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Why We Put Candles on a Birthday Cake? The Weird True History Behind Your Cake and Song
Birthday candles aren't Greek. They're German, and they were meant to scare off demons. Plus: the $50M fight over the Happy Birthday song. Who won?
Birthday candles didn't start with the ancient Greeks and a moon goddess, although many believe that. That's honestly pure "forklore" as we call it, with no historical record. The real origin is 18th-century Germany's Kinderfest, where families lit one candle for each year of a child's life, plus an extra "Lebenslicht" (light of life), and kept them burning all day to protect their kids from harm.
In this 100th-episode celebration of Family Food…
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