Birthdays & longevity
A Chinese birthday means long noodles, peach buns and a bow to the elders.
How to honor a birthday elder
Serve the noodles
Keep the noodles whole in the pot and the bowl. Add a fried egg and try not to bite through a strand.
Bring the peaches
Peach buns are steamed and tinted pink at the tip. In legend, the Queen Mother of the West grows peaches of long life.
Mark the big year
Turning 60 closes a full cycle of the traditional calendar, so families make it big. Some places celebrate at 59, since nine means lasting.
Fortune like the Eastern Sea, long life like the Southern Mountain.
Choosing a gift
Birthdays & longevity
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Good to know
Why do Chinese people eat long noodles on birthdays?
Long noodles stand for long life, so they are served uncut. Cantonese families often use yi mein. Each strand stays whole as a wish for more years.
What is the most important birthday in Chinese culture?
The 60th is the classic big one, closing a full 60-year calendar cycle. Families also mark 70 and 80. Some elders keep 73 and 84 quiet, the ages Confucius and Mencius are said to have died.
How do you say happy birthday in Chinese?
Say sheng ri kuai le. For an elder, many people add fu ru dong hai, shou bi nan shan, a wish for fortune and long life.
