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Feature
Birthdays, the Japanese Way
A. Gautam
The tradition of birthday celebrations in Japan is unique. Before World War II, only one birthday existed for everyone. On January 1st, all citizens celebrated a birthday together. The people celebrated getting older as a community. This celebration still takes place today.
Traditionally, birthdays were only celebrated for children and on specific days. Birthdays were not celebrated on the birth anniversaries. In fact, girls would celebrate their birthday on March 3rd. Boys would celebrate their birthday on May 5th. The celebrations included rice mixed with red beans.
The Japanese consider the third, fifth, and seventh birthdays as special milestones for children. For young adults, the twentieth birthday is special. That is when a person becomes an adult who can legally vote. The Coming of Age day is on the second Monday of January. All the young adults who’ve turned 20 before the coming April 1st or will be turning 20 on or after April 2nd celebrate that year. They dress in kimonos or suits and go to the city office to be recognized as adults.
There are unique celebrations for older citizens in Japan. A special birthday is the sixtieth. That is when the five cycles of the Chinese zodiac have completed. The Japanese consider a person to be reborn at the sixtieth birthday. The celebration is marked with a cake decorated with white cranes and red turtles. While the cranes represent 1,000 years, the turtles represent 10,000 years. The birthday man or woman gets to wear a sleeveless red jacket. As infants wear a sleeveless jacket, the garment symbolizes another beginning of life.
The seventy-seventh birthday is called the happy age, the eighty-eighth is called the rice age, and the ninety-ninth birthday is called the white age. Because Japan is known for long living citizens, these celebrations exist and are popular.
Today, children’s birthdays are commonly celebrated with a small gathering with friends and family and by including a cake and presents. Adults can choose to celebrate annual birthdays with friends and family as they please.
Question
Read these sentences from the selection.
The people celebrated getting older as a community. This celebration still takes place today. (paragraph 1)
Today, children’s birthdays are commonly celebrated with a small gathering with friends and family and by including a cake and presents. (paragraph 6)
These sentences help the reader understand that —
Responses
A the Japanese people value their tradition and culture of celebrating birthdays for the elderly and the children.the Japanese people value their tradition and culture of celebrating birthdays for the elderly and the children.
B the celebration of getting older as a community is the most important celebration for the Japanese people.the celebration of getting older as a community is the most important celebration for the Japanese people.
C only the children celebrate birthdays with a small gathering and a cake and do not celebrate the traditional way. only the children celebrate birthdays with a small gathering and a cake and do not celebrate the traditional way.
D although the Japanese have adopted other cultures’ ways of birthday celebrations, they honor their tradition as well.
although the Japanese have adopted other cultures’ ways of birthday celebrations, they honor their tradition as well.
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