<P> The birthday cake is often decorated with small candles, secured with special holders or simply pressed down into the cake . The cake can also be served with other sweets such as ice cream . In the UK, North America and Australia, the number of candles is equal to the age of the individual whose birthday it is, sometimes with one extra for luck . Traditionally, the person whose birthday it is makes a wish, which is thought to come true if all the candles are extinguished in a single breath . </P> <P> To represent a sharing of joy and a sense of togetherness, the cake is shared amongst all the guests attending the party . </P> <P> Though the exact origin and significance of the candle blowing ritual is unknown, there are multiple theories which try to explain this tradition . </P> <P> One theory explaining the tradition of placing candles on birthday cakes is attributed to the early Greeks, who used candles to honor the goddess Artemis' birth on the sixth day of every lunar month . The link between her oversight of fertility and the birthday tradition of candles on cakes, however, has not been established . </P>

When did adding candles on a birthday cake originated