Cake and Ice Cream Go to the Theater (Happy Birthday to Me)
Hello, friends. Welcome back. It was July not too long ago, my birthday month (yes, I am a Cancer Sun.) So, Happy birthday to little ole me. July was definitely a mixed bag for me, personally. However, my friends have made this month not only a bearable one, but a magical and wonderful one. I had a fantastic birthday month full of festivities and activities. I plan to share some of that with you today in just a bit. I always try to do something special every year to mark the occasion for myself. Which leads me to today's illustration pair.
Cake & Ice Cream were characters I created for an illustration I did for my 37th birthday. I never thought they would be anything other than for that one illustration. However, almost 10 years later, I find myself going through old illustrations I have done, and I come across that birthday illustration. Seeing it again after all this time got me thinking, "What if I picked these characters back up and did something new with them. They are pretty cute, and maybe they deserve new adventures." So, I decided that I would pick them back up and have them do some of my favorite activities; each consecutive birthday creating a new incarnation of them doing something new. I love the idea of doing a series with these adorable characters.
This month had me ruminating on birthdays, not just mine. So before we get into the meat and potatoes (or in this case the Cake and Ice Cream) of these two illustrations, let's talk a little bit about birthdays in general. Why do we celebrate birthdays in the way that we do? Where do our birthday traditions come from? What do other people around the world do to celebrate birthdays, if they choose to celebrate at all? How have birthdays woven their way into American culture? If you are as curious as I am, then you'd also want to know the answers. I was curious and (you know me) I'm going to research to find out the answers to these questions.
Celebrating birthdays hasn't been around forever, but it's been around for a long time and has evolved over the centuries. Each country and culture chooses to celebrate in its own special way. The first birthday celebration in recorded history dates all the way back to Ancient Egypt around 3,000 BCE. This celebration was of the Egyptian Pharaoh's anniversary of becoming a god. While this was actually a celebration of when the Pharaoh was coronated, the concept "caught on." This celebration took the form of a similar tribute that would be made to their gods.
The Greeks offered moon-shaped cakes with lit candles to recreate the moon's "radiance." These offerings were intended to honor and incur favor with the moon goddess Artemis. Perhaps we should each offer up a little prayer to Artemis along with our wish before we blow out our birthday candles. I love the romance of that.
In the early days of Christianity, birthdays were believed to be evil as they were viewed as pagan rituals. This changed when the birth of Jesus began to be celebrated. The prudish nature of these early Christians is giving off Footloose vibes lol. In medieval times, the nobility began to celebrate their actual birthdays, while the peasants celebrated on the "Saint's Day" of the saint that they were named after. This was a way that they could celebrate themselves without appearing proud or envious. I guess this is great if you were named after a saint. If you weren't named after a saint, then I suppose you are just out of luck, then. *shrug*
Ludwig Knaus - Kinderfest (1869)
Many common traits of the modern birthday party originate from late 18th-century Germany. Birthday celebrations had become much more widely accepted. The creation of Kinderfeste (kids' events) became the clearest precursor to modern-day birthday parties. It was here that a child’s birthday would be celebrated with a birthday cake and candles denoting how old they were, with an extra candle to symbolize the year ahead. This was also where the practice of blowing out the candles to make a wish began.
Birthday cakes, specifically, have been a part of birthday celebrations in Western European countries since the middle of the 19th century. However, the link between cakes and birthday celebrations may date back to ancient Roman times; in classical Roman culture, cakes were occasionally served at special birthdays and at weddings. These were circles made from flour and nuts, leavened with yeast, and sweetened with honey. Due to the high costs of ingredients needed to make a birthday cake, only the wealthy were in a position to celebrate birthdays like this. However, this changed with the Industrial Revolution. Ingredients became far more obtainable and affordable. This led to the introduction of the conveyor belt into bakeries, which allowed the bakers to offer pre-made cakes at prices that were more reasonable and affordable for more people, not just the affluent.
The tradition of pairing cake with ice cream on birthdays became a widespread American custom during the mid-to-late 19th century, largely driven by the Industrial Revolution. While birthday cakes on their own date back centuries to ancient Roman rites and 18th-century German children's festivals, the two desserts were not regularly eaten together until a series of technological advancements made it possible. By the early 1900s, the cultural view of children shifted. Birthdays became less about solemn family gatherings and more about celebrating the child's individuality. Because cake and ice cream had both become inexpensive, sweet, and easy to portion out, they quickly became the definitive, mandatory menu for a child's birthday party.
In America and other countries, it is a customary tradition to sing "Happy Birthday to You" in unison. Have you ever wondered where this song originally came from and when we began to sing it as a tradition on someone's birthday? "Happy Birthday to You" or more simply the "Happy Birthday" song is an American song. The melody and lyrics actually originate from a song called "Good Morning to All" composed by the sisters Patty & Mildred Hill in 1893. The part of the song that is sung is the final stanza of this original song. Incidentally, it is the most recognized song in the English language and, since its origin, has been translated into 18 different languages. The song is now in the public domain worldwide.
One tradition that used to be part of a traditional birthday party was a speech given by the individual whose birthday is being celebrated that day. I love the idea of a speech by the "Birthday Boy", "Birthday Girl", or "Birthday Them." Perhaps it is time to revive this tradition. In modern times, I don't think we see or hear enough of these kinds of speeches. These traditions still persist at occasions like a wedding, but I don't think I have ever heard nor given a Birthday Speech. Let's bring them back, friends. Let's bring these back.
So, we have discussed a little about where the familiar American birthday traditions hail from, but what do other people and other cultures do to celebrate the anniversary of a loved one's birth? We often think of cake and ice cream as traditional foods for a birthday celebration, but in China they celebrate with Long Life Noodles or Longevity Noodles. Celebrants eat uncut, extra-long wheat noodles called longevity noodles to symbolize a long life. Slurping the noodle whole without breaking it brings the best luck. In South Korea, they cook a nutrient-rich seaweed soup known as miyeok-guk. It is traditional for breakfast on birthdays. It honors mothers, who traditionally eat it after giving birth to recover. In Brazil, no children's birthday party is complete without these bite-sized chocolate truffles made of condensed milk, cocoa powder, and sprinkles.
In Italy & Hungary, Friends and family pull the celebrant's earlobes clockwise once for each year of their age. The gesture is accompanied by a wish for a long life ("to live as long as a deer, whose ears are long.") In Atlantic Canada, the celebrant's nose is cornered and ambushed with butter or margarine. The slippery nose is believed to make the child "too slippery" for bad luck to stick to them. Beyond the famous piñata, there is a Mexican tradition that involves shoving the birthday person's face directly into the cake (la mordida) for their first bite while guests chant "Mordida! Mordida!" (Bite! Bite!).
Young women attired for quinceañera in Mexico City.
All over the world, on specific birthdays, milestones are celebrated. Jewish boys at age 13 and girls at age 12 or 13 transition into spiritual adulthood with a religious ceremony and a large celebration. It marks the year that they become spiritually responsible. In Latin American countries, a massive, formal celebration for a girl's 15th birthday that symbolizes her transition from childhood to young womanhood, often featuring a court of honor and a changing of shoes. In Japan, there is an annual celebration called Coming of Age Day, also known as Seijin no Hi. Young adults who turned 20 in the past year dress in traditional kimonos or suits to attend formal municipal ceremonies on the second Monday of January. In China, there are birthdays that are referred to as Unlucky Milestone Years. Men often avoid celebrating their 40th birthday because the number 4 sounds like the word for "death" in Chinese. Women often avoid celebrating their 30th or 33rd birthdays to ward off bad luck or a year of bad health. However, the 60th birthday is considered the most critical milestone adult birthday. It marks the completion of a full 60-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac calendar, celebrating a complete life cycle and a transition to respected elder status.
Learning about how other places around the world celebrate someone's birthday has been fascinating. But let's come back to "the West" to discuss how Americans have woven the tradition of birthdays into our own pop culture. Most Americans can recognize "Birthday" by the Beatles, and "Happy Birthday" by Stevie Wonder, to more (relatively recent) and truly catchy songs like 50 Cent's "In Da Club." We continue to celebrate "Shorty's" birthday to this day whenever we hear the song played. We all felt the pain of what it is like when someone close forgets your birthday when we watch Molly Ringwald in 16 Candles. And we all still agree that we would still eat the "Birthdae" cake that Hagrid baked and sat on for Harry on his 11th birthday in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. And don't we all sing a "Very Merry Unbirthday" from Alice in Wonderland when a birthday feels like it's stepped through the looking glass? Can you name others? If so, drop a comment below this post.
There's still one more curious thing you may be wondering: What did I do on my birthday? Well, I kinda did that very "American" whole month celebration thing this year (I don't always do that.) As I stated above, I always try to plan something special to mark the occasion each year so even if I am alone on that day, I have something cool to do. However, this year I wasn't alone at all. I was surrounded by many friends, and I am very grateful. My birthday month kicked off with getting to see Tracee Ellis Ross in Every Brilliant Thing on Broadway with a close friend. As someone who both struggles with clinical depression and also has a very strained relationship with my parents, I very much resonated with this play. The play is essentially a one-person play done interactively with audience participation. The play is about a parent who is suicidal because of untreated depression, and the main character tries to rekindle their love of life through creating a List of Everything that is Brilliant in the World and worth living for. I made a very emotional connection to this material through Tracee's brilliant performance, and it moved me. This is truly a very human play, and you leave the performance feeling so connected to everyone and everything around you. It gives you a newfound appreciation for the world we live in (if it wasn't on fire.)
I had actually seen the play once before when Daniel Radcliffe was the main performer. I did not know exactly what I was walking into, and I just sat in the audience and wept. It was beautiful. I couldn't stop thinking about it nor talking about it to my friends; so much so that I HAD to go back and see it again. I wanted to see it with a new performer to see how different it might be. I loved both Daniel's and Tracee's separate interpretations of it. Also, I got a high five from Daniel Radcliffe.
The next birthday activity was an afternoon/evening spent at Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk with some great friends. It was meant to be an afternoon trip, but I had gotten an unexpected late start and wasn't able to get down there until almost the end of the day. I had never been to Coney Island during the nighttime, so that was definitely a new and cool experience. I loved getting to spend time with my friends and just hang out and not necessarily do anything in particular. We actually did do some things aside from beach-hanging. We rode some rides (my favorites): The Wonder Wheel (ferris wheel) with the swinging cage (if you know, you know.) We also rode the carousel and the go-karts, which incidentally is the hotbed for all kinds of drama at Coney... Who knew?! We finished the night with a traditional photo under the relic of the former Parachute Drop (now an official landmark at Coney). We then had a lovely seafood dinner, and my friends planned a surprise dessert there at the restaurant. It was so kind and thoughtful of them. I really do love my friends.
The next thing I did for my birthday was that I was treated to The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway by another good friend. All I have to say is that show was WILD! And that is understating it! It was fantastic and obviously made for the fans (even though the musical stage production preceded the film we ALL know and love. If you can go see it, go see it! It's definitely worth it. Studio 54 was decorated inside to the nines, and it was perfect for the show. I still want to attend an interactive screening of the movie at some point when they do that here again.
The main thing that I planned for myself on the weekend after my actual birthday was going to a Tori Amos concert and having a nice dinner beforehand. I had a lovely birthday dinner before at my favorite restaurant in the city, Delice & Sarasin (French Vegan)... YUM! It was so delicious. I LOVE that place! The concert was a DREAM! It was the In the Time of Dragons Tour. She's still got it!
I loved every minute of it.
Of course, a birthday isn't complete without Cake & Ice Cream. In addition to all the things that were planned for this last month, I wanted to illustrate something special also. Hence the Confectionary Comeback of Cake and Ice Cream from 2017.
As I had said above, I wanted to take activities that I enjoy doing in my life now and have Cake & Ice Cream do the same activities. As I see ALOT of live theater these days, I though it would be cute to have Cake and Ice Cream Go to the Theater. I knew I wanted them to be two separate illustrations that complement each other. I also already knew (at least with this set of illustrations) that I wanted them to be oval in shape.
I based the theater on The Hudson Theater, which incidentally is also the same theater that I saw Every Brilliant Thing in. This was not a coincidence. The Hudson has very historical significance as it is the oldest surviving theater (of the original theaters) in New York City. It's a gorgeous theater. After you see it, you would understand wanting to base illustrations on it.
I also did a little research on formal theater wear. NYC theaters don't have a strict dress code; you can literally walk in off the street in whatever. However, I really wanted Cake & Ice Cream to dress up for the theater. I chose a suit and top hat for Cake. I decided to add stripes to the suit to echo the striped shorts from the previous illustration. Ice Cream would, of course, get a lovely evening gown with a fur-free stole (she's vegetarian, did you know?) She also gets full-length opera gloves.
I needed to figure out what they could be doing and how to really stage this pair of illustrations. I decided that the view would be from the stage facing them and they would each be doing something "theatrically-related." Most people tend to read their Playbills before a show begins (not that I see how, as the lighting is really dim, which makes it difficult to read.) So, I thought I would have Cake reading a Playbill, and I could cleverly put my age in the illustration as if it was the name of the play they were seeing. Ice Cream would get opera binoculars. Since they are sitting in the orchestra, this would hardly be necessary, but I thought it would be a cute theater-related detail to include, and who knows? Maybe Ice Cream is just "like that." Maybe she brings opera binoculars to front seat events. There's not much else to really. I finished up each illustration by creating the dim lighting effect of being "lit-up" by the stage lights.
I am and will continue to learn and create personalities for these two characters as I progress with the series. I am looking forward to their future adventures.
This pretty much wraps up what I wanted to discuss regarding these illustrations. I hope you all get some enjoyment out of them as much as I do. I'm already in love with the two characters. I want to wish each of you out there a Very Very Happy Birthday (whenever that may be.) I recommend and encourage going out this weekend and getting some cake and ice cream... even if it isn't your birthday. I leave you all with a very famous performance of "Happy Birthday." Enjoy.
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