A woman celebrates Children's Day with her child. Photo: CFP

Children's Day is no longer an exclusive festival for children with more and more adults celebrating the day themselves - buying lollipops, watching cartoons, dressing up and playing games.

But not all grown-ups forsake their maturity for the day. Some hold firmly to their age and carry on as if this was just any other day.

The Global Times skipped out onto the streets of Shanghai and talked to seven adults from different cultures about Children's Day and what it meant for them.

Shi Dacheng, 25, office worker, Shanghai

I have been working in an advertising company for two years, where all the staff members celebrate Children's Day together. Last year on the day, the entire company was swept along in a really happy atmosphere. We decorated the office with balloons, exchanged candies and lollipops and took pictures together.

I had a great time with my colleagues and shared our pictures on WeChat Moments. Friends from my childhood commented on the pictures, and we talked a lot about the funny things we did when we were kids. They said they would also celebrate the day this year.

I think it's wonderful that adults celebrate Children's Day. For office workers in Shanghai like me, it's a great opportunity to relieve work pressures - we always have a big workload. And I felt great, acting as a child, laughing and playing games together. It's good to be simple and naive even it's just for a day.

I really recommend that adults celebrate Children's Day, as long as no more lovers' sweet selfies are posted on WeChat and Weibo. As a single guy, I've seen enough examples of other people being happy on other special days and festivals. I hope Children's Day is a truly happy moment for everyone.

Anne Cornelissen, 27, student, Germany

Children's Day has always been something special for me since it is also my mum's birthday. When I was younger my parents used to give me presents or take me to the zoo. For me that was always normal.

It's important to know that although both parts of Germany were unified in 1989, the traditions are still different in the former eastern and western parts. The eastern part and its traditions are closer to the Chinese ones.

My husband is from the former western part and there was no celebration of Children's Day when he was younger. After I've moved out of my parents' home at the age of 19 there were no more celebrations or presents on the day.

This year I would like to plan a special day for my husband. We've grown older but we might just go to eat some ice cream and I'm also thinking about giving him a small present like a game or something to let him feel the spirit of Children's Day. Of course we will also celebrate my mum's birthday. Everyone tells her she is lucky to have a birthday on Children's Day.

Li Huiying, 24, student, Shanghai

I always think of myself as a child, no matter how old I am. So for me, if I want, I can spend every day as a Children's Day. Though I never actually deliberately celebrate Children's Day, I do feel the day is significant.

We are constantly under pressure after growing up, and sometimes need a way to ease the pressures - Children's Day gives us a chance. You don't have to create a new way to celebrate. Watching a movie, going to the gym or just idling or wandering, I think are all good ways.

Last year on Children's Day I went to a children's welfare institution as volunteer, reading, cooking and playing games with the children there. I found this really important, when we were kids, we only knew to receive love. Now we have grown into adults, it's time for us to give love to others.

A few days ago I wrote a letter to my parents, and they will receive it on Children's Day. When I was a small child I once wrote to my mother on Children's Day and I still remember how touched she was. It was my parents who held the celebrations for me every Children's Day when I was a kid, so I am morally obliged to give them company on this day in a spiritual way - going back home is difficult now.

Hu Fei, 46, teacher, Nanjing

I used to prepare gifts and take my son to amusement parks on Children's Day, but since he has grown up, we seldom celebrate on the day. And although as an adult, I haven't celebrated Children's Day for myself before, I think this is a brilliant idea.

For one thing, it could make small changes to our lives, allowing us to slow down in this fast-paced world. Especially for us busy mommies, spending the day with our children would be really enjoyable.

And celebrating Children's Day can remind us of our own happy and carefree childhoods and recall that innocence, which many adults of my age have lost. It is a good way to help keep an eternally young mindset and create a little happiness for us adults. We are no longer young in years but deep in our hearts we are always innocent children.

This year on Children's Day, I might go to karaoke with friends and sing the songs that were popular in our childhood.

 

Artemis Yuan, 33, full-time mother, Seattle

Can innocence really be kept by eating a lollipop or watching a cartoon on Children's Day? I don't think so. Children's happiness comes from their naivety and pureness, which enables them to be satisfied so easily, to feel the greatest joy out of the smallest thing.

Adults' celebrating Children's Day, though containing good intentions, is meaningless for me. It's a bit childish and more a commercialism thing, because many businessmen have started to promote products in nostalgic packages, attracting adults to purchase.

Each festival has its own specific meaning. Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas - these festivals exist for us adults to teach our children to be grateful, happy and to show their love to people around them.

I was with my 5-year-old daughter on each of the days in the past, spending time with her preparing gifts for her teachers, friends and mother and father.

I will accompany my daughter, loving her as if every day was her Children's Day. I myself, however, won't celebrate Children's Day. It is not my festival.

Caroline You, 33, investment director, Shanghai

I have a 5-year-old daughter who does ballet. Moments spent with her on Children's Day are also celebrations for myself. I always try to do something special for her on this festival. Last year, I sent her a bottle of wine as a gift, the vintage being her birth year. This year, I'm going to take her to the Shanghai Oriental Art Center to watch Swan Lake show, letting her feel the beauty of ballet.

Actually, my daughter carries my childhood dream of becoming a ballet dancer. I participated in school shows as the host and performer every Children's Day when I was a child, and had dreamt of becoming an elegant ballet dancer.

For me, ballet is the most beautiful form of art. The classical beauty within ballet helps a girl grow into an elegant lady, and the tough physical training teaches fortitude. Seeing my daughter dance is the most valuable gift for me.

Saeed Mohammadaliabed, company manager, 31, Iran

I remember when I was a kid, on Children's Day we usually watched cartoons on TV from the morning till midnight. It was just non-stop! Although some of those were cartoons we had seen several times, we still enjoyed ourselves, staying at home the whole day watching them.

That time when we were kids, TV was not as popular as it is today. And we didn't have as many cartoons as now. So when television tried to show only cartoons for the day, it was amazing and exciting.

But today, even though kids still like cartoons, because everybody can get them easily through the Internet, it's not as exciting as it used to be.

Based on my personal understandings of my own culture, I don't think in Iran adults would like to celebrate Children's Day for themselves, because it doesn't seem interesting any more. Maybe in other cultures adults like to celebrate the day even without kids to remind them of their childhoods, but for me this is not interesting, and I think most Iranian people would agree with me.

I think participating in children's celebrations as a parent is a nice idea. This can make kids happy and closer to their parents and create nice memories for them. But I think adults celebrating the day without kids would be meaningless and boring. You can't find the feelings you had when you were a kid. Things are different now.

This article was written by Gu Qianwen
Newspaper headline: Grown-up or childish?