Chinese people and the birthdays

[moon88]

Dear cecil,
I read some where that when the baby is born it is considered of 1 year of age. Is it true. And that the chinese people consider it inauspicious to celebrate the birthdays. Is there any truth in this. Thanks.

[Cecil Lee]

Dear Anon,

Quote

On 4/4/00 1:36:00 AM, Anonymous wrote:
Dear cecil,
I read some where that when
the baby is born it is
considered of 1 year of age.
Is it true.
Yes, this is very true! For the Chinese, the first 9 months in the mother's "belly", is counted.

Thus, when one is born, he/she is already 1 year old!
In olden days, even now, we still consider ourselves + 1 to our birthday. But due to government reports and Identity cards etc... we have to show our true age (western age).

Quote

And that the
chinese people consider it
inauspicious to celebrate the
birthdays. Is there any truth
in this. Thanks.

No, this is not true. We are proud to celebrate birthdays. Especially of the elderly.
For the elderly, special dishes especially in the restaurant include:
1. "Long noodles". Noodles that are long (uncut) as long as possible to signify longevity.
2. Peach shaped loaves of bread. It is common to find this bread served for an elder's birthday.
Warmest Regards,
Cecil