[Avodah] Don't Blow Out the Candles and Make a Wish

[Prof. Levine]

The following is an excerpt from the article "Segulot, Superstitions, 
& Darchei Emori" that appears on pages 63 - 75 of the Fall 2007 
(Number LIV) issue of The Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society.

Finally, we have the truly pagan superstitions. The classic example 
of this is blowing out candles at a birthday party and making a wish. 
To fully appreciate this we must consider the source of this custom.

In Greek times, people on their birthday would try to find favor in 
the eyes of the moon goddess, Artemis. [49]  In an attempt to do so, 
they would make round cakes (to symbolize the full moon) and light 
candles on top (to symbolize the light of the moon.) They would then 
ask the moon goddess to grant their requests.

ln light of that, telling the birthday boy or girl to blow out the 
candles and "make a wish" seems problematic. In fact, one could ask 
about the permissibility of the candles being there at all! This, 
however, is permitted. The Maharik, quoted by Darchei Moshe (179:1), 
states that the violation of following in
the paths of the Gentiles applies only when there is no rational 
reason for doing something other than to be similar to the Gentiles. 
This would not apply to candles, as they make the birthday cake more 
exciting, and children appreciate the fact that there is one candle 
there for each of their years. Round cakes as well are the normal 
shape of most icing-type cakes, and are not made intentionally round 
for birthdays.


[49.]  Gibbons, Happy Birthday, (New York, 1986). Others disagree 
with this, but by almost all accounts, it is a tradition based on idolatry.

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