Because of superstitions associated with birthdays, celebrations are relatively new in China. Only certain birthdays—like turning 60 or 80—have generally been considered worthy of a celebration.  

For example, the 30^th birthday is seen as unlucky for women, so women say they are remaining 29 for an additional year. When turning 33, women will buy a piece of meat and chop it into 33 pieces to cast off any evil spirits lurking in their home. And for men, 40 is considered to be a year of potential bad luck, which is why they choose to remain 39 for an extra year. 

To ensure a person enjoys good fortune in the years ahead, eating certain traditional foods is an important part of one's birthday. Instead of birthday cakes, celebrants in China eat longevity noodles.

According to tradition, the person turning a year older gets a bowl with a single, long strand of noodle. If you slurp the noodle in one continuous strand, you’ll enjoy a long life. However, if you bite off part of the noodle, your life may be cut short. It’s also customary for friends and family to eat long noodles to bring longevity to the person having a birthday.

Other birthday foods include hard boiled eggs dyed red—a symbol of happiness—and dumplings for good fortune.

While in most places in the world a child turns one a year after his or her birth, in China, you automatically turn one when you’re born. For a Chinese child’s first birthday—the equivalent of turning two in the West—parents surround the toddler with symbolic objects that can predict their future. If the child reaches for money, for example, that means he or she might be rich when they’re older. If the child picks a doll, they may have many children.

If you plan on giving a Chinese friend a birthday gift, there are certain things you should avoid, including flowers, sharp objects, candles and mirrors. Never give a clock or watch as a gift, since it represents time and might suggest the person’s time is running out. Also, stay away from giving shoes to your significant other, since the phrase "give shoes" sounds very similar to the words used to break up with someone. 

If you missed celebrating a friend’s birthday before or on the actual date, you’ll have to wait until the following year to acknowledge the event, since it’s bad luck to celebrate belatedly.

While birthday celebrations in China have generally been reserved for children or the elderly, global influences are making the practice much more common.