A Christmas Tradition: Birthday Cake for Jesus

Did you know …

Celebrating Christmas by baking a birthday cake for Jesus is a tradition that dates back more than five hundred years.

Some special treats were only served at the holidays.

Excited children looked forward to Christmas every year. They received gifts, sang songs, and ate special treats.

They didn’t eat cake often, so they loved to make a birthday cake for Jesus. The cakes often contained little gifts inside, such as marbles, coins, or small metal animals. After hearing the story of Jesus’ birth, the children ate their piece of cake and carefully searched for little treasures.

The birthday cake had special meaning.

The white cake represented Jesus’ sinless life. The icing was usually red as a reminder that Jesus died on the cross for everyone’s sins. The cake batter rose while baking, which represented the resurrection of Jesus.

A single candle on top symbolized the light that Jesus brought as well as the special star over Bethlehem.

The sweet taste of the cake explained the wonderful life in Heaven for each Christian.

Birthday cakes for Jesus are growing more popular.

Baking a birthday cake for Jesus is growing more popular. Recipes and photographs of these cakes can be found on the Internet and in holiday cookbooks.

We bake birthday cakes for our family and friends because we want to celebrate with them. It’s a reminder that they are important to us.

We celebrate Jesus’ birthday at Christmas. Happy Birthday, Jesus!

 

– Sandra Merville Hart