过生日，在中国也叫“庆生”。古代的庆生习俗很多，最重视的是老人和孩子的生日。特别是长寿老人和婴儿的生日，仪式是比较讲究的。

Birthday is also known as birthday celebration in China. In ancient times, customs of birthday celebrations were many. The greatest attention was given to the birthday celebration of the elderly and the very young. As to the birthday celebration of people of senior age, the preparation was most meticulous.

　　这个“寿”字，是高龄的意思。与老人生日有关的事物都喜欢加个“寿”字。人们把六十岁以上的生日称为“做寿”，把过生日的老人称为“寿星”。寿星是古代神话里长寿的神仙，用“寿星”来称呼老人，是祝愿他们活得更长久。

The Chinese character “寿”(shou) means longevity or advanced age. This character is added to anything related with the birthday celebration of an elderly person. On the occasion of their birthday celebration, the elderly people are addressed as “gods of longevity” or “stars of longevity”. In ancient fairy tales, “gods of longevity” were immortals. So to address old people in this way is to bless them with long life.

　　为老人办的生日宴席叫“寿宴”。寿宴上常常会看到寿桃。这些看起来像桃子的食品其实是用面做成的点心。寿酒也是寿宴上必不可少的，“酒”与“久”谐音，祝酒也就有了“祝愿长久”的意思。生日这天还必须吃碗长寿面，意味着接下来的日子平安顺利。

The pride of place on the dinner table is often a “longevity peach” which looks like a peach but is in fact a pastry made of flour. The birthday dinner cannot be dispensed without “longevity wine”. The character “酒” (wine) is homophonous with another character “久” (long). So to toast with wine has acquired the implication of “wishing one a long life”. One needs to eat on his birthday a bowl of “longevity noodles”, because it means that in the following years he will live a peaceful life.

　　另外，现代寿宴上一般会拍一张全家福照片。全家福证明着一个家族的团圆和兴旺。

In addition, on the occasion of a modern birthday dinner, a photograph of the whole family will be taken as an evidence of family reunion and a sign of prosperity.

　　婴儿一周岁的生日，中国人也很重视。周岁仪式上，一个重要的内容是挂长命锁。大人把锁状的装饰物挂在孩子的脖子上，上面刻着“长命百岁”“长命富贵”等，寓意“锁”住生命，保佑孩子健康成长。过去大人还会为孩子做虎头鞋、虎头帽和玩具布老虎，据说可以避邪。抓周，是个带有游戏色彩的仪式，增加了周岁生日的乐趣。

The Chinese do not neglect the celebration of the one-year birthday of a baby. On the occasion of a birthday celebration ceremony, an important thing is to hang on the neck of the baby a “long life lock”, a lock-shaped ornamental necklace, on which is inscribed “long life” or “long life and fortune”. The character “锁”(lock) implies that the baby’s life and health will be well taken care of. In old times, parents also made tiger-head shoes, tiger-hats and toy tigers for their baby, believing that these things would ward off evils. “Zhuazhou” (on a baby’s first birthday, the parents place different objects before it to see which article it tries to grab, indicating its future inclination), a game-like ceremony for heightening the enjoyment of the baby’s first birthday.

　　由于中国传统文化重视生日与成长的关系，因此除了周岁，孩子的出生、满月、百日以及成年都是很重要的日子。

Traditional Chinese culture put great inportance on the relationship between one’s birthday and growth. As a result, besides the first birthday celebration, a baby’s birth, its completion of its first month of life, its one hundred days of life and the day of reaching adulthood are all important occasions.