Riddle: When it's alive we sing, when it is dead we clap our hands. What is it?
Answer: A birthday candle
Riddle Explanation + Meaning
A birthday candle is something we use during birthday celebrations.
When the candle is lit, or "alive" with flame, people around sing the birthday song to celebrate the person's special day.
After the song, the tradition is for the birthday person to make a wish and then blow out the candles, extinguishing the flame, or making the candle "dead."
It is at this moment that everyone claps their hands, celebrating the act of blowing out the candles and the wish made.
This riddle plays with the terms "alive" and "dead" to describe the lit and extinguished states of a candle, tying these states to the actions of singing and clapping, which are common birthday celebration activities.
Why the answer is a birthday candle
The riddle uses "alive" and "dead" in a sneaky way. Those words make you think of a person, a pet, or a plant, and the singing and clapping can make the riddle sound strange or even a little sad. But a flame is often described as if it were alive: it flickers, grows, and goes out. A lit candle is "alive," and a blown out candle is "dead." Once you see that, the singing and clapping point straight to a birthday party.
The riddle is tricky because the answer depends on knowing a custom rather than a fact. In many families, people sing while the candles are lit, then the birthday person makes a wish and blows them out, and everyone cheers. Other answers can fit too, such as "a birthday cake" or "the candles on a cake." Some people say "a campfire," since people sing around those, but nobody usually claps when a campfire goes out.
Where this riddle comes from
This is a riddle of unknown origin. It is a "what is it" riddle that uses personification, describing an object as if it had a life. It is a nice riddle to share at a birthday party, since the answer is right there on the table.
3 more riddles like this one
I am filled with air, I float at parties, and one small poke makes me go pop. What am I?
Hint
Answer
What has to be broken before you can use it?
Hint
Answer
What has lots of rings but no fingers?
Hint
Answer
How to solve riddles like this
- When a riddle says something is "alive" or "dead," think about objects that can be switched on and off, lit and put out, or used up.
- Look at the actions people do in the riddle, like singing or clapping, and ask when people do those things together.
- Think about celebrations and traditions. Many riddles hide their answer in a familiar custom.
- Try saying the riddle at a real party. Seeing the objects around you often makes the answer pop out.