Asian & Pacific Islander Older Adults Task Force MENTORS Project
Cultural Do's and Don'ts: Chinese Elderly
• Be aware of the differences between Chinese from Taiwan, Chinese from the People's Republic of China (the “mainland”), and Hong Kong. A senior may speak a dialect other than the Mandarin or Cantonese, but is likely to be able to read Chinese characters. The Taiwanese continue to use Traditional Chinese characters (as opposed to Simplified).
• Address the elderly as Mr. or Mrs.; out of respect, do not call them by their first names.
• Be honest and open about what you don't know or aren't familiar with when speaking with the elderly. Pretending knowledge offends the elderly.
• Paying attention and listening carefully to the elderly are considered respectful and polite. It is very rude to interrupt the elder when he or she is speaking.
• Wait for the elder to sit or eat first or wait for their permission.
• Elderly are seen as family and social treasures. They are considered to be wise, and it is correct to consult them before making decisions affecting the family and the community.
• The elderly believe in specific ceremonies at specific times. Taboos also exist. The most specific taboo is to never speak of anything related to ghosts during the lunar month of July, which is called "Ghost Month."
• It is very bad luck to give a clock as a gift to a Chinese person. "Giving a clock" is pronounced "song-chung" in Mandarin Chinese. The same pronunciation also means "farewell to the person who has passed away." Any kind of umbrella given as a wedding gift is also a mistake, since umbrella is pronounced as "xian," which means "reparation."
• Chinese elderly subscribe to the traditional belief that the number 8 is the best number because it signifies prosperity. 4 is the least desired number since it is related to death. Be careful when referring to this number.
• Using a Chinese interpreter is almost always acceptable.
• The elderly enjoy talking about family relations, no matter how tenuous that relationship may be. In most situations dealing with foreign-born monolingual Chinese, it is permissible to ask where the elder was born because he/she will usually feel honored to talk about their homeland.
• The appropriate and most acceptable physical contact with the elderly is shaking hands. Too much bodily contact, such as hugging or kissing, will usually make the elderly uncomfortable.
Asian & Pacific Islander Older Adults Task Force MENTORS Project
• Most elderly consider filial piety as the most important personality trait a person can have. It is the number one criterion of a good son or daughter.
Traditional Holidays from China
Based loosely on the lunar calendar, all these dates are approximate. Not all Chinese will observe all holidays listed below.
February • Chun Jei (Spring Festival) - New Year's Day. Observed by cleaning one's house to welcome the new year, paying debts, the preparation of feasts, and family reunion.
April 5 or 6 • Ching Ming - Tomb Sweeping Day. One of the 24 solar periods in a year when people visit and clean their ancestral tombs as a sign of respect.
5th day of 5th • Tuan Wu - Dragon Boat Festival. This holiday features boat month racing contests and eating rice tamales.
June 22 • Hsia Chi - Summer Solstice. Signals the beginning of summer.
15th day of 7th • Chung Yuan Jei - Ghost Festival. Time to worship the month family’s ancestors and spirits.
15th day of 8th • Chung Chiu - Mid-Autumn Festival, also called the Moon month Festival. Celebrates the beauty of the moon. Moon cakes are served.
9th day of 9th • Chung Jui - Double Nine Festival. The custom is to climb the month highest nearby place to celebrate.
October 1 • Kuo Ching - National holiday of the People's Republic of China.
October 10 • Kuo Ching - National holiday of the Republic of China.
December 21 or 22 • Tung Chi - Winter Solstice. Signifies the coming of winter.