生日为什么吃长寿面?
Why do Chinese people eat noodles on birthdays?
Name: ________________ Date: ________
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 快 | kuài | fast; quick |
| 意思 | yìsi | meaning; idea |
| 长 | cháng | long; length |
| 这样 | zhèyàng | like this; this way |
| 面 | miàn | noodles; flour |
| 爷爷 | yéye | grandpa; paternal grandfather |
| 奶奶 | nǎinai | grandmother (father's mother); grandma |
| 希望 | xīwàng | to hope; to wish; hope; expectation |
| 身体 | shēntǐ | body |
| 饭馆 | fànguǎn | restaurant; eatery |
| 慢 | màn | slow; to slow down |
| 旁边 | pángbiān | beside; next to; nearby |
English (for the teacher)
The first time I had a birthday in China, I thought my friend would buy me a big cake. But that evening she made me a bowl of noodles, with an egg on top. She said: “Happy birthday! Eat up, these are longevity noodles.”
“Longevity” means living a long time. Noodles are long, so many Chinese people feel that if you eat a bowl of long noodles on your birthday, you will live a long life.
When you eat longevity noodles, one thing matters: the noodles must not be cut. Better not to bite through them either; eat them one mouthful at a time. In some places a bowl holds just one single noodle, very, very long.
These noodles are usually easy to make: a bowl of noodles, a little soup, a few vegetables, and an egg on top. In Beijing, that’s how a lot of people make them.
On an older person’s birthday, longevity noodles matter even more. When children make a bowl for their parents or grandparents, it is a wish for good health and a long life. In China, some restaurants also bring a bowl of longevity noodles to a customer on their birthday.
When did this custom start? Some say it started in the Tang dynasty, but nobody can say for sure.
That night I ate very, very slowly, and didn’t break a single noodle. My friend watched from beside me and laughed: “Very good! Now you’ll live to a hundred!”