Birthday Cake Blues

 

    My birthday is coming up! I’m turning 24 years old on November 12th, so I still have a good 2 weeks, but I like to celebrate early! Obviously, I’ve already started planning all the usual birthday events: nice dinner spot, night out with friends, maybe a weekend activity with some family. There was one aspect I loved the most: planning my birthday cake. When I was growing up, it was a big deal to pick out your birthday cake. It was so exciting because there are so many options, flavors, and even brands/places to choose from. Some years we even switched it up and got a pie! At the end of the day, celebrating my day with a sweet treat was the most important part, regardless of the style and flavor (however, ice cream cake is superior).

    I recently thought back to a “cake” I had one year when I was maybe 12 years old. Instead of a cake we used banana bread, but we still frosted it and everything. It was a chocolate chip and walnut banana bread that was sliced down the middle horizontally to make the layers. We then frosted it with some store-bought cream cheese frosting and sprinkled some chopped walnuts and chocolate on top. It was one of the most delicious desserts ever, and I ate maybe 3 slices that day

    I recently mentioned the family tradition along with that cake idea to a coworker. They thought it sounded delicious, but immediately mentioned how fattening it probably was. She then exclaimed that she always feels guilty eating her cake on her birthday, since she’s been trying to lose weight for some time now. As an aspiring registered dietitian (as well as someone who loves a sweet treat), that just killed my soul a little bit. It’s certainly common to want to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle, but to experience guilt over eating your OWN birthday cake is almost absurd when thinking about its meaning.

    While the concept of eating birthday cake seems silly, it's been a tradition for centuries. The tradition of having a cake to celebrate one’s birthday originates back to Ancient Greece and Rome. The Greeks celebrated birthdays with moon-shaped, honey-sweetened cakes. They often lit candles and offered up the cakes for Ancient Greece’s goddess of the moon. Birthday cakes were also apparent in Germany, as Germans in the 1400s would market birthday cakes for children. Only the wealthy were able to enjoy them for some time, but they became widespread by the industrial revolution. The tradition of the celebrating birthdays with candles and cake surprisingly did not appear in the United States until mid to late 1800s. Since then, the birthday cake has been a classic and sweet addition to any birthday celebration. If birthday cake has been a tradition for centuries, then why are people suddenly so scared to eat it on their special day?

    Diet culture may definitely be the one to blame. Many individuals these days are victims of diet culture. Societal pressures create this fear of gaining weight and a desperate need to maintain a certain body image. Consistent thoughts like this can ultimately result in restrictive eating patterns and even just guilt around eating in general. This can also lead to ideas that certain foods are “bad”, like birthday cake. While birthday cake may be an empty pit of sugar and fat, that’s essentially the whole point! It’s certainly not the healthiest snack, but its more than just a sugar pit: it’s a celebration. 

    Cake is often associated with special occasions and celebrations, so the concept alone creates excitement, leading to a positive and festive atmosphere. Sharing and enjoying some good cake with close friends and family can also strengthen social bonds by creating a sense of togetherness. The whole idea of a birthday cake is to celebrate yourself on your special day and appreciate your existence. It's hard to appreciate your own existence when you’re so worried about gaining weight. 

    So if you think the cake is too fattening, that’s the point! Your birthday is not about how you look, or what the number on the scale says; it’s about enjoying your day and creating memories with those you love. 

- NB

References:

Byrom, N. (2024). Note from a dietitian: Always eat cake on your birthday. Freshstart Nutrition. https://freshstartnutrition.ca/note-from-a-dietitian-always-eat-cake-on-your-birthday-and-popcorn-at-the-movies/#:~:text=Today%2C%20I%20will%20eat%20my,Bon%20appetite!

Gage, M., & Gage, J. (2012). Birthday cakes: history & recipes. New England Recipes.

Hogan, E. (2022). The Sweet History of Birthday Cakes. The Sugar Association. https://www.sugar.org/blog/the-sweet-history-of-birthday-cakes/#:~:text=Ancient%20Greece%20celebrated%20birthdays%20with,candles%20represented%20the%20moon's%20shine.