SERVPRO of Missoula Restores Homes from Fire Damage

Let there be light, but no big blaze

The NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) found that in an average year, candles cause 11,640 fires at homes across the United States, leading to a collective $438 million in property damage.

Never forget that candle light is a fire.

Accidents happen, we know that. Pets don’t know where their tails are, and people can’t always divide their attention optimally, but we hope disaster never hurts a Missoula home. We, by the way, are SERVPRO^® of Missoula. If disaster strikes, call us at 406-327-9500. Emergency service is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

How did the birthday candle tradition start?

In our ceaseless pursuit of knowledge, we came across these tidbits of information about birthday candles:

• One idea is that the ancient Greeks honored Artemis, the goddess of the moon, with round cakes and candles. The cakes represented the full moon; the light from the candles represented the moon’s glow; the smoke from the candles carried prayers to the gods.
• Another looks to 15^th century Germany, where (some claim) a candle on a cake represented the light of life.
• The decision of how many candles to light is also credited to Germany. Parents lit one candle for each year of the child’s life, with an extra one to hope for another year.

The age-plus-one method works for younger children, but quickly becomes impractical. Fortunately, no one suggested maintaining that tradition for long.

Except for one person…

An 18^th Century German count had an immense cake that had candles: one for each year he had been alive. There is no information regarding whether there was an extra candle, nor any speculation that he had to blow out the candles.

What about the cake?

The birthday candles have to go on something, and putting them on pizza is difficult. Putting them on ice cream is not a good idea either (no, we haven’t tried it).

• The Greeks’ round cakes for Artemis may have been the inspiration, but they also had honey cakes and bread for celebrations.
• The ancient Romans had cakes for birthday parties and other celebrations, with the cakes being more like bread than what we think of as desserts.
• In the 17^th century, wealthy people had servants prepare sweet cakes that had layers, decorations, and decorative icing.
• Baking tools and sugar became less expensive and more accessible in the 18^th Shops began selling ready-made cakes.

Every day is someone’s birthday

Happy birthday!

From

SERVPRO of Missoula

406-327-9500