The Church marks the Blessed Virgin's birthday on September 8th,
nine months after the the Feast of her Immaculate Conception on
December 8th. Just as we remember members of our families by
celebrating their birthdays, we may celebrate hers and honor her
thereby.
For the occasion, we can make her a cake, decorating it with roses and candles. Of course, it would be too many candles to mark each year that has passed since she was born, but there are ways around this. In 1984 the 2,000th anniversary of her birth was celebrated, and accordingly then, Sept. 8th, 2011, will mark her 2,027th birthday. You could decorate a cake with the Roman numerals MMXXVII for 2,027, or write MM or 2,000 and put 27 candles on the cake for the remainder of the years.
One can also make a Rosary
cake. Take a sheet cake, or half of one, and decorate it with white
icing and pink and blue decorations, leaving a space to place a Rosary
made of jelly beans ― a pretty blue would be nice
― to stand for the
beads. The Cross can be formed from pieces cut from a stick of gum or
by cutting up some Bit O'Honey candy. While one can set the Rosary on
the cake in any pleasing shape, you may form the "beads" in the shape
of a dove to symbolize both peace and the Holy Spirit. Small roses can
be placed around the perimeter of the cake for the mysteries (you can
even place thorns on five to stand for the Sorrowful Mysteries).
To serve a greater number of people, especially children, you may
extend idea of the Rosary cake, by making "Hail Mary Cakes." These
are white cupcakes with white icing, having a single blue jelly bean
on top to stand for a Hail Mary prayed on a single Rosary bead.
There is a Jelly Belly jelly bean that is a nice blue called Berry
Blue, but if they ever come back out with one they retired in 1995
called Ice Blue Mint, try that. — John Riedell Plate painted by the late Rosemary Adami
2,000th Anniversary Cake, 1984
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Site Last Updated on 04/01/11