Why are faces smashed into cakes?

Question

In my classes I encourage my students to share traditions from the countries they are from. One little girl shared that for birthday cakes they do not have candles but smash the birthday persons face in the cake. She also said there was a story or reason why but did not know it.

Could anyone explain this for me? My students are very interested in these little traditions and stories shared by their classmates.

Are there any good resources I can go to to find more traditions like this to share with my students? Right now they are hooked on learning these culture tid-bits so I want to keep it going.

It is very common in Bolivia but I have no idea why - ian-hill, Aug 22, 2012

Answer 1

I checked the link that rac1 posted. It seems fine to me to let a baby have a small cake that he/she can smash, dig into with his/her bare hands and get very messy on his/her first birthday. However, if there is such a tradition as cake smashing a brithday cake into the birthday person`s face, no me parace como una buena tradición.

Answer 2

Old American slapstick movies - pies and cakes end up being thrown into faces!

I never knew that to be anything but comedy. - rac1, Aug 22, 2012

Answer 3

Here is a link. It's the only thing I could find regarding it being a tradition.