Why do we put candles on a birthday cake?

The Greeks began putting candles on cakes to honor Artemis, goddess of the moon. The candles signified the light of the moon, and the smoke was thought to carry prayers to heaven.

Cakes used to be made out of coarse and plain-tasting ingredients. Cakes developed through the years and different cultures to contain the icing and decorations seen today. Most cakes started out with one candle that signified the moon light. The earliest cakes were moon-shaped as well. After hundreds of years, they developed into round shapes and started bearing many candles that symbolize the age of the cake's recipient.