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AIBU?

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Original poster

To Think That Blowing Out Candles on a Cake is Unhygienic?

170 replies

LizzieLoo28 · 21/09/2021 21:14

Its my daughters 21st birthday on Friday and we are getting a birthday cake for her, but since Covid came along and all the mask wearing to stop germs spreading, its made me think that blowing out the birthday cake candles isn't hygienic or at least eating a cake that someone blew their germs over isn't hygienic ?

What does anyone think ? Should I put candles on the cake or not ?

Cheers x

OP posts:
user1487194234 · 21/09/2021 21:15

Put the candles on the cake 🎂

RiotAtTheRodeo · 21/09/2021 21:15

Some people have a stunt cake/cupcake/muffin for the candles

nc4565 · 21/09/2021 21:16

How about sparklers instead?

TheGrumpyGoat · 21/09/2021 21:17

How has it taken Covid for you to realise that blowing all over something other people are going to eat isn’t the most hygienic act?

I’ve always known it’s not hygienic. Still do it though!

Audreyhelp · 21/09/2021 21:17

This has always made me cringe I always take the icing off of every birthday cake then eat it ,

AICM · 21/09/2021 21:18

This has been done for decades and nobody has come to harm.

Block · 21/09/2021 21:18

I thought it was unhygienic long before Covid.

Pinkspecs · 21/09/2021 21:18

It's made me cringe since covid, I had never really gave it much thought before.

SMaCM · 21/09/2021 21:19

It's never been hygienic. You can pop cling film over, then put the candles on for her to blow and then uncover the clean cake. Or make lots of cupcakes and she can blow the ones that family are eating.

minipie · 21/09/2021 21:19

Yes it’s unhygienic.

So is kissing, hugging and sex.

GTAlogic · 21/09/2021 21:20

But the whole point of having a birthday cake is the candles on the top! If you've been in close contact anyway, as you would've if you're at a friend's or family member's birthday party, then chances are you'd probably catch anything they might pass on through blowing out the candles. So long as the birthday person isn't dribbling spit all over it it's fine.

thepeopleversuswork · 21/09/2021 21:21

Oh give me strength. How do people manage to procreate when they worry about stuff like this?

Mymapuddlington · 21/09/2021 21:21

I get your point but it does more harm to live in a sanitary bubble than to expose yourself to germs.

FatCatThinCat · 21/09/2021 21:24

You're more likely to die from having all the joy sucked out of your life than you are from eating a piece of birthday cake after the candles have been blown out.

RiotAtTheRodeo · 21/09/2021 21:28

As long as there won't be any rogue false gnashers flying about I think it will be fine!

To Think That Blowing Out Candles on a Cake is Unhygienic?
sundaydayisnotmyfundayday · 21/09/2021 21:37

Early on in the pandemic our DS (now 7) had clearly been worrying about the birthday cake situation. One night out of nowhere he said "Mum, on the birthdays can you cut the slice of cake for the birthday person and just put the candles in that for me to blow out?"

Why the hell haven't we been doing this the whole time!? ConfusedGrin

HangingChads · 21/09/2021 21:43

Jesus, that's so sad.

EatYourVegetables · 21/09/2021 21:44

It is unhygienic and has always been. We were all just willing to tolerate it and maybe no longer are.

@AICM : how do you know no one ever transmitted a cold or a flu this way? You are sure? ABSOLUTELY sure? You asked every single person who ever ate a slice of birthday cake? You should write a research paper on the germ-killing properties of cake! Hospitals across the world will start replacing their pre-surgery scrub up procedures with cake fights!!

@minipie I don’t know what your birthday parties look like but I do not usually kiss or have sex with everyone attending. Maybe I should try for my next round birthday?

OP: If you do it, likely everything will be fine. I preferred to do the cupcake thing this year. It was just as festive and felt a bit less yuck, like “It’s my bday eat my germs suckers!!” Cake

XenoBitch · 21/09/2021 21:47

Blowing out candles on a cake is unhygienic? Maybe look up what a '69' entails.

EatYourVegetables · 21/09/2021 21:48

@sundaydayisnotmyfundayday

Why the hell haven't we been doing this the whole time!?

Well, according to the above replies, by doing slicing then candles instead of candles and slicing you just ruined your DS’s childhood and he will spend years in therapy to recover.

Gorl · 21/09/2021 21:59

Yanbu, I never used to even think about this but Covid opened my eyes!

We’ve taken to using a tiny snuffer, which is more amusing anyway!

Gorl · 21/09/2021 22:00

@XenoBitch

Blowing out candles on a cake is unhygienic? Maybe look up what a '69' entails.
If you’re participating in 69s with several friends and family members all at once you’ve got bigger problems than hygiene on your hands.
SelkieQualia · 21/09/2021 22:02

My friends have taken to fanning them out, which is more fun, anyway.

Costumeidea · 21/09/2021 22:03

@Gorl

Yanbu, I never used to even think about this but Covid opened my eyes!

We’ve taken to using a tiny snuffer, which is more amusing anyway!

I love the idea of this!
TheShoeLady · 21/09/2021 22:05

Even before covid my DS came up with a hygienic method of blowing them out by flapping his hands. Otherwise a birthday card or something waved in the general direction does the job!

To Think That Blowing Out Candles on a Cake is Unhygienic?
To Think That Blowing Out Candles on a Cake is Unhygienic?