When it comes to the length and breadth of the ancient Roman Empire birthday celebrations aren’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. Upon closer inspection however it seems fitting for a culture that invented the debaucherous parties of drunken excess known as Bacchanalia to view one’s birthday—also known as dies natalis in Latin—as a cause for celebration. Historical Roman poets such as Ovid mention celebratory honey cakes that were often baked as part of birthday celebrations. Not only were these ancient sweets a welcome to all kinds of celebrations food historians can trace the evolution of Italian baking back to this point in time.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 Industrial Industries World Radio | 2024-05-05 18:56:39 |  444 Views |
History of Birthday Cake (753 BC-Present) | Documentary
Romans took their celebrations seriously which meant that the times when they celebrated major events (like birthdays) often took on a religious tone as they praised the gods and goddesses of their pantheon and asked them for help and protection throughout the coming year. And it turns out that birthday cake was a big part of that process. While the tradition of enjoying birthday cake has been around for thousands of years there were a few differences that set ancient Roman birthday celebrations apart from modern traditions.
For the citizens of ancient Rome birthdays were a time to celebrate with friends and family but they were also somber moments of self-reflection. According to the dominant religion of the time each person had a spiritual guide of sorts—the “genius” for men and the “juno” for women—who was responsible for guiding them through life. These religious figures were seen as a divine spark within each person much like the soul in modern theology.
Before celebrating their birthday Roman citizens would first spend time praying to their respective genii or junii after which they would bring them offerings of things they thought they would enjoy. These offerings included wine-fruit or even the occasional stale fig pizza but the Roman honey cake made from spelt flour pine nuts honey eggs and a sweet raisin wine known as passum was a favorite. When it came time to invoke the spirit of Bacchus on someone’s birthday these honey cakes were also served as a way to mark the occasion although it is doubtful that lit candles and party hats were part of the celebration.
