The Strange, Winding History of Birthdays
Like most traditions, birthday celebrations as we know them today are shaped by many layered histories.
According to HuffPost, the earliest known birthday reference appears in the Bible: a Pharaoh marks the day of his “birth,” likely referring to his coronation: the moment he was considered divine. In other words, the first recorded birthday wasn’t about the person; it was about the power.
Pictured: Ash (left), her grandmother, and her brother.
Later, pagans believed evil spirits lurked on days of personal transformation, like birthdays. The Greeks thought a guardian spirit visited each person on their birthday to protect them.
The early Christian Church rejected birthday celebrations altogether for centuries. They were seen as self-centered, materialistic, and even spiritually dangerous. It wasn’t until the 4th century, when Jesus’s birth began to be celebrated as Christmas, that birthdays gained broader acceptance.
Not surprising: divine women were part of the tradition long before real ones were. The Greeks, for example, offered moon-shaped cakes with glowing candles to Artemis, goddess of the moon, as a symbolic tribute. The light honored her beauty; the flames sent prayers skyward. It’s one of the earliest echoes of the birthday cake we know today.
Women’s birthdays, though, weren’t commonly recognized until the 12th century. (Not shocking, but still infuriating.)
Pictured: Toddler Ash.
Pictured: Teenage Ash.
So Why Do I Celebrate?
I love my birthday. I love tradition. I love knowing I’ve experienced another year. I always pause at 3:07 p.m. — the exact moment I was born. And I love that every June, IVP holds a fundraiser that lets me reflect not just on my life, but on this community we’ve built. I get to celebrate the people who’ve entered my life and honor those who are no longer here.
I never expected to start a theatre company, but now, it’s part of me. It feels right to celebrate the company in the same month I celebrate myself. IVP wouldn’t be what it is without the people who make it possible. And honestly, neither would I.
In many ways, this event has become my new birthday tradition: a moment to mark time, share joy, and gather in the name of something larger than ourselves.
Maybe that’s what birthdays are really for. Not just the individual, but the village around them. The stories that shaped us. The memories we keep as we carry forward.
Pictured: IVP gala flyer, June 2025. Click on the image to purchase tickets.
