Birthdays are celebrated all over the world. Some traditions are rather similar from country to country: candles, cakes, and birthday wishes. But there are also different ways to celebrate birthdays. Here are a few.

      Argentina—In Argentina, as in many Latin American countries, one of the most important birthday parties is a girl's fifteenth. When girls turn 15 they have a huge party and dance first with their father, and then the boys at the party.

      China—The birthday child receives presents from the parents. Friends and family members are invited to dinner, and noodles are served to wish the birthday child a long life.

      Denmark—A flag is flown outside a window to show that someone who lives in that house is having a birthday. Presents are placed around the child's bed while he is sleeping so he will see them immediately when he wakes up.

      Holland—The birthday child receives an especially large present. The family also put flowers or balloons on the birthday child's chair to make it beautiful.

      India—Usually Indian childr en wear white to school. However, on their birthday children wear coloured clothes to school and give out chocolates to everyone in the class. Their best friend helps them to do this.

      Japan—The birthday child wears new clothes to mark the special time. Certain birthdays are more important than others and these are celebrated with a visit to the shrine(神殿). These are the third and seventh birthdays for girls and the fifth for boys.

—OK, Mom. But where is the ________?

While living in China, I have learned many new things about vegetables. Although lots of vegetables here are not new to me, the way they are cooked is quite different. 

I always ate potatoes when I was in Australia, but as soon as I tried the potato cooked in the Chinese way, I felt like I was eating a new kind of vegetable which is much more delicious. Another special thing about Chinese vegetables is the kinds. In China, there are different kinds of green tasty vegetables. What's more, some vegetables have good meanings in Chinese culture. Stepping inside a Chinese person's home, you may find paintings of different vegetables. For example, the gourd(葫芦) has many different cultural meanings, including happiness, health and having a large family, just because of its shape and pronunciation. 

You could say that for Chinese people, vegetables stand for much more than just a healthy eating way. They mean delicious food and a good and happy life. 

Chinese people don't just love cooking delicious vegetable dishes. They also love planting vegetables. Chinese people have grown vegetables in their houses for centuries. Now, they have also grown them in the Antarctic(南极地区), and even in space! Here is why.