My lovely nephew was born! My cousin told me this child is the most giant baby of the month, over 4,000 grams.
He is my 外甥 and his mother, my cousin, is my 表姊. Don't know what I'm saying? Click on the link below to learn how to address relatives in Taiwan.
In celebration of newborns, I'd like to bring up three interesting customs that are related to newborn babies.
洗三
洗 is 清洗 for short, which means to wash. 三 is the number three.
In ancient times, babies were not bathed immediately after birth until three days.
After three days, the families will boil a pot of water with a few plants and will use this water to bath the baby. Then pray to the god who protects children, hoping that the children will grow up safely平安長大. Meanwhile, let far-flung relatives and friends know that the baby has been born.
Nowadays, thanks to smartphones, you will know immediately that the baby has been born; when the mother can use her phone, she will send a picture of her beautiful baby covered in blood to let everyone know that they have a new family.
滿月/彌月
滿月 refers to a full month after the birth of a newborn, also known as 彌月.
In addition to worship, there is an important ceremony on this day. It's 剃頭禮 Ceremony of shaving baby's hair.
Parents will shave their baby's hair, hoping to get rid of bad luck and bring good luck in the future. In some families, the hair is even collected to make writing brushes as a souvenir. This type of writing brush is called 胎毛筆 infant's hair writing brush.
Some families will have a 滿月 banquet and invite relatives and friends to celebrate. But most people will choose to send food as a symbol of sharing joy.
When I was little, we always knew the gender of the baby by looking at its 彌月禮.
If it's a box of steamed glutinous rice with a chicken leg and red-dyed boiled eggs, it's a boy; if it's a box of soft, sweet cake, it's a girl.
Why does the baby's gender affect the gift box contents?
Let me explain in two idioms.
弄璋之喜 VS 弄瓦之喜
These two idioms are from the same ode：《詩經》(Classic of Poetry).
《詩經》is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry. It was written between the 11th and 7th centuries BCE.
《詩經．小雅．斯干》
乃生男子，載寢之牀，載衣之裳，載弄之璋。
乃生女子，載寢之地。載衣之裼，載弄之瓦。
This is classical Chinese, meaning if you have a boy, put him to bed, dress him nicely, and give him a jade as a toy.璋 means jade. In ancient times, officials carried a 笏 when they attended meetings. Only the powerful and nobles had their 笏 made of jade. So, it says the boy can have jade as a toy because he could become a powerful and noble person in the future.
If it's a girl, let her sleep on the floor, wrap her body in a small blanket, and let her play with the shuttles on the loom. Only in this way will she be able to endure hardship and be a good tailor when she grows up.
瓦 refer to shuttle on the loom, it made of terracotta 陶瓷/陶瓦
I think this is the earliest record of Chinese culture preferring sons to daughters.
So in the past, some families did not celebrate the birth of girls. because it was not considered a joyful thing.
When I was a little girl, the Taiwanese people started to think that the birth of a child, regardless of gender, is a thing worth celebrating. So the 彌月禮 becomes a box of meal or a sweet cake.
Of course, we are not making that distinction anymore. My外甥's 彌月禮 is a box of cookies, and it's delicious, I like it.
When get the gift, to express our feelings that we are so happy for them, we will prepare some gifts for the baby.
Some people choose to give baby clothes or jewelry. Grandparents will choose 長命鎖, It's a necklace, Put it on the baby hoping that baby can avoid disasters, exorcise evil spirits, and live a long life.
Today, the easy way is to give the baby a red envelope. Yes, give red envelopes not only for the Lunar New Year but also for happy events such as getting married, having a child, or children going to college. We can even do online research to be sure the amount is appropriate.
No need to worry about being rude by giving cash, we will make the cash into the shape we like.
抓周
抓周is A little game for the baby's first birthday. The earliest records are from 魏晉南北朝 (220-589).
Various items are prepared and placed around the baby. These items symbolize different occupations. The first item the baby catches may be the occupation the baby will have in the future.
Up to 36 objects can be prepared, and I'd like to list 12 of them as an illustration.
Object | Occupation |
毛筆 Writing brush | 作家 Writer |
樂器 Musical instrument | 音樂家 Musician |
天秤 Libra | 法律工作者 Legal profession |
印章Seal | 公務員 Civil Servant |
Object | Occupation |
廚具 Kitchenware | 廚師 Chef |
聽診器Stethoscope | 醫療人員 Medical Personnel |
算盤Abacus | 商人 Businessman |
彩妝品 Cosmetics | 彩妝師Makeup Artist 美容師 Beautician |
Object | Occupation |
玩具槍 Toy Guns | 執法人員 Law Enforcement Officers |
滑鼠 Mouse | 科技業 Technology Industry |
運動用品 Sporting Goods | 運動員 : Athletes |
遊戲把手game controller | 電競選手 Esports Player |
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