Nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody, wants to embarrass their children when hosting a birthday party. Everything has to be perfect, or if not perfect then very close to it. From the
retractable screen door to control the movement of the kids, pets and insects; keeping the children and pets in and undesired possible irritants like insects out, to the classic birthday party decor items, balloons and bouncy castles; everything has to be on point for their little angels. How did this need to annually celebrate the time of a young child’s arrival on this earthly plane arise?
When Did Children’s Birthday Celebrations Start?
The ancient Greeks provided birthday celebrations for their gods and goddesses, in particular Artemis, their lunar goddess. While the tradition was likely borrowed from the Egyptians, the Greeks added the tradition of providing lunar shaped cakes to the celebration. Eventually they added candles to the cakes to simulate the glow that emanates from the moon.
It wasn’t until the Romans that the birth of a common man was celebrated, sort of. For those in the Roman Empire, birthdays were a festival of the Genius, a spirit which came into the world with a child at birth, and were celebrated with cakes. These cakes consisted of oil, wheat, honey and grated cheese. Unfortunately, only males were able to be celebrated on the day of their birth.
The Chinese began celebrating the first anniversary of a child’s birth with a ritual they called Zhuazhou around the year 1000 AD. As part of the ritual the relatives of the baby came to the home of the child to celebrate bringing gifts.
It was in the 18th century, when the Germans brought in a tradition that was the celebration of a child’s birth complete with the sugary kinds of cake we are now more accustomed to. The Kinderfest – as it is known – also added the importance of candles. There were as many candles placed on the cake as the number of years the child had been alive, with one slight change from what we are familiar with. There was an additional candle to signify the hope that the child would live another year. Strange but true.
Adding to the practice, in the 19th century a man called Robert Coleman, with the help from sisters Patty and Mildred Mills, penned the the most recognizable song in the English Language – Happy Birthday. The importance of this song only grew as increased attention began to be lavished on individual children as families started having fewer of them. Children’s birthday parties may have been an early hint of how they were starting to be viewed as less valuable economically – as potential laborers on a farm per se – and more valuable emotionally as key family members. Key members that need to be celebrated on their special day. Especially now in these times with the help of some very important items that could be the difference between lame and fame.
What Are The Items Needed To Throw A Good Home Birthday Party?
- Decorations – common decorations like: balloons, banners, streamers, party hats and confetti add an air of festivity to a child’s party and can be as over-the-top or as simple as it wants it to be.
- Tableware – It is essential to always have more than enough cutlery available as knives, spoons and forks, in addition to plates and cups can easily get dirty, lost or thrown away. Having a good table cloth available is also important. An adequate number of tables and chairs should also be present.
- Screen Door – These doors can be helpful at birthday parties in many ways. Depending on the ages of the children present at the party, they might struggle constantly opening doors to move from indoor to outdoor and back again. Not to mention the germs that might accumulate on door handles during events like this. Good magnetic screen doors could be just what is needed for a large party filled with toddlers.
- Food – It would behoove any responsible parent to make sure they have checked if there is any special dietary that needs to be catered to – this includes allergies, gluten intolerance, vegetarians or vegans. Once that is checked then the party can literally get started searching for the right.
- Snacks: Chips, dips, fruit, icy poles, marshmallows, cookies, macaroons.
- Party Food: Sausage rolls, sandwiches, popcorn, mini-burgers, hot chips, frankfurters, chicken or fish pieces, macaroni, parfait, hot dogs, brownies, chocolate crackles, muffins, ice cream, waffles, pancakes, jelly cups.
- Cake: Parents can make one themselves or get one made ahead of time by a bakery or cake shop, candles included.
- Ice: Parents can either buy a bag or make their own ahead of time.
- Drinks: Provide a variety for different ages and tastes. Some ideas include kid’s PopTops, poppers, mixed drinks, cans, water, tea, and coffee.
- Recording Equipment – Because almost everyone has a smartphone this might feel redundant. But parents should think of getting a camera, video camera and memory card on site for capturing life long memories.
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