A Korean First Birthday Tradition that you're going to want to steal!

***See Video Below***

The Evil Cake Genius loves to travel.  She loves throwing herself into another culture whenever possible.  From Italian food, to Spanish Architecture, Chinese markets to Turkish Baths, she loves to experience how the rest of the world goes about their daily lives.  This girl has been fortunate enough to meet folks from all over this big blue rock on their own turf.  And with all the unrest going on around us right now, she's happy to report, that in her years of travel, the universal language of a smile, a handshake and even a hug never goes unappreciated.

One of The Evil Cake Genius's favorite things to learn from people is how they celebrate life's best moments. What each culture does to celebrate and honor the people they love.  

Funny, how she didn't need to travel at all to discover a First Birthday tradition that she's never heard of in all her travels.  You see, the Evil Cake Genius's Den of Cakey Goodness is next door to a Chiropractor's office.  We've made cakes for his son Emmet in the past, and this year, we got to meet Emmet's new little sister, Yuna.  Yuna turned one last Saturday, so we got to make her first birthday cake.  When we asked for a copy of the party invitation to see if there were any patterns we may want to steal, we got so much more!  Yuna's birthday party included her family's Korean Tradition of a Doljanchi Ceremony.  And you're gonna' want to steal this tradition for any First Birthday Cake you're asked to make.
Here's how it goes: The baby is placed in front of a table with multiple symbolic objects on it. The child's future is foretold by which object she picks up first. Traditional objects are Money(wealth) A Ball(athletic prowess) Rice(health) A Paintbrush(artistic) Thread(long life) and a Book(scholarship).  Yuna chose the paintbrush, so we think she may very well come work for us in roughly 15 years! (Well, there wasn't a rolling pin, so close enough.)

So we're now offering our First Birthday Fortune Mesh Stencil Set on our Evil Cake Genius site.  We used these cute little icons to adorn the side of Yuna's birthday cake, but they are sized perfectly for cupcake toppers or even cookie stencils.  We know that once this tradition makes the rounds on Pinterest, there's going to be a whole new trend in first birthday parties.  And why not?  Speaking as someone who has seen a lot of cultures on their own terms, we have so much to borrow from each other and so much to give.

So next time you're looking for a good idea for a First Birthday Cake, look no further.  And even more, next time you're out and about in your little corner of the world, pick the person in the room, the street, the park, or the bus stop who is the absolute least like you, and share a smile, a handshake, or even a hug.  Then let them know that the Evil Cake Genius says "Hi".