Are Birthday cakes and candles pagan?

[tinytim]

OK... after months of searching, I think I finally found something that has not been debated before on BB...

The history of Birthday cakes and blowing out the candles....

Birthday candles originally were placed on cakes to bring birthday wishes up to God. In ancient times, people prayed over the flames of an open fire. They believed that the smoke carried their thoughts up to the gods. Today, we believe, that if you blow out all your candles in one breath, your wish will come true. http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/BirthdayCake.htm

and the same information I also found here...
http://www.itsurbirthday.com/birthday_history.htm

How I even found this was a reading I was doing today about the goddess Asherah the Israelites were worshipping under certain kings like Mannaseh..

Anyway... As I understand it Asherah was considered the fertility goddess, and the queen of Heaven... and some thought of her as Yahweh's wife...
And according to some of my reading today, she was who Jeremiah was referring to here:
Jer 7:18
(18) The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger.



This of course got my attention when it was speaking about making cakes to the Queen of Heaven (a fertility goddess) so I started looking for the history of the Birthday cake, and it seems to have started in Germany... not Israel..


but then I noticed the part about blowing out the candles...



So here is my question...

Is it logical to expect people that will not participate in things that originally had pagan connections.. like halloween, Christmas trees, Easter bunnies, etc...to have a similar reaction to birthday candles.. now knowing that they symbolize prayers to pagan gods?

 

[LeBuick]

1. Please read the forum rules, new subjects are not allowed unless we can eventually merge it into the usual discussion. I don't see how this can turn calvinist/armenian??? ==> (here comes Ed)

2. New subjects will force us to read the Bible to find a new list of scriptures to paste as proof of our position.

3. Blowing out the candels are ok as long as you don't make a wish! Chuck 3:15

 

[tinytim]

1. Please read the forum rules, new subjects are not allowed unless we can eventually merge it into the usual discussion. I don't see how this can turn calvinist/armenian??? ==> (here comes Ed)

2. New subjects will force us to read the Bible to find a new list of scriptures to paste as proof of our position.

3. Blowing out the candels are ok as long as you don't make a wish! Chuck 3:15

lol...

Maybe the candles are predestined to be burnt! much like the non-elect.... see how easy that was!

I won't be on here much longer tonight.. but I will check back in tomorrow... My birthday is coming up... Dec. 5th.. and I need an excuse to keep my wife from putting all those candles on my cake!!! I am afraid the fire alarms may go off....

Soo....

this seems like as good as a reason as any...

HONEY!! Don't you know we are Baptists, and those candles are pagan!!!

hehehehe...
sneaky eh?

All I need is 2 or 3 to agree with me on here.. and I have a case!!!

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

I'm not gonna agree with you, Tim.
Just turn off the smoke alarm and blow out them thar candles!!!

I will send you a birthday card that says, "Don't worry about getting old...it's too late." :laugh:

 

[SBCPreacher]

Might want to be sure you have the proper "burn permit" for all those candles.

 

[Alcott]

In ancient times, people prayed over the flames of an open fire. They believed that the smoke carried their thoughts up to the gods.

Then how did they figure that cutting off communications by blowing out the source of the prayer-carrier would help?

 

[tinytim]

I'm not gonna agree with you, Tim.
Just turn off the smoke alarm and blow out them thar candles!!!

I will send you a birthday card that says, "Don't worry about getting old...it's too late." :laugh:

:tongue3: :tongue3: party pooper!

 

[tinytim]

Then how did they figure that cutting off communications by blowing out the source of the prayer-carrier would help?

You got me! I have no idea....

By the way.. what do you call a deer with no eyes?

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. a no eyedear... (no idea for all dark haired challenged people... lol)

Good night this old codger is going to bed!

 

[Salty]

This post burns me up:laugh:


Salty

and I am only 23 years old, Jack Benny as my witness:applause:

 

[abcgrad94]

Tell you what, Tim. I'll make you one big homemade candle to blow out on your birthday, soon as I find something big enough to use as a mold. Anybody have a metal washtub I can borrow?:laugh:

 

[tinytim]

Tell you what, Tim. I'll make you one big homemade candle to blow out on your birthday, soon as I find something big enough to use as a mold. Anybody have a metal washtub I can borrow?:laugh:

Haardy, har, har!!!

 

[Aaron]

Today, we believe, that if you blow out all your candles in one breath, your wish will come true.

We do?

Anyway, if I knew that a birthday cake would put a stumbling block in the way of my brother, I would eat no birthday cake as long as the earth stood. (I prefer apple pie anyway!)

 

[tinytim]

I like apple pie better also!!! just can't get as many candles on it!

 

[LeBuick]

I like apple pie better also!!! just can't get as many candles on it!

At your age, fewer candles may give you a more sporting chance at blowing them all out... We may have to get some of the kids to help out. :laugh: :wavey: