About Chinese Birthday

Birthday is the name given to the date of the anniversary of the day of a person's birth. People in many cultures celebrate this anniversary. In some languages, the word for birthday literally translates as "anniversary". Birthdays are traditionally marked by celebrations including a birthday party or, in some particular cases, a rite of transition.

A Typical Chinese Birthday Bash
In almost every country in the world, birthdays are regarded as great occasions. Some birthday traditions are quite similar in many parts of the world, such as blowing out candles to make a wish and friendly pinches or taps for good luck in the coming year, while other traditions are catered to suit different cultures.

Traditionally, Chinese people don't attach much attention to their birthdays until they reach a certain age. However, they do celebrate birthdays for newborns and elderly people by inviting relatives and close friends to banquets that feature various activities.

Nowadays, young people in China also celebrate their birthdays every year, although the celebrations for newborns and the elderly are still more elaborate.

Newborns

The family is very important to Chinese for preserving the bloodline, which, in turn, supports the whole nation. This is why begetting children in China is a focus for all members of the family. Essentially, it is everyone's moral duty. There is a Chinese saying that goes: "Of all who lack filial piety, the worst is he who has no children.

The act that Chinese people pay great attention to children is supported by many customary practices. Many traditional customs surrounding reproduction are based on the idea of protecting children. When a woman becomes pregnant, people say she "has happiness," and her family members will be overjoyed. Throughout the entire pregnancy, both the mother-to-be and the fetus are well provided for to ensure ultimate physical and mental health for the new generation. To keep the fetus safe and healthy, the future mom is offered nutritious foods and traditional Chinese medicine which is believed to be beneficial to the unborn child.

The elderly

Traditionally, Chinese people do not pay much attention to birthdays until they reach 60 years of age. The 60th birthday is regarded as an important milestone in life and therefore is often a big celebration. After the 60th birthday, a celebration is held every 10 years. Generally, the older the person is, the more elaborate the celebration.

To make the occasion grander, other relatives and friends are also invited. In Chinese culture, 60 years completes a life cycle and 61 is regarded as the beginning of a new life cycle. When one reaches 60, he or she is expected to have a big family filled with children and grandchildren. It is an age to be proud of.

It is often the adult sons and daughters who celebrate their elderly parents' birthdays to show their respect and express thanks. According to traditional custom, parents are offered foods with auspicious connotations. On the morning of his or her birthday, the father or mother eats a bowl of "long-life noodles." In China, long noodles symbolize longevity. Eggs are also among the best choices of foods eaten on this special occasion.

Regardless of the scale of the celebration, "peaches" (which are not really peaches but steamed wheat shaped like a peach with sweet stuffing) and noodles, which are both signs of long life, are staples. When the noodles are cooked, they should not be cut since short noodles may bring bad luck. Everyone at the feast eats these two types of foods to extend their warm wishes to the star of the show.

Typical birthday presents involve two or four of each of the following: eggs, long noodles, artificial peaches, tonics, wine, and money wrapped in red paper.

Chinese Birthday

The Chinese count the age starting from the birth, every Chinese lunar year which you will traverse count for one year more however your month of birth.

A baby born on December 24, 2009, for example, will be 2 years old on January 1, 2010, because it will have traversed 2 years 2009 and 2010, whereas its Gregorian age is one week.

In the final analysis, you will always have a year even 2 years more in Chinese age in Chinese lunar calendar than your Gregorian age in solar calendar.

Year in the Chinese Lunar Calendar

A Chinese Year (Suì, 岁) is composed of 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, and sub-divised in 24 Chinese Feasts, equivalent to the 24 Chinese Solar Terms of a Chinese Year. The major solar terms Zhōngqì (中气) are given in boldface, while the minor solar terms Jiéqì (节气) are given in lightface.

As these solar terms are only events of the Sun, no lunar event related feasts, such as Chinese New Year which is the day of the first new Moon (day 1 of month 1 of a Chinese lunar year), Dragon Feast (day 5 of month 5 of a Chinese lunar year), are in the list.

Since the creation of the People's Republic of China on October 1st 1949 by the President MAO Zedong (Mao Tsetong), China has officially adopted the Gregorian calendar, or the solar calendar for the administration purpose. Nevertheless, the Chinese People keep their traditional feasts fixed on the dates of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. These feasts are very vivid today such as the Spring Festivities, symbol of the arrival of the Chinese New Year.

The Spring Festival takes place always on the first day of the first month on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. But the date on the solar calendar varies with the year. Il is always on January or February of the current year on the solar calendar, but its date can be obtained only by a very complex calculation of the dual movement of the Earth and of the Moon.

In the Ancient Chinese History of 24 dynasties, the time has neither beginning, nor ending. Each dynasty hopes an infinite reign on time and each emperor starts counting by his first year of reign as year 1. For example, the Emperor KangXi of the Qing Dynasty counts his reign by KangXi year 1, KangXi year 2, KangXi year 3, ...

Nowadays, the Chinese have officially the Gregorian year. This is to say, the year 2009 for this year. But as the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) is considered as the Creator of the Chinese Nation, the population count also as Huangdi 4707 for this year.

Birthday card - done

For my message side, i decided to keep the theme and remain the style of the cover.



I reduce the opacity of the rectangle pattern behind.
I choose one of the given greeting example and type it.
I copy 2 peach to make it nicer.

The final work..


I think that most of our young generation will like to send others graphic cards.
So, i decided to draw 'shou' with a peace pose because i want him to look younger.
Before its done, i use pink colour as the background.
I dont like it because its give the feeling of chinese new year.
Thats why i choose purple with can match with pink peach bun and his blue shirt.

Normally, chinese don't send birthday card wen someone is birthday in our culture.
But, people now like to send cards was become a trend especially e-card.
I decided to design a card with chinese culture to attract people eyes.
Chinese can send birthday card which reamain our culture bring good meaning.



Thank you

Birthday card 2

First, i try to sketch and simplify him as a cartoon.


i trace it in adobe illustrator with pen tool and fill colour with gradient tool.


I use pen to draw his wrinkle, mustache, and mouth to complete his face.


Then, i use pen tool and gradient too again to draw his shirt.


I add yellow colour on the edge of the shirt to give contrast.


I fill up the yellow part with red pattern which is draw by pen tool.


Now, i use pen tool or ellipse draw small pieces on his face and fill with deeper gradient.
After that, i blur the pieces by apply Gaussian Blur.
This will make his face looks nicer and looks like shadow on his face.


I group the object.


I use rectangle and gradient too to draw a purple background.
I fill it with small round rectangle to make it nicer.


As i learn in tutorial, i add a white blending to the background.


I paste the object to the background and drop shadow.
I use pen tool and gradient to to draw peach.


I copy and paste the peach and place it in the picture.
I use 'reflect' to the peach to make it interesting.
I use pen tool to draw small white and red pieces on the peach.
I apply Gaussian Blur again to make it real.
I drop shadow to the peach.


I type 'Happy Birthday' and drop shadow.


It is done.




Thank you~

Birthday card 1

This time im gonna design a birthday card with my culture style.
The template i choose is:



There is a god represent long life. He is together with another two god and three of them call 'fu lu shou' （福禄寿）in Chinese. The god i choose is 'shou' (寿) who represent long life. During chinese's birthday, people usually take 'shou' to bring out good meaning.

Here is some photo of 'shou':





He is always holding a peach.In the chinese history, people knew that peach is good for health. They believe that peach can help them maintain healthy life and for this reason there can have long life after eating the peach.

The peach are red and white colour.


Nowdays, people make buns shape like peach.
During the celebration, people eat the peach bun because its simbolized long life.
These are the peach buns:




So, i wont like to design my birthday card base on chinese culture. I would like to replace the robot cake in the template into 'shou'.

Calendar 2

I was following the layout of the template,
So i don't do sketching on paper.

First, i change the bird inside into dove.
The reason i choose dove is because dove show the meaning of peaceful.
i want to show that Malaysia is a peaceful place.


Second, i draw 3 ppl riding on the bird because Malaysia have 3 main races.


I use the gradient too to colour the dove and 3 people inside.
The dove is white and mix with grey.
the 3 people are green, red and blue show Malay, Chinese and indian in Malaysia.


After that, i use rectangle and gradient tool to draw the background.
I use Dark blue colour because i want to draw night scenes.


After that, i change the building in to KL Towel and mosque which show city of Malaysia.


Then, i use rectangle and gradient tool again to draw another rectangle at the bottom.
I use a bit of purple to make it different with the ractangle above to avoid bored.


I add a bridge and eye to make it more complete.


I add some fireworks inside to show the celebration of independence day.
I use yellow colour to show the contrast of the image.


Finally, i add words and slogan to the calendar.
I use slogan 'Sound of bliss' because i want to show malaysia is full of happiness and peceful.


Done


Thank you