Ever wonder why we stick candles in cakes and set them ablaze to celebrate another year of life?
It seems the Ancient Greeks burned candles as offerings to their birthday moon goddess. The Greek baked round honey cakes that symbolised the moon. The candles were representing the reflection of the moonlight. It was even believed the smoke from the candles could carry the prayers to the gods.
Historic records indicate the modern tradition began in the 15th with German Kinderfest. The cake was topped with one candle for each year of life, plus one in the hopes of the child living another year. They also involved blowing out candles after making a wish, which goes back to the previously mentioned religious traditions.
Over the years parent have had concern of the hygiene of blowing out candles. A recent study that blowing out candles increase the level of bacteria by a shocking 1,400 percent.
Undergraduate students at Clemson University in USA was researching food safety, they were totally astounded by all the huffing and puffing created the above results.
Students ate pizzas to simulate party food and help the salivary glands keep going. They blow and blow until till couldn’t blow anymore.
On average, it found that blowing out the candles caused the frosting to grow 14 times as much bacteria.
But, in one case, it outrageously increased more than 120 times suggesting that some people transfer more bacteria than others.
Although the results are shocking, the researchers insist that while the human mouth is full of bacteria, most of them are not harmful and that you should be fine to eat birthday cake if someone has blown out candles. That is, as long as they’re not obviously sick.
I also say BLOW don’t SPIT
