As children grow up, they have a birthday every year. But in modern China, a birthday held at the age of 18 has special meaning. It's the celebration of coming of age (成年) .
In ancient China, the coming of age ceremony was very important for the young people.According to the book Li Ji (《礼记》) , it was the symbol of their right to get married and their duty to share family responsibilities. Only after the ceremony could the young people be called "adults".
At the coming of age ceremony, after all the guests sat in the right position, the parents would give a short speech. A respected elder that was chosen to hold this ceremony would wash hands and do the guan li or ji li in several steps. Then, the child would kneel on the ground and listen to his or her parents' expectations and words that were used to educate the child. After showing thanks to the guests, he or she could stand next to his or her parents as a real adult.
In modern China, the coming of age ceremony in some universities and senior high schools is getting popular. Besides a traditional ceremony mentioned above, some young people may wear traditional Chinese clothing or modern clothing and take professional photos to record this special event. Some choose to make a charitable donation (慈善捐赠) such as money or time to a charity or an organization. They also think back to their achievement s to make better plans for their future education, career or personal development.
