Chinese Birthday
The Chinese Birthday - Rich In Tradition And Symbolism
All cultures have their traditions, in China, the Chinese birthday is one of the most noteworthy. When a birthday is celebrated in China, how it is celebrated, and what gifts are given, or foods are eaten is vastly different than the birthday celebrations we are familiar with in the West. Even as China, in many ways a poor rural nation not much more than 60 years ago, has rushed into the 21st century economically and technologically, many aspects of Chinese culture have remained more or less intact, not the least of these being the way the Chinese birthday is celebrated.
Some birthdays, from the standpoint of how old the person is, are quite special. The 6th birthday is one of these and is a major even for each youngster. Looking farther ahead, the 60th birthday is also very important, perhaps the most important of all. This is due to several cultural beliefs combined with the way the Chinese calendar is set up. Longevity is highly valued in Chinese society, and the elderly in particular are honored and admired. Once past 60, a birthday celebration often becomes larger and larger with the passing years.
When we celebrate a birthday in the West, it coincides with the actual day of the year in which we were born. That is also true in China up to a point. At some point in time, the first day of the year in the Chinese calendar, the Chinese New Year, becomes the time when birthdays are celebrated. The Chinese New Year is a major holiday, and even more so when a significant portion of the population celebrates their birthday at that time. The Chinese also count birthdays differently than here in the West. When a child turns 1, it is referred to as the child's 2nd birthday. When one turns 21, it is that persons 22nd birthday. The reasoning behind this is, by referring to one year ahead, the birthday person will be assured of successfully living to see his or her next birthday.
Elements And Animals - Why is the 60th birthday so special? The Chinese calendar takes into account two cycles, the 5-year cycle of the elements, and the 12-year cycle of the animals. A given element and a given animal will only correspond to one another, or line up, once every 60 years. A 60 year old then will be celebrating the year in which the element and animal of that year would be exactly the same as the year in which he or she was born. Once having turned 60, every 10th birthday beyond that is celebrated as being special, similar to the "round" birthdays considered important in some European cultures. The children of the older person are usually the ones to finance the celebration, which often becomes larger and more expensive with the passage of time.
Traditional Gifts And Food - While any thoughtful gift would no doubt be appreciated, gifts symbolizing longevity are the ones most often given, though a gift symbolizing health or happiness would also suffice. A gift of intimate apparel is definitely not appropriate, nor is the gift of a timepiece of any kind, which is considered not just bad luck but very bad luck. The wish for longevity is a powerful one indeed. Even in the eating of noodles, a traditional birthday meal, the noodles are never cut short and are swallowed whole, and long, in the interests of symbolizing longevity.
Honorable Traditions - A closer look at Chinese birthday traditions leaves one with a feeling that birthdays are celebrated not so much in accordance with hidebound traditions, but rather with traditions genuinely honoring the person having the birthday, especially if that person is very young or very old. In other words, very fine traditions.