Tonight was my daughter’s boyfriend’s birthday. I baked a cake, with candles. He blew them out, we all ate cake and then I brought 1/4 of the cake home. As I was driving, I realized my brother might like a slice, and I was driving past his house, so I stopped. He was very happy to see cake, and got out plates to put his share on. His wife came in to see what kind of cake I had brought, and asked me, “Did anyone blow out candles on this cake?” I told her yes, and she said, “I’m sorry, I won’t have any, then. I can’t eat a cake that someone has blown out candles on.”
I was a bit stunned…just a bit, because she has many, many things that she just hates or can’t tolerate. But this is the first time I’d heard this one. Now, the daughter’s boyfriend is 29. He’s not some four-year-old spraying saliva all over the place. I’ve never come across anyone with this hang-up before, and I thought this board had enlightened me to many, many food-related idiosyncrasies and germ-fearful practices.
So does anyone else shun birthday cake with candles?
I thought you were going to say eating the cake with their hands or shoving their face into the cake or something…but this seems…excessive. If she’s extremely OCD, I could see it, though.
Also–I’m glad your daughter’s boyfriend isn’t a four year old.
Funnily enough, with as little of their sweet tooth left as most adults believe they have, I think you’ll find many, many more who will eat a piece of cake that someone has blown out candles over than, say, broccoli.
I take it that’s related to taking a sip out of someone else’s water bottle, something that some people just won’t do. My parents warned me against strangers and their strange germs, though it didn’t quite extend to cake.
Oh, no, the hyper sanitary folks will not allow blowing out of candles. They also won’t pick up a cookie off a plate with their fingers. I find them…excessive.
I dislike it, but have yet to come up with a graceful way of being at a birthday party and declining cake.
Really, though, if you were buying a donut, and the Dunkin Donuts clerk picked it up and just blew on it before putting it in the bag, that would be gross, wouldn’t it? Birthday candles do not have magical antiseptic qualities.
As I read the OP I knew what was coming because I sure I have heard of this before right here. It wouldn’t worry me but I like NinjaChick’s take on it. I started imagining waiters serving meals and the blowing all around the plate just like with birthday candles. Or someone blowing on your hot coffee while you are waiting.
I dislike most commercial cake frostings so this never crossed my mind, cuz I don’t eat the frosting anyway…
But even if I were a Frosting Fiend, I find this a little stupid. I’ve never once shared birthday cake with some random stranger; maybe I’m too optimistic, but I would share a drink with my friends so why not a freakin’ slice of cake?
