Some people acquire Xbox gift cards or new toys for their birthday. But what some people might consider unusual is that my birthday gift is a big bowl of noodles. Now, my perspective on this tradition was because my mother knew I loved noodles and wanted to make me cheerful. Despite that, I still thought it was strange that my mother made this food every single morning on my birthday. She could have bought me a Five Guys Burger and I would’ve been pleased as well. However, what I didn’t realize was that my mother cooked the noodles for me because they represented something. The noodles were called “长寿面,” in English, “Chang Shou Mian.” This translates to “long life noodles,” and as legend has it when someone eats these noodles, they will live longer, since the noodles represent their lifeline. And because the noodles are long, it means that they will live a long life. Not only does this food grant the consumer longevity, but it also makes them feel joyful and unique, since the noodles are only for special occasions. To summarize, this food is a tremendous symbol of my culture for a variety of reasons, and the tradition has been passed down for many generations. It is very important to my family, and I hope that I will be able to pass down this tradition as well.

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