By Rosie Moore

Since the beginning of time, everyone who has been born has to remember the date. Adam and Eve probably didn’t remember the date but I know they remembered the day when God made Adam from dust and Eve was made from Adam’s rib. It has to be remembered that they were not babies, they were made in God’s likeness, as pure adults. I like to think  that once they were evicted from the Garden of Eden, they remembered well the day they were born.

The earliest recorded birthday party in Western annals appear in Genesis, in the Old Testament,  as the Egyptian pharaoh whom Joseph served is described having one to mark his birthday. Judaism, in contrast, never mentions anyone’s birthday, although it does mark one’s 13th with the rite of passage of a bar mitzvah, since at that age they make the transition to maturity and are  expected to understand and take up all the faith and attendant responsibilities of a Jewish adult.

Less studied are the origins of birthday celebrations on the other side of the  world. For thousands of years the Chinese marked birthdays, starting from the first year of survival, as a mark of how long one has survived and hopes of longevity ahead. They traditionally celebrate with noodles. The longer a strand of which one can get in one’s mouth with a single intake represented a long life to come.

Be that as it may, welcoming birthdays with candles, cake, candy, flowers and cards are what make a happy birthday, as I found out just recently. Gifts that come from loved ones and especially those that remain in our memories because of their gracious and loving giving are joyous gifts. Every day someone has a birthday. May we wish them well—-and don’t forget to celebrate with  that long noodle!

Thought for the day: Life is short….eat dessert first!   Jacque Torres, master pastry chef.

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