Blowing out candles on cakes: would you?!

[CautiousOptimist]

Putting this here rather than on COVID board because I think more of a general cross section might see it here. I hope that’s OK.

It’s my son’s birthday party tomorrow. Bowling. We’re taking a cake and I just thought, is blowing out of candles still frowned upon? I know it wasn’t something we did for a while, but there were no parties anyway.

Would you double take if your kid went to a party and the birthday boy blew on the cake? Would you even notice / care?! Am I overthinking?!

All the kids are in a class together anyway if that makes a difference.

Birthday boy blew out the candle of the cake at a party we went to the other week. Class party like yours so they’re sharing bugs all the time. Birthday boy had recently had covid though so unlikely to have had it again.

Yeah it's fine.

I probably wouldn't eat the cake (at least not the top bit), but I wouldn't eat cake that a kid has spat on even before covid!

We made an extra cup cake to put the candles on which was kept separate from the main cake if that helps - candles were blown out but nobody had to worry about germs on the cake they were going to eat plus birthday child gets an extra cup cake to themself!!

I have seen some parents (pre covid) put cling film over the cake and then add the candles - would this help to reassure the guests/ parents?

If you're worried, maybe put candles on a cupcake or one of those mini birthday cakes from supermarkets?

@HumbugWhale

We made an extra cup cake to put the candles on which was kept separate from the main cake if that helps - candles were blown out but nobody had to worry about germs on the cake they were going to eat plus birthday child gets an extra cup cake to themself!!

This is the best idea. Keeps everyone happy.

Really wouldn't worry. Kids will catch it from each other if they're going to so its just "hygeine theatre."

We got extra long candles from M&S.

I decorated a small cake for her to blow the candles out on (enough for 8ish slices) and then out cupcakes into the party bags. Family ate the blown on cake

Would happily eat the cake if candles are blown out just like before all this covid safe rubbish.

Stick the candles in an egg box/ grapefruit/ potato covered in foil.

Really? Candles on an eggbox?🙄 Will these kids ever know normal birthdays.

@TraceyLacey

Stick the candles in an egg box/ grapefruit/ potato covered in foil.

What??

OP just take a smaller cupcake or similar and let your child blow candles out on that.

@HettieHelvetica

I have seen some parents (pre covid) put cling film over the cake and then add the candles - would this help to reassure the guests/ parents?

This is what we did for my DC's birthday. Clingfilm cake, stick candles through clingfilm and then remove the clingfilm (and sanitise hands!) before cutting the cake.

Yuk, no I wouldn’t want my child to have any and I would judge the parent for being a bit dumb in a pandemic. It’s nonsense to say abandon hygiene because they’re all in a class together anyway - if the school is doing it’s job properly, then they’re in a class with open windows and frequent handwashing and not blowing all over each other’s food. We’ve had a covid case in my son’s class three times over the past two years and each time no one else caught it because the school has great hygiene.

Anyway the answer is simple: do a stack of cupcakes with fancy icing, and only the birthday child’s cake has a candle, and he takes his cake off the stand and only blows at his own cake.

Is never to early to teach kids not to spit over each other’s food… I know adults who have never grasped this!!

Cut their slice first and put candles on it? Not a fan of kids spit on cake!

This is so a mumsnet thing! And yes most primary classes at least arent meters apart and are very much in each others space alk the time... have you been in a school? Or had kids over to play...

Ah, so people are quite divided on this. Glad I asked!
Personally it wouldn’t bother me at another kid’s party (because they are classmates), but clearly it might bother other parents and I understand why.
I’m going to take a separate mini cake for the candles, thanks very much for the advice.

Personally I'd just eat the cake and allow my kids to eat the cake. I see so many posts on Facebook about people getting ill all the time and my family rarely does. I assume they're the ones who clingfilm the cake, therefore not allowing their immune system function properly.

Even before Cocid I never ate the cake after the candles were blown out. Over the years I’ve seen spit spray from peoples mouths doing it and I get grossed out easily so never eat the cake.

I think buying a large cupcake /mini cake and putting candles on it is a Brilliant idea

My DTs birthday party is in a few weeks - I’m planning on having cupcakes boxed up for the party bags and a cake they can blow candles out on which isn’t shared out with anyone who’s not family.

I wouldn’t allow my kids to eat a cake that others had blown candles out on, to be on the safe side. Probably sounds a bit bonkers given the kids are nursery with the other kids all day!

Kids are lovely little germ factories anyway.
Anyone being precious about candle-blowing needs a reality check...

(I personally feel a lot more "ick" about the mind-numbing custom of wrapping a piece of birthday cake in a paper towel to take home, inevitably resulting in cake filling getting smeared all over the paper, and tiny bits of paper falling apart and sticking to the cake...)

We've been to a few kids birthday parties recently, and this has not once crossed my mind as an issue.

As the variety of responses show, you can't please everyone, so do whatever you want to

Thise that are grossed out by candles will be attracted to this thread and, as you can see, were likely like this pre covid!! So don't change what you would have done!

Little cupcakes for a partybag can be fun but I know when this was done precovid sometimes people wondered why they didnt get a slice of "the cake" or if the "nice cake" was being taken home. You can't win!

@RobotValkyrie

Kids are lovely little germ factories anyway. Anyone being precious about candle-blowing needs a reality check...

(I personally feel a lot more "ick" about the mind-numbing custom of wrapping a piece of birthday cake in a paper towel to take home, inevitably resulting in cake filling getting smeared all over the paper, and tiny bits of paper falling apart and sticking to the cake...)

I have never understood the “squished cake in a napkin in the party bag” thing either but I expect most of us grew up with this.

I also don’t like individual cupcakes boxed, there is usually a ridiculous amount of packaging on these and I find it wasteful. So you can’t please everyone

Personally I think it’s much better to slice up the cake and serve it then and there at the party. If left overs, take home / share with family and friends after the party / scoff it all yourself. Win!