday club composed exclusively of men who shared their date. Once a month the privileged group celebrated with a feast. When members died, they even left sums of money to help pay for subsequent parties. In ancient Rome the emperor gave gigantic parties in honor of his own birthday, which included parades, circuses, and gladiatorial combats. Augustus provided himself with such a celebration every month. 
In Medieval times, nobles sometimes celebrated their birthdays with raucous parties. Much of western society's birthday energy, however, went into celebrating the birth of Jesus. The date when his birth is celebrated: December 25, (Christ's real date of birth was in the spring) was originally the time of the winter solstice and is related to pagan festivals celebrating the rebirth of the sun, when days begin to lengthen. By the 14th century babies born in Christian countries were named after saints, and later celebrated not their own birthdays but the day on which their special saints had entered heaven.
In some cultures birthdays at the time of puberty received special attention. Jewish boys traditionally reached their manhood on their 13th birthday. Mexican girls are considered ready for marriage on their 15th birthday. In China the 60th birthday commands respect for the man or women lucky enough to have finished one 60 year cycle and started another. India's maharajahs are also honored on reaching the age of 60. The Aga Khan III had himself weighed in public on his birthday because his 20 million Ismaili Muslims were prepared to match his weight in birthday treasure, 243 pounds worth of diamonds.  Today in America the birthday party is eagerly awaited by every child. Its form comes mainly from Germany, Where the birthday child was given gifts, allowed to choose a menu, and provided with a candle-ringed butter or jam cake. The lighted candles for the cake probably came from the birthday of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, who was honored by her worshippers with moon-shaped honey cakes surrounded by lighted tapers.
The song "Happy Birthday to You" was composed by two sisters, Mildred and Patty Hill, in 1893, but nobody really paid much attention to it until the original words "Good Morning to You" were changed to "Happy Birthday to You", words that are sung in virtually every home across the nation at least once during the year. |
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