The tradition of putting candles on birthday cakes began in Ancient Greece to honor Artemis, the goddess of the moon.

The custom of placing candles on cakes dates back to the 5th century BCE in Ancient Greece. Worshippers brought round cakes to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus to celebrate her birth on the sixth day of every lunar month. These cakes were often made with honey and flour and were specifically shaped like the moon to honor the goddess's celestial domain.The candles were not just for decoration. They were strategically placed to make the cake glow like the moon in the night sky. Greeks believed that smoke acted as a medium between the mortal and divine worlds. By blowing out the candles, the smoke would rise and transport their secret prayers directly to Artemis and other deities residing on Mount Olympus.While the Greeks started the candle tradition, the modern birthday cake as we know it emerged in 15th-century Germany. During a festival called Kinderfest, Germans used candles to represent the 'light of life' for children. However, the specific ritual of making a wish before blowing them out remains a direct cultural descendant of the Greek belief in smoke-borne prayers.Archaeological evidence and historical texts from scholars like Philochorus describe these offerings in detail. Today, the practice has lost its religious roots but maintains the same symbolic structure established over 2,500 years ago. It remains one of the most widely recognized and persistent secular rituals in the world.