The roots of the birthday holiday. Birthday: history of the holiday. History of the birthday holiday

About the birthday.
About three months ago, in one small but proud insurance company, the director’s anniversary happened. 50 years is a beautiful number and, no matter how you look at it, wonderful. It seems solid, and there is still more than enough strength to enjoy life.

Since the hero of the day was a sociable and understanding person, the employees decided to play a prank on him. Half an hour before the boss arrived at work, the insurers asked the security for the keys to the director’s office and brought in a huge cake. But not just any cake, but a cake with a secret - it was covered with a large glass lid, stood on a large wooden box, and on the box itself there was a red button. If you press that button, the lid slides open, and the insurance agent, who is hiding in the box, smacks the cake right in the director’s face. This is such a simple prank. A new shirt for the director was already prepared, a second cake was in the refrigerator - so there should have been no casualties in this story.

However, a little trouble happened. Secretary Olya, closing the director's office, was so nervous that she accidentally dropped a bunch of keys on her shoe. The foot in the shoe jerked involuntarily - and the keys flew straight into the gap between the door and the floor. A moment later, the keys were in the director's office, out of reach of a hand or a mop.
Can you imagine the situation, right? There's a crooked insurance agent languishing in a box who can't get out without pressing a button, and it's impossible to enter the office because the only keys are on the floor in the same office.
What should I do?

Frightened insurers ran to security - was there a spare key?
The security threw up their hands - there is no key, they are not trained to use master keys, but we will help you break down the door. A consultation immediately gathered - should we break down the door or wait for the director's permission? We decided to break it out. If the agent sits in the box for half an hour or more, he will definitely suffocate or lose consciousness, so there is no point in waiting for someone’s orders, life must be saved.

Two hefty security guards and the strongest insurance agent began to bang their bodies against the door. But bad luck - the house was Stalinist, and the door was very powerful, solid, made of the best oak, so that three healthy men, after a five-minute struggle, only bruised their sides. The tension was growing. - What should we do?! Maybe we can cut out the castle? - suggested one of the insurers. - Do not have time. - Yes, we won’t have time. Need it quickly. - Eureka! Has everyone seen “The Shining”? Ax here, axe!

The axe, oddly enough, was found by the guards. And here is the picture - a powerful guard, rolling his eyes ferociously, began to smash an oak door with a sign “Director” with an axe. All this happened under the bloodthirsty screams of the employees: - Come on! - Break harder! - Smash! Hit as hard as you can!

At this moment, the late director finally entered the office. For about two minutes, shocked, he watched a terrible scene worthy of some kind of witches' Sabbath. And only then they noticed him, and by another accident, the guard with an ax handle was the first to do it - fierce, with a sweaty and red face: - Good morning, Mikhail Nikolaich. Happy birthday. And you see, we are just waiting for you...
The director slowly began to slide to the floor...

In the old days in Rus', this holiday was celebrated only in wealthy noble families. Peasants sometimes didn’t even know their birthday! Previously, when newborn children were mainly given names in honor of the saints revered on this day, the name day and birthday coincided. Nowadays, on the contrary, more often the day of a revered saint and a birthday are completely different days, so calling the person being congratulated “birthday boy” is not entirely correct. But, following traditions, we will still call the heroes of the occasion “birthday people”.

Birthday is my favorite children's party, and in this capacity it rightfully competes with the New Year. In principle, the difference between these holidays is small - New Year’s Birthday and a person’s Birthday. A birthday is, to a large extent, a children's holiday. Children always rush for time, strive to become big as quickly as possible, so they always sincerely rejoice at each of their birthdays. Having grown up, we may become a little cold towards this holiday, begin to get tired of the bustle of festive preparations, but still, in memory of our childhood, we continue to treat it with reverence, and even if we don’t celebrate it the way we did and loved it in childhood, then at least we gladly accept congratulations. In any case, the birthday of an adult is not much different from the birthday of a child. The same competitions, games, jokes that can diversify any feast.

We are used to celebrating birthdays; it seems that this holiday has always existed. How can you not celebrate your birth?

But it turns out that they began to celebrate it not so long ago; before that, they simply did not attach importance to the date of birth, they did not remember it, they did not write it down.

It turns out there is a history of the birthday holiday, the origin of which has mainly pagan roots, where the tradition of gathering friends and relatives on this day originates.

Today there is no one version of the origin of the holiday.

Despite the celebration of the Nativity of Christ, such a holiday simply did not exist in Christianity.

Historians have put forward two theories regarding the history of the birthday holiday. In principle, these two theories can complement each other.

The first version is that followers of black magic considered the human soul to be most vulnerable at the very moment of birth. Therefore, any wishes or curses on this day were considered spells and allegedly harmed the person.

This is probably where the tradition of meeting friends all day and avoiding enemies originated.

According to another version, Roman soldiers brought the traditions of celebrating birthdays along with some eastern traditions.

A well-known fact of the first celebration is the birthday of the Egyptian pharaoh and then only for men. Among women, the queen of Egypt, Cleopatra II, was the first to celebrate.

Birthday is the day of the year on which a person was born. In many cultures, it is customary to throw parties and give gifts to the hero of the occasion.

One of the most common rituals is preparing a cake with candles stuck into it according to the number of years the person is turning. Before cutting the cake, he blows out all the candles lit on the cake.

The custom of lighting candles on cakes originated with the Greeks... Round, like the moon, honey cakes with thin wax candles lit on them were placed on altars in the temples of Artemis (the goddess of the moon among the Greeks) on her birthday (full moon).

Birthday celebrations began in Europe a long time ago.

People believed in good and evil spirits, sometimes called good and evil gnomes. Everyone was afraid of these spirits that they would harm the one celebrating his birthday, and so he was surrounded by friends and relatives, whose good wishes and whose very presence would protect him from unknown dangers during the celebration.

Giving gifts brought even greater protection. Eating food together also provided further protection and helped to receive the blessings of good spirits.

Therefore, the holiday was originally intended to protect a person from evil and ensure the coming of a good year.

Let's protect our friends and loved ones, make their birthday fun, joyful with wishes and gifts!

There is nothing easier to write words of congratulations and a link to one of the musical cards. In a minute - a friend has a gift!

Just like death and taxes, birthdays are something that happen to everyone. Humans have been around for millions of years, so birthdays have happened many times before. Nevertheless, humanity began to track this date not so long ago. Once upon a time this was not a holiday, but now some even celebrate the dog’s anniversary. Check out a variety of facts about birthdays in history, they might surprise you!

Egyptian pharaohs did not celebrate on the day of their birth

There is information that the Egyptian pharaohs were the first to celebrate birthdays, but the holiday did not take place on the birthday. The day of coronation was celebrated because it was believed that after this the ruler was reborn and became a god.

The Greeks were the first to use candles for cakes.

It is believed that the tradition of making a cake with candles dates back to Ancient Greece. People tried to make sacrifices for Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and therefore prepared crescent-shaped cakes with candles. The moon is the symbol of this goddess.

The city of Alexandria was built according to the position of the sun on the birthday of Alexander the Great

It is believed that the Egyptian city of Alexandria was built in a certain place, which coincided with the direction of sunrise on the birthday of Alexander the Great, after whom the city was named.

The first invitations to the holiday were on Roman tablets

The first birthday invitations were sent out by the wife of a Roman commander in the hundredth year of our era. Paper had not yet been used, so signs were sent out.

The most expensive party cost twenty-seven million dollars

We all know that a birthday can be celebrated in style, but nothing compares to the splurge of the Sultan of Brunei. He spent nearly thirty million to celebrate his fiftieth birthday, and most of it went to pay for Michael Jackson's appearance.

In Ancient Rome, only men celebrated their birthdays.

In patriarchal Roman society, only men were allowed to celebrate birthdays. Only after the twelfth century do the first records of such a holiday for women appear.

Christians initially believed that such a holiday was a pagan tradition.

In the Middle Ages, Christians believed that celebrating one's birthday was a sin. They only celebrated Christmas. Over time, the church became more relaxed about the tradition and celebrations became more common.

The song “Happy Birthday” first had completely different words

This song is popular in many countries, but few people know that it was originally a melody about Good morning, and not at all congratulations on the holiday. The song was written by school teacher Mildred Hill, this happened at the end of the nineteenth century. It was assumed that students would start the school day with a song.

Modern cakes appeared after the seventeenth century

German confectioners came up with what later became the modern cake. Then they began to organize holidays especially for children.

Sweet cakes became widespread after the industrial revolution.

Before this, people could not afford the ingredients needed to make a sweet or beautiful cake. Therefore, the tradition was not widespread.

Longevity pasta was popular during the Tang Dynasty

Modern Chinese also prefer cake, but previously, according to tradition, one had to eat long noodles, symbolizing a long and healthy life.

The birth of a child in a family is perceived as an important event. The arrival of a new member is celebrated with great pomp. Rich fathers celebrate in prestigious restaurants, middle-income families celebrate at picnics, at home. A feast is not complete without good food and royal farewells to the newborn.

Have you always celebrated your birthday?

The answer to the question posed is negative. For a long time, girls' birthdays were not recognized at all. The first of the girls whose birthday was celebrated in an organized manner was the Queen of Egypt Cleopatra II. Before this, only boys' birthdays were celebrated. This is the kind of gender inequality that existed in prehistoric times. The years of the queen's reign are known. This is 185 - 116 years before the era of Christ. On an astronomical scale, the era is within reach. Some two thousand one hundred thirty-two years.

First mention

The current civilization should be grateful to ancient Egypt, which motivated the algorithm for subsequent planetary development. It may have happened through troubles and wars, but it was an educational experience, embodied over millennia in modern Internet creativity.

Artifacts from the ancient world prove that the first birthdays were celebrated 5,000 years ago. The heroes of the occasion were the newborn pharaohs of Egypt. On such occasions, unimaginably luxurious feasts were held in magnificent palaces. Nobles and... slaves took part. There were years when a potential pharaoh was born, an amnesty was declared. Prisoners were released from prisons.

What did the Greeks celebrate?

They were pragmatic. Celebrated the birthdays of the gods. For example, Artemis. They appeased the Lady of the Moon by celebrating her birthday every month.

What did Christians do?

One hundred percent neutral. Birthdays were not recognized. A new religious formula has emerged. The fact is that the early admirers of Christ considered the material world to be a place of evil, deception, and permanent sadness. Celebrations were held on the occasion of a person’s death, departure from a sinful abode, and not birth. The Church of Christ, as its position strengthened, could not accept the traditions of the Greeks and Egyptians. She considered these peoples to be pagans. The world Christian assembly had no intention of encouraging dubious traditions.

But still...

They say that time heals doubts, hopes, and illusions. Everything changed when the church became a registration center for the number of people. In order to subsequently withdraw a tenth of the profit from each believer for belonging to the teachings of Christ. In the 7th century of the Christian era, registration books were opened. In the next century, German peasants began to celebrate children's birthdays. They were woken up at dawn and presented with a cake with lighted candles. What is happening now, with minor changes.

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