AskHistorians

My assumption is that it's probably been a thing since roads, so possibly since at the least Ancient China, but I don't know, so I was curious if any experts know.

I know it was Jesus' first birthday party, perhaps with the slightly older Judas Iscariot lurking in the background stuffing his pockets with party size Snickers bars while everyone else sang יום הולדת שמח, but apart from that.

If so how did this get started?

For bonus points is there a big difference between how they did it then vs now? How so?

Would you be interested in something like that?

We are looking for knowledgable people and get off on providing knowledge to others. And who can ask hard questions where it makes people think.

I mean it must have take a long while to light a goat or something similar on fire as a sacrifice. Do then the believers just go home come back the next day and keep lighting it till its down to ash? Or when it was burnt to a crisp did they use the meat to feed the villiage city or town?