Text: Below is a performance from a student describing a Birthday tradition.

Interviewer: Are there any superstitions you know or follow for certain events?

Interviewee: Yeah, so uh, in my family especially, anytime there is, like, a birthday for someone, we eat noodles for their birthday, and, if it’s like my dad’s birthday, we and my family’s whole small family will eat noodles because noodles are, like, long, and that long shape of noodles signifies, like, longevity.

Context:

This excerpt came from a conversation with a 26-year-old grad student who grew up in Walnut, California, and whose parents are both Chinese immigrants. He partakes in this ritual when he or one of his family members celebrates their birthday.

Analysis:

This folk tradition of eating noodles reflects the very common role of food consumption in folk traditions, where a food is consumed for its characteristics. Other examples of this include eating coin-shaped objects for wealth in Lunar New Year, and eating fish for fertility. Here is showcased the sympathetic magical effect of food in folk tradition, as the person eating the food magically takes on the qualities of the food they consume.