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Americans have a long history of making a huge deal of a baby reaching their 1st birthday. Most of them provide a special small cake that is dedicated to the birthday boy or girl. They are allowed to dive headfirst into the sumptuous confection and eat to their heart’s content. But why do we put such an emphasis on celebrating this life milestone?
In ancient history, it was not unusual for infants not to survive to their 1st birthday. Reaching one year old was considered significant. Their chances of surviving childhood increased with each year that passed. So making it out of the infancy stage indicated a healthy child. To mark the event families held large celebrations. Initially the parties were reserved for royalty or the very rich. Mainly because they were the only ones who kept calendars with accurate dates. A second reason was they were the only ones with the money to hold a party.
History gives the Germans credit for holding the 1st children’s birthday parties. Kinderfieste were large festivals that celebrated a child’s birthday. The Christians eventually adopted the practice, followed by other religions. There are some religions that consider it barbaric to celebrate a day of birthday. Jehovah’s Witnesses, Islam, and Judaism are three of the larger ones.
Since the young child does not have any real friends yet, the guest list is populated with family and friends of the parents. The child is too young to understand the significance of the celebration. However, the guests can enjoy socializing and letting the children play. Cookouts are delightful in the warmer months. In colder months try a family theme restaurant such as a pizza place.
Share
the 1st Birthday
History with your
kids as a bedtime
story.
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