What will happen to the tradition of blowing out birthday candles in a pandemic?
Bad news: Blowing out birthday candles may no longer be the safest tradition. Turns out, this birthday ritual results in a 1,400 percent increase in the spread of bacteria, The Washington Post reports. Candles in cake are a tradition dating back to ancient Greece, where it was believed that the smoke would carry your wish up to the gods. Whether or not the tradition will last in a Covid-19 world, people have come up with creative ways to lessen the…blow. Some people have opted to place a candle in an individual cupcake or poke candles through a paper plate, meant to serve as a germ shield over the cake.
