I recently attended a birthday dinner hosted by my Chinese friends for a mother from America. We went to a Chinese restaurant in a nearby mall, where I learned about the traditions behind Chinese birthday celebrations.
Leading up to and during the birthday dinner for my friend, I learned about Chinese birthday traditions. Before I attended the birthday dinner, I shopped for a birthday gift while I was at the supermarket with my friends. Although the birthday was for an American woman, she has been in China for about 10 years. Therefore, I wanted to find a culturally appropriate birthday gift. My Chinese friend and online research advised me not to buy a watch, candle or mirror. I gifted my friend a coffee mug with a bag of chocolate placed inside of it.
At the birthday dinner, we ordered many family-style dishes, which involves larger servings of many different foods to be passed around the table. The main dish was Peking duck, yet the one who organized the celebration ensured noodles were ordered. After we consumed an abundance of delicious food, we sang happy birthday and enjoyed the Chinese version of cheesecake with fruit.
