China Romance
All About China => Chinese Culture And Festivals => Topic started by: Irishman on December 21, 2009, 03:13:01 pm
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I am totally at sea with this.
Sunny wanted to know what time of day i was born as apparently this has some baring on my lunar birthday?? She says our lunar birthdays might be the same although we were born bout two months apart by the western calender|
I get that there is a lunar calender that runs in accordance to the lunar cycles and thus odesnt match up with the western one. But how can we share the same lunar birthday if we are born months apart???!!
Also she tells me her parents only wish her happy birthday on her lunar birthday , the western one apparently is meaningless to them. She said her mother even asked her if she thought I would ring her to wish her happy birthday on her lunar one. I get the impression that I better!
To top it all off Sunny says she has three birthdays. At this stage my head was fit to pop right off and all i could hear was white noise, does not compute.
So anyone care to have a stab at why :-
1) Even though we were born over a month apart we could have the same lunar birth date?, and why is the time of day relevant to that?
2) How can she have three birthdays a year?
3) Do i need to buy three sets of presents a year?
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Hello Irish.
Well i could be very wrong here, i'm sure the bro's will shoot me down if i am.:icon_cheesygrin: So do not hold me to it ok? But regarding the Lunar birthday, i think it may have something similar to do with something we say in the west called your 'rising sign' Which i like your star sign, ie like Aries/Leo etc, but what your rising sign is, depends on the constellation that was 'rising' (like the sun in the morning) at the time of your birth, so although you are born months apart, your rising sign could be the same, giving you the same birthday... Bit confusing right... :-/ but if you find out the time of your birth, on the day of your birth, you should be able to go online and find your 'rising sign' which like i say, i think will then be your lunar birthday.
And regarding the Three birthdays, Well, the Queen has two, so i'm sure sunny must be your Princess, so maybe that's why she has three birthdays....:icon_cheesygrin:
Andy...
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Interesting question. Nina asked me the same question about time of birth. Apparently it was very important to her parents so they could give us our fortune.
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The whole aries/leo astrology is western.
And she must be fairly traditional, most modern Chinese go with the western.
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What date is her real Birthday?? ......''The Date She Was born!!!'' is the one true answer...
David....
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Irish it has to do with the Chinese lunar year.the date and time of your birth.Has to do with talking to the fortune teller.The boss says you have misunderstanding with Sunny.The boss says no three birthdays only two
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Thanks guys, maybe I am misunderstanding it, I'll just ask her whats my lunar birth day and how to find out what it is every year - it changes apparently!!).
There are some things I am prepared to just accept, I think every year I will just say "honey what date is your birthday this year?" and treat that one as the big day. Sometimes you just gotta accept stuff that you just don't understand and go with it.
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Hey Ronan,
1) The lunar calendar is a different beast compared to the gregorian (western) calendar. As you said, it's based on the lunar cycle. But what you may not know is that every couple of years, rather than having leap years, the lunar calendar (both the chinese one and the jewish one) have leap months. So it is very possible to have the same lunar birthday but be born a month apart.
2) Not sure about this one....two I can understand, the only time I can see three is if your birthday is in the leap month.
3) That's a loaded question. :)
As for what time, people who believe in feng shui believe that you can predict a person's future by knowing as much as possible about their birth including time as well as date. Then there is also their element...
Finally, here's a tool to help determine your lunar birthday...
http://www.mandarintools.com/calendar.html
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Irish, When I was in Beijing, I looked for a calendar that had both the lunar as well as the 12 month calendar. Could not find one. Scott said it correct. Just ask (and then remember) is the best way. I asked XiuRu about this, and her response was that it had been years since she had celebrated her birthday so it was no big deal. But then I gave her a Black Hills Gold wrist watch. Her response was that she might like to start celebrating her birthday again. It does not make any difference, all she has to do is smile, and she wins every time. buzz
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I had thought the some (in China) advance there age by the Chinese New Year. Hence the 3rd birthday? Maybe? :huh:
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I had thought the some (in China) advance there age by the Chinese New Year. Hence the 3rd birthday? Maybe? :huh:
Forgot about that one...Ren Ri. "Common Man's birthday". 7th day of the lunar new year.
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The time [ and day ] that you're born also determines which 'date' is good for your marriage celebration ... in accordance with your future wife's.
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Almost every calendar I have seen in China has both the Lunar date and Gregorian date. You will see that their calendar does not line up with ours. Chinese New Years, hence, is a different date on the Gregorian calendar each year. This year it is on Saint Valentine's Day, 14 February. As said above, there are many reasons that when born in different years, one may share the same birth date on one calendar, but but on the other.
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Why don't you make things easier on yourselves, check the date of birth in her passport, That's her birthday thereafter. Forget all this twaddle and confusion with lunar this, and lunar that!!!
This is what we both do, and there is no problems whatsoever knowing when her CORRECT and OFFICIAL birthday is!!!!
David.......
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Why don't you make things easier on yourselves, check the date of birth in her passport, That's her birthday thereafter. Forget all this twaddle and confusion with lunar this, and lunar that!!!
This is what we both do, and there is no problems whatsoever knowing when her CORRECT and OFFICIAL birthday is!!!!
David.......
My wife's birthday was recorded on the Lunar date in her village, so it does not match up to the date she was born on the Gregorian date. So how do I fix this? I celebrate it on September 10th on both calendars!
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Nik,
If you know her Gregorian birthday as it seems she does, then you use that birthday date. When all said and done, this is the actual date of her birth!!! I really don't understand the fascination of all this lunar stuff, it's a load of twaddle and does nothing but confuse the issue, ....so just forget the twaddle and stick with the international recognised system that Everyone knows and understands!!!!
Or, .....stick to the birthday that you stated, but only ONCE!! On the Gregorian calendar.....
David......
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Actually, I may be wrong but chnlove appear to be showing the ladies ages as Westerners would calculate them. Not that I was complaining about the previous system - I found out my girl was a year younger than I expected :icon_cheesygrin:.
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Ok, so I finally figured ity out after she explained it to me on the phone (slowly haha!)
1) On her ID card they put her (first) lunar birth date by mistake - birthday 1
2) Her lunar birth date changes every year - birthday 2
3) Her western birth date - birthday 3
I advised her she is getting presents on just one of them !:icon_twisted:
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Ok, so I finally figured ity out after she explained it to me on the phone (slowly haha!)
1) On her ID card they put her (first) lunar birth date by mistake - birthday 1
2) Her lunar birth date changes every year - birthday 2
3) Her western birth date - birthday 3
I advised her she is getting presents on just one of them !:icon_twisted:
1) You'd be surprised how often this happens. Usually from the smaller cities.
2) lunar birth date changes every year? Do you mean it shifts on the western calendar?
3) That makes sense.
Just wondering. :) How did she take the news?
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Nik,
If you know her Gregorian birthday as it seems she does, then you use that birthday date. When all said and done, this is the actual date of her birth!!! I really don't understand the fascination of all this lunar stuff, it's a load of twaddle and does nothing but confuse the issue, ....so just forget the twaddle and stick with the international recognised system that Everyone knows and understands!!!!
Or, .....stick to the birthday that you stated, but only ONCE!! On the Gregorian calendar.....
David......
I enjoy doing it twice. But according to her, her birthday is the 10th day of the 9th month on the lunar calendar. This is when she has always celebrated it. But my family would never understand why her birthday keeps changing on the Gregorian calendar each year, so they send cards and presents on September 10th Gregorian, and this is what her immigration papers say. Why not celebrate it twice?
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Ronan,
on the first two birthdays give here a card saying Happy Birthday Honey ( to be continued)
and give her the present on the third one
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My thoughts would be never pass up an opportunity to treat her special. If she wants 10 birthdays; find a way to make each one unique. Ronan, this is simply a way to show her how much you love and appreciate her. Nothing more. Don't make it an issue.
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Ronan,
on the first two birthdays give here a card saying Happy Birthday Honey ( to be continued)
and give her the present on the third one
Thats a great idea Ted, I'll do just that, thanks.
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thanks always glad to help ronan
looking forward to your return. sneak in
a day early and we will go get drunk hahahahaha
p.s. ronan,
thanks for the addition on your part to adding to my reputation.
for the longest time i only had a one and that was from Willy when
he couldnt find any viagra here in china and he was going bloody mad
hahahaha
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I agree with Shaun; in fact I would go even further. If you truly love someone you will treat her as if every day is her birthday. Words and thoughts expressed as love give more happiness and pleasure than gifts or presents. And what could be more romantically pleasing than leaving a different flower under her pillow every day, when you are with her, with a note saying "I love you".:heart:
Happy New Year Everyone!
John
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I agree with Shaun; in fact I would go even further. If you truly love someone you will treat her as if every day is her birthday.
John
At least you can celebrate her unbirthday on every other day :icon_cheesygrin: - I know call me mad :fi_lone_ranger: hatter
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Why do you need a Birthday or any other excuse to be able to give or show her love!!!
Getting back to Birthdays, ...What's the problem with sticking to the birth date that's been used for all her official papers like passport etc?? I really can't see the point of having multiple birthdays.
Personally, ....given the choice, i'd rather have a single birthday every other year!! haha!!
David....
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Irishman ,
will Sunny have her birthday when you are here in china next month?
just curious i remember you did buy her something when we were at
Bejing Lu street
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Irishman ,
will Sunny have her birthday when you are here in china next month?
just curious i remember you did buy her something when we were at
Bejing Lu street
I gave to to her when I was in GZ las time Ted.
For the last 7 days I had a little gift for her each day. Small things that only cost a few RMB but she loved it.
Ted, I hope we can meet up again when I'm there in Feb. Sunny has arranged an apartment for us beside South China Normal University MTR stop.
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yes we can meet up again a few times if you two want
i would like my wife to meet you two also
thats about 9 subway stops from our house so maybe 20 minutes?
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Scott ....
The birthdate on her National ID card ''IS'' her actual bithdate... Official ...hahaha!!!
David....
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David,
Not always. The problem is that in many parts of the rural China, I have heard of them making mistakes and putting the lunar date on there... Happens quite often and to get it fixed is quite troublesome.
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mustfocus,
Maybe, but so long as they stick to the ONE birthdate is doesn't really matter which one they choose. These daft 3 birthdates are just another complication, we can do without.... hahaha!!
David....
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My grandmother used to celebrate two birthdays...lunar birthday (when translated to the current date on the gregorian calendar) and her regular one... It was great for when I could co-ordinate my trips (we lived in different countries). Everyone in the family would get together...
3 birthdays on the other hand is a little trying...
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more often than not these relationships with these chinese ladies are
what i call " the great epic adventure" but you have to love them because
when you have the right one:icon_cheesygrin: its better than great
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ronan-- did you bring gifts for the family this trip?