Never mind the exact date, now's the time to celebrate

Dozens of elderly people celebrated their birthday yesterday, even though most of them did not know what day they were born.

In Chinese tradition, renri, the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, is remembered as the day people were created so it's considered a birthday for everyone.

In celebration, welfare body St James' Settlement threw a birthday bash for a group of elderly people who live alone or are childless. For many of the group, it was their first birthday party, because most of them did not know their actual day or month of birth.

Volunteers from pharmaceutical company Sanofi picked up 60 elderly people and took them to the floating Jumbo Kingdom Restaurant in Aberdeen for lunch yesterday. Other volunteers dressed up as various Lunar New Year mascots and organised games and prizes for the birthday boys and girls.

'It's so amazing to have someone celebrate a birthday with you! I feel so invigorated and younger that I get to celebrate my birthday today - despite getting older at the same time,' said a beaming Wong Lai-seung, who turns 81 this year.

'I never knew my [actual] birthday, so this really is my birthday. And for my birthday, I wish that we could all live carefree and happy.'

The celebration was extra special for those born in the Year of the Dragon. Among the eight dragons in the group was 96-year-old Chau Pui-fong.