The Chinese Birthdays

  While Westerners tend to make a big deal of birthdays, celebrating each year of a person's life with parties, cake, and gifts, the Chinese traditionally reserve birthday bashes for infants and the elderly. While they acknowledge most passing years, they don't consider most birthdays worthy of festivities. Globalization has made Western-style birthday parties more common in China, but customary Chinese birthday celebrations adhere to special traditions and certain taboos.

西方人往往把生日看得很重要，用聚会、蛋糕和礼物来庆祝一个人生命中的每一年，而中国人传统上为婴儿和老人预留生日狂欢。Xīfāng rén wǎngwǎng bǎ shēngrì kàn dé hěn zhòngyào, yòng jùhuì, dàngāo hé lǐwù lái qìngzhù yīgè rén shēngmìng zhòng de měi yī nián, ér zhōngguó rén chuántǒng shàng wèi yīng'ér hé lǎorén yù liú shēngrì kuánghuān.

 虽然他们承认大多数过去的岁月，但他们认为大多数生日都不值得庆祝。 

Suīrán tāmen chéngrèn dà duōshù guòqù de suìyuè, dàn tāmen rènwéi dà duōshù shēngrì dōu bù zhídé qìngzhù.

全球化使西式生日派对在中国更加普遍，但中国人的生日庆祝活动有特殊的传统和某些禁忌。Quánqiú huà shǐ xīshì shēngrì pàiduì zài zhōngguó gèngjiā pǔbiàn, dàn zhōngguó rén de shēngrì qìngzhù huódòng yǒu tèshū de chuántǒng hé mǒu xiē jìnjì.

Romans 14:5-9 

罗马书 14:5-9 Luómǎ shū 14:5-9

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 一个人认为某一天比另一天更神圣； 另一个人认为每一天都是一样的。 他们每个人都应该完全相信自己的想法。Yīgèrén rènwéi mǒu yītiān bǐ lìng yītiān gèng shénshèng; lìng yīgè rén rènwéi měi yītiān dū shì yīyàng de. Tāmen měi gè rén dōu yīnggāi wánquán xiāngxìn zìjǐ de xiǎngfǎ.

 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 凡认日子为特别日子的，就是向耶和华认日子。 吃肉的人是为主吃的，因为他们感谢上帝； 凡弃绝的，就当归给主，感谢神。Fán rèn rìzi wèi tèbié rìzi de, jiùshì xiàng yēhéhuá rèn rìzi. Chī ròu de rén shì wéi zhǔ chī de, yīnwèi tāmen gǎnxiè shàngdì; fán qì jué de, jiù dāngguī gěi zhǔ, gǎnxiè shén.

7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 因为我们没有人只为自己而活，也没有人只为自己而死。Yīnwèi wǒmen méiyǒu rén zhǐ wèi zìjǐ ér huó, yě méiyǒu rén zhǐ wèi zìjǐ ér sǐ.

8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 我们若活着，是为主而活； 如果我们死了，我们是为主而死。 所以，无论我们是生是死，我们都属于主。Wǒmen ruò huózhe, shì wéi zhǔ ér huó; rúguǒ wǒmen sǐle, wǒmen shì wéi zhǔ ér sǐ. Suǒyǐ, wúlùn wǒmen shì shēng shì sǐ, wǒmen dōu shǔyú zhǔ.

9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 正因如此，基督死而复生，为要作死人和活人的主。Zhèng yīn rúcǐ, jīdū sǐ ér fùshēng, wèi yào zuò sǐrén hé huó rén de zhǔ.

Counting Ages 计算年龄 Jìsuàn niánlíng

In the West, a child turns one on the first anniversary of his or her birth. In Chinese culture, however, newborn babies are already considered to be one year old. A Chinese child's first birthday party takes place when he or she turns two. Parents may surround a child with symbolic items in an attempt to predict the future. A baby who reaches for money could come into great wealth as an adult, while a child who grabs a toy airplane may be destined to travel.

在西方，孩子在他或她出生一周年时就满了。 Zài xīfāng, háizi zài tā huò tā chūshēng yī zhōunián shí jiù mǎnle.

然而，在中国文化中，新生儿已经被认为是一岁了。 Rán'ér, zài zhōngguó wénhuà zhōng, xīnshēng ér yǐjīng bèi rènwéi shì yī suìle.

中国孩子的第一个生日聚会是在他或她两岁时举行的。 Zhōngguó háizi de dì yīgè shēngrì jùhuì shì zài tā huò tā liǎng suì shí jǔxíng de.

父母可能会用象征性的物品包围孩子，试图预测未来。 Fùmǔ kěnéng huì yòng xiàngzhēng xìng de wùpǐn bāowéi háizi, shìtú yùcè wèilái.

一个伸手要钱的婴儿可能会在成年后获得巨大的财富，而一个抓住玩具飞机的孩子可能注定要旅行。Yīgè shēnshǒu yào qián de yīng'ér kěnéng huì zài chéngnián hòu huòdé jùdà de cáifù, ér yīgè zhuā zhù wánjù fēijī de hái zǐ kěnéng zhùdìng yào lǚxíng.

You can politely inquire about an older person’s age by asking for their Chinese zodiac* sign. The 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac* correspond to certain years, so knowing a person’s sign makes it possible to figure out their age. The auspicious numbers of 60 and 80 mean those years warrant full-scale celebration with a gathering of family and friends around a loaded banquet table. Many Chinese people wait until they reach 60 to celebrate their first birthday. 

[ * Note: Chinese zodiac, or shengxiao (/shnng-sshyao/ 'born resembling'), is represented by 12 zodiac animals. In order, they are the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

Chinese zodiac years begin/end at Chinese New Year (in January/February). Each year in the repeating zodiac cycle of 12 years is represented by a zodiac animal, each with its own reputed attributes.

2023 is a year of the Rabbit, starting from January 22nd, 2023, and ending on February 9th, 2024. 2022 is a year of the Tiger, starting from February 1^st, 2022 and ends on January 21^st, 2023.

Chinese people believe that a person's horoscope, personality, and love compatibility are closely associated with his/her Chinese zodiac sign, determined by his/her birth year.

[ * 注：中国的生肖，或生肖（/shnng-sshyao/ '生来相像'），由 12 生肖动物代表。 依次为子鼠、丑牛、寅虎、卯兔、辰龙、巳蛇、午马、未羊、申猴、酉鸡、戌狗、亥猪。* Zhù: Zhōngguó de shēngxiào, huò shēngxiào (/shnng-sshyao/ 'shēnglái xiāngxiàng'), yóu 12 shēngxiào dòngwù dàibiǎo. Yīcì wèi zi shǔ, chǒu niú, yín hǔ, mǎo tù, chén lóng, sì shé, wǔ mǎ, wèi yáng, shēn hóu, yǒu jī, xū gǒu, hài zhū.

 中国的生肖年开始/结束于农历新年（一月/二月）。 在 12 年的重复生肖周期中，每一年都由一种生肖动物代表，每种动物都有自己著名的属性。Zhōngguó de shēngxiào nián kāishǐ/jiéshù yú nónglì xīnnián (yī yuè/èr yuè). Zài 12 nián de chóngfù shēngxiào zhōuqí zhōng, měi yī nián dōu yóu yī zhǒng shēngxiào dòngwù dàibiǎo, měi zhǒng dòngwù dōu yǒu zìjǐ zhùmíng de shǔxìng.

 2023年是兔年，从2023年1月22日开始，到2024年2月9日结束。2023 Nián shì tù nián, cóng 2023 nián 1 yuè 22 rì kāishǐ, dào 2024 nián 2 yuè 9 rì jiéshù.

2022年是虎年，从2022年2月1日开始，到2023年1月21日结束。2022 Nián shì hǔ nián, cóng 2022 nián 2 yuè 1 rì kāishǐ, dào 2023 nián 1 yuè 21 rì jiéshù.

 中国人认为，一个人的八字、性格、爱情运势与他/她的生肖密切相关，由他/她的出生年份决定。Zhōngguó rén rènwéi, yīgè rén de bāzì, xìnggé, àiqíng yùnshì yǔ tā/tā de shēngxiào mìqiè xiāngguān, yóu tā/tā de chūshēng niánfèn juédìng.]

您可以通过询问他们的生肖来礼貌地询问他们的年龄。 Nín kěyǐ tōngguò xúnwèn tāmen de shēngxiào lái lǐmào de xúnwèn tāmen de niánlíng. 

十二生肖对应特定的年份，所以知道一个人的生肖就可以推算出一个人的年龄。 Shí'èr shēngxiào duìyìng tèdìng de niánfèn, suǒyǐ zhīdào yīgè rén de shēngxiào jiù kěyǐ tuīsuàn chū yī gè rén de niánlíng. 

吉祥数字 60 和 80 意味着那些年需要举行盛大的庆祝活动，家人和朋友会围坐在满载的宴会桌旁。 Jíxiáng shùzì 60 hé 80 yìwèizhe nàxiē nián xūyào jǔxíng shèngdà de qìngzhù huódòng, jiārén hé péngyǒu huì wéi zuò zài mǎnzài de yànhuì zhuō páng. 

许多中国人等到 60 岁才庆祝他们的第一个生日。Xǔduō zhōngguó rén děngdào 60 suì cái qìngzhù tāmen de dì yī gè shēngrì.

Ancient Chinese Taboos 

Chinese birthdays must be celebrated before or on the actual birth date. Belatedly celebrating a birthday is considered taboo.

Depending on a person's gender, certain birthdays pass without acknowledgment or require special handling. Women, for example, do not celebrate turning 30 or 33 or 66. The age of 30 is considered a year of uncertainty and danger, so to avoid bad luck, Chinese women simply remain 29 for an extra year. On what would be their 33rd birthday, Chinese women actively counteract bad luck by buying a piece of meat, hiding behind the kitchen door, and chopping the meat 33 times to cast all evil spirits into it before throwing the meat away. At the age of 66, a Chinese woman depends on her daughter or closest female relative to chop a piece of meat for her 66 times to ward off trouble.

Chinese men similarly skip their 40th birthday, dodging the bad luck of this uncertain year by remaining 39 until their 41st birthday.

中国古代禁忌 Zhōngguó gǔdài jìnjì

 华人生日必须在实际出生日期之前或当天庆祝。 Huárén shēngrì bìxū zài shíjì chūshēngrìqí zhīqián huò dàngtiān qìngzhù.

迟来的生日被认为是禁忌。Chí lái de shēngrì bèi rènwéi shì jìnjì.

 根据一个人的性别，某些生日会在没有确认的情况下过去或需要特殊处理。Gēnjù yīgè rén dì xìngbié, mǒu xiē shēngrì huì zài méiyǒu quèrèn de qíngkuàng xià guòqù huò xūyào tèshū chǔlǐ.  

例如，女性不会庆祝 30 岁、33 岁或 66 岁。Lìrú, nǚxìng bù huì qìngzhù 30 suì,33 suì huò 66 suì.

30 岁被认为是不确定和危险的一年，因此为了避免厄运，中国女性干脆多呆 29 岁。30 suì bèi rènwéi shì bù quèdìng hé wéixiǎn de yī nián, yīncǐ wéi le bìmiǎn èyùn, zhōngguó nǚxìng gāncuì duō dāi 29 suì. 

 在她们 33 岁生日那一天，中国妇女为了消除厄运，会买一块肉，躲在厨房门后，将肉切 33 次以驱散所有的邪灵，然后再将肉扔掉。 Zài tāmen 33 suì shēngrì nà yītiān, zhōngguó fùnǚ wèile xiāochú èyùn, huì mǎi yīkuài ròu, duǒ zài chúfáng mén hòu, jiāng ròu qiè 33 cì yǐ qūsàn suǒyǒu de xié líng, ránhòu zài jiāng ròu rēng diào. 

 66岁的中国女人，要靠女儿或最亲近的女性亲戚给自己剁66块肉来避祸。66 suì de zhōngguó nǚrén, yào kào nǚ'ér huò zuì qīnjìn de nǚxìng qīnqī jǐ zìjǐ duò 66 kuài ròu lái bì huò.

 中国男性同样跳过 40 岁生日，在 41 岁生日前一直保持 39 岁，以躲避这一不确定年份的厄运。Zhōngguó nánxìng tóngyàng tiàoguò 40 suì shēngrì, zài 41 suì shēng rì qián yīzhí bǎochí 39 suì, yǐ duǒbì zhè yī bù quèdìng niánfèn de èyùn.

Birthday Celebrations

More and more Western-style birthday cakes are making their way into Chinese birthday celebrations, but the birthday girl or boy traditionally slurps longevity noodles, which symbolize long life. An unbroken longevity noodle should fill an entire bowl and be eaten in one continuous strand. Family members and close friends who cannot attend the party often eat long noodles in honor of the birthday to bring longevity to the person celebrating. A birthday banquet may also include hard-boiled eggs dyed red to symbolize happiness and dumplings for good fortune.

生日庆典 Shēngrì qìngdiǎn

 越来越多的西式生日蛋糕进入中国人的生日庆祝活动，但生日女孩或男孩传统上会吃象征长寿的长寿面。 Yuè lái yuè duō de xīshì shēngrì dàngāo jìnrù zhōngguó rén de shēngrì qìngzhù huódòng, dàn shēngrì nǚhái huò nánhái chuántǒng shàng huì chī xiàngzhēng chángshòu de chángshòu miàn. 

一根完整的长寿面应该装满一碗，连着吃。Yī gēn wánzhěng de chángshòu miàn yīnggāi zhuāng mǎn yī wǎn, liánzhe chī.

 不能参加聚会的家人和密友通常会吃长面条来庆祝生日，以给庆祝的人带来长寿。Bùnéng cānjiā jùhuì de jiārén hé mìyǒu tōngcháng huì chī cháng miàntiáo lái qìngzhù shēngrì, yǐ gěi qìngzhù de rén dài lái chángshòu.  

生日宴会还可以包括象征幸福的红色煮鸡蛋和代表吉祥的饺子。Shēngrì yànhuì hái kěyǐ bāokuò xiàngzhēng xìngfú de hóngsè zhǔ jīdàn hé dàibiǎo jíxiáng de jiǎozi.

Chinese Birthday Customs for the Elderly

Traditionally, Chinese people do not pay a lot of attention to birthdays until they are 60 years old. The 60th birthday is regarded as a very important point of life and there is often a big celebration. After that, a birthday celebration is held every ten years; on the 70th birthday, 80th birthday, 90th birthday, so on , until the person pass away . Generally, the older the person is, the greater the birthday celebration occasion is.

传统上，中国人在 60 岁之前不会太在意生日。 Chuántǒng shàng, zhōngguó rén zài 60 suì zhīqián bù huì tài zàiyì shēngrì.

 60岁生日被认为是人生中一个非常重要的时刻，经常举行盛大的庆祝活动。60 suì shēngrì bèi rènwéi shì rénshēng zhōng yīgè fēicháng zhòngyào de shíkè, jīngcháng jǔxíng shèngdà de qìngzhù huódòng.  

之后，每十年举行一次生日庆典； 70岁生日、80岁生日、90岁生日等等，直至去世。 Zhīhòu, měi shí nián jǔxíng yīcì shēngrì qìngdiǎn; 70 suì shēngrì,80 suì shēngrì, 90 suì shēngrì děng děng, zhízhì qùshì. 

一般来说，年龄越大的人，庆祝生日的场合就越大。Yībān lái shuō, niánlíng yuè dà de rén, qìngzhù shēngrì de chǎnghé jiù yuè dà.

In China, people take the first day of the Chinese New Year in the lunar calendar as the starting point of a new age. No matter in which month a child is born, he is one year old, and one more year is added to his age as soon as he enters the New Year. So what may puzzle a Westerner is that a child is two years old when he is actually two days or two hours old. This is possible when the child is born on the last day or hour of the past year. 在中国，人们以农历大年初一作为新纪元的起点。Zài zhōngguó, rénmen yǐ nónglì dà nián chū yī zuòwéi xīnjìyuán de qǐdiǎn. 孩子不管是哪一个月出生的，都是一岁，一进过年就再加一岁。Háizi bùguǎn shì nǎ yīgè yuè chūshēng de, dōu shì yī suì, yī jìn guònián jiù zài jiā yī suì.  所以可能让西方人疑惑的是，一个孩子实际上才出生两天或两个小时就已经两岁了。Suǒyǐ kěnéng ràng xīfāng rén yíhuò de 

shì, yīgè hái zǐ shíjì shang cái chūshēng liǎng tiān huò liǎng gè xiǎoshí jiù yǐjīng liǎng suìle.  如果孩子是在过去一年的最后一天或最后一个小时出生的,则可以这样做 。  Rúguǒ háizi shì zài guòqù yī nián de zuìhòu yītiān huò zuìhòu yīgè xiǎoshí chūshēng de, zé kěyǐ zhèyàng zuò.

 

Celebrating an Elderly Family Member

It is often the grown-up sons and daughters who celebrate their elderly parents' birthdays. This shows their respect and expresses their thanks for what their parents have done for them. According to the traditional customs, the parents are offered foods with happy symbolic implications. On the birthday morning, the father or mother will eat a bowl of long "long-life noodles." In China, long noodles symbolize a long life. Eggs are also among the best choices of food taken on a special occasion.

To make the occasion grand, other relatives and friends are invited to the celebration. In Chinese culture, 60 years makes a cycle of life and 61 is regarded as the beginning of a new life cycle. When one is 60 years old, he is expected to have a big family filled with children and grandchildren. It is an age to be proud of and celebrated.

庆祝年长的家庭成员

Qìngzhù nián zhǎng de jiātíng chéngyuán

 为年迈的父母过生日的往往是成年子女。Wèi niánmài de fùmǔguò shēngrì de wǎngwǎng shì chéngnián zǐnǚ. 这表达了他们对父母为他们所做的一切的尊重和感谢。 Zhè biǎodále tāmen duì fùmǔ wèi tāmen suǒ zuò de yīqiè de zūnzhòng hé gǎnxiè.

按照传统习俗，给父母提供具有幸福象征意义的食物。 Ànzhào chuántǒng xísú, gěi fùmǔ tí gòng jùyǒu xìngfú xiàngzhēng yìyì de shíwù.

生日早上，爸爸或妈妈要吃一碗长长的“长寿面”。 Shēngrì zǎoshang, bàba huò māmā yào chī yī wǎn zhǎng zhǎng de “chángshòu miàn”.

在中国，长面条象征着长寿。 Zài zhōngguó, zhǎng miàntiáo xiàngzhēngzhe chángshòu. 

鸡蛋也是特殊场合的最佳食物选择之一。Jīdàn yěshì tèshū chǎnghé de zuì jiā shíwù xuǎnzé zhī yī.

 为了使这个场合隆重，邀请其他亲戚和朋友参加庆祝活动。Wèile shǐ zhège chǎnghé lóngzhòng, yāoqǐng qítā qīnqī hé péngyǒu cānjiā qìngzhù huódòng. 

在中国文化中，60年是一个生命周期, 61年被视为新生命周期的开始。 Zài zhōngguó wénhuà zhōng, 60 nián shì yīgè shēngmìng zhōuqí,61 nián bèi shì wéi xīn shēngmìng zhōuqí de kāishǐ.

人到60岁时，预计会有一个大家庭，儿孙满堂。 Rén dào 60 suì shí, yùjì huì yǒu yīgè dà jiātíng, érsūn mǎntáng.

这是一个值得骄傲和庆祝的时代。

Zhè shì yīgè zhídé jiāo'ào hé qìngzhù de shídài.

Traditional Chinese Birthday Foods

 Regardless of the celebration's scale, peaches and noodles--both signs of long life--are required. Interestingly, the peaches are not real, they are actually steamed wheaten food with a sweet filling. They are called peaches because they are made in the shape of peaches.

 When the noodles are cooked, they should not be cut short, as shortened noodles can have a bad implication. Everyone at the celebration eats the two foods to extend their best wishes to the long-life star.

 The typical birthday presents are usually two or four eggs, long noodles, artificial shaped peaches, tonics, wine and money in red paper.

中国传统生日食品

Zhōngguó chuántǒng shēngrì shípǐn

 无论庆祝活动的规模如何，都需要桃子和面条——长寿的标志。Wúlùn qìngzhù huódòng de guīmó rúhé, dōu xūyào táozi huò miàntiáo——chángshòu de biāozhì. 有趣的是，桃子并不是真的，而是甜馅的蒸面食。 Yǒuqù de shì, táozi bìng bùshì zhēn de, ér shì tián xiàn de zhēng miànshí. 

因为做成桃子的形状，所以叫桃子。Yīnwèi zuò chéng táozi de xíngzhuàng, suǒyǐ jiào táozi.

 面条煮熟后不可剪短，剪短的面条有不好的寓意。 Miàntiáo zhǔ shú hòu bùkě jiǎn duǎn, jiǎn duǎn de miàntiáo yǒu bù hǎo de yùyì.

参加庆典的每个人都吃这两种食物，以表达对长寿星的美好祝愿。Cānjiā qìngdiǎn de měi gèrén dōu chī zhè liǎng zhǒng shíwù, yǐ biǎodá duì chángshòu xing dì měihǎo zhùyuàn.

 典型的生日礼物通常是两个或四个鸡蛋、长面条、人造桃子、补品、酒和装在红包里的钱。Diǎnxíng de shēngrì lǐwù tōngcháng shì liǎng gè huò sì gè jīdàn, zhǎng miàntiáo, rénzào táozi, bǔpǐn, jiǔ hézhuāng zài hóngbāo lǐ de qián.

While giving a gift is much appreciated in Asian countries as everywhere, there are some gifts that are absolute no-nos in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. 

In these countries, politeness, in particular, polite language, is an important part of gift-giving. It is always polite to give gifts at festivities, or when you're attending special celebrations such as a wedding or housewarming, visiting the sick, or attending a dinner with people one doesn't know well.

Some gifts have subtle meanings associated with the name or the pronunciation of the name. You wouldn't want to remind a sick person about death or funerals, nor would you want to hint to people you've never met that you never want to see them again. Here are some gifts which have names with subtle linguistic impoliteness. Avoid these Chinese gift-giving blunders.

Gifts with Subtle Meanings

Clocks

Clocks of any type should be avoided because 送鐘 (sòng zhōng, send clock) sounds like 送終 (sòng zhōng), the funeral ritual. Clocks also symbolize the truth that time is running out; therefore, giving a clock is a subtle reminder that relationships and life have an end. 

Handkerchiefs

To give a handkerchief to someone (送巾, sòng jīn) sounds like 斷根 (duàngēn), a farewell greeting. This gift is especially inappropriate for a boyfriend or girlfriend — unless you want to break up.

Umbrellas

Offering your friend an umbrella may seem an innocent gesture; however, its subtle meaning is that you want to end your friendship with him or her. If it is raining and you are worried he or she will get wet, it is better for both of you to huddle under your umbrella until you reach your friend’s destination. Then, take the umbrella back home with you.

Gifts in Sets of Four

Gifts in sets of four are not good because 四 (sì, four) sounds like 死 (sǐ, death).

Shoes, Particularly Straw Sandals

Giving shoes 送鞋子 (sòng xiézi, give shoes) sounds similar to the word for break up. Also giving two shoes sends the message that you want the person to go his or her separate way; thus, ending your friendship.

Green Hats

A green hat is a metaphor in Chinese 帶綠帽 (dài lǜ mào, with green hat) that means that a man’s wife is unfaithful. Why green? A turtle is green and turtles hide their heads in their shells, so calling someone a ‘turtle’ will get you in trouble because it's like calling the person a coward.

Gifts Which Explicitly Refer to Funerals or Break-ups

Towels

Towels are gifts which are usually given out at funerals, so avoid giving this gift in other contexts.

Sharp Objects Like Knives and Scissors

Giving sharp objects that are used to cut things suggests that you want to sever a friendship or relationship.

Cut Flowers Particularly Yellow Chrysanthemums/White Flowers

Yellow chrysanthemums and white flowers of any kind are used at funerals, so giving white flowers is synonymous with death.

Anything in White or Black

These colors are often used during funerals so presents, wrapping paper and envelopes in these colors should be avoided.

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