The Zhuazhou ceremony usually takes place before the longevity noodle at lunchtime.

A wealthy family will install a table on the bed (or kang -- a heated brick bed used in Northern China) where stamps, classic Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist books, a Chinese brush pen, ink, paper, an ink stone, abacus, coins, an accounting book, jewelry, flowers, rouge, food, and toys are placed. If the baby is female, the following items are added: a scoop, spoon (representing cooking utensils), scissors, ruler (representing sewing items), thread, and a design book (representing embroidery).

The practice, however, is much more simplified in a common family. Usually a bronze tray instead of a table is placed on the kang and a book from old-style private schools, like the Three-Character Primer, is put on top, alongside a Chinese brush pen, an abacus, and a cake. Scissors, shears, and a ruler are added for a girl.

Rich or poor, the parents then seat the baby in front of the table or the tray. Without help or guidance from anyone, the baby is then free to choose anything in front of them. The selected items he or she chooses are used to foretell the child's future interests, career, and inclination.

Selecting the stamp means the child will be an officer in the future; if the stationery is chosen first, the baby will be industrious and endowed with great literary talents; and the abacus suggests a penchant for statistics and financing. A girl baby who first grabs a sewing item or cooking utensil will be a good housewife. On the other hand, when the child picks a cake or a toy, he or she will know how to enjoy the pleasures in life. All in all, parents and relatives pin high hope on the future of their children, and the custom of Zhuazhou is a way of expressing their good wishes.

The custom of Zhuazhou reflects how the parents, grandparents, and other relatives will encourage the child, and how they will conduct enlightenment education. Therefore, even though some parents may not be superstitious, they will still carry out the custom. This is also why the custom has been passed on through so many generations and is still practiced to this day.

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