What are the rituals for a baby’s full-month celebration? A baby's full month is a significant event for the family, marked by various customs and traditions, the most important being the "full-month banquet." Other practices include shaving the baby's hair, bathing, and naming. This article provides an overview of these customs related to a baby's full-month celebration. Let's explore them together.
Introduction to Baby's Full-Month Customs
1. Full-Month Banquet
When a baby turns one month old, family and friends hold a full-month banquet to celebrate the newborn's arrival. This banquet is usually held at home, where the parents prepare unique dishes such as peach-shaped pastries, eggs, and cakes. The banquet is a celebration of the newborn's arrival and a time for family reunion and bonding with friends and relatives.
2. Bathing Ritual
A bathing ritual is often performed on the baby's full-month day. This ritual symbolises the cleansing and purification of the newborn. Parents bathe the baby and dress them in new clothes, symbolising a fresh start in life.
3. Eating Red Eggs
Red-dyed eggs are given as gifts to the guests attending the banquet. Traditionally, guests are given four “red eggs” to take home and eat. Nowadays, considering various factors, red-dyed eggs can be replaced with raw red-dyed eggs.
4. Shaving the Baby's Hair
When the baby is one month old, their hair, which has grown a bit, is typically shaved off. This is considered a good omen, symbolising the newborn’s health and longevity.
5. Giving Gifts
On the full-month day, relatives and friends often give the newborn gifts, such as peach-shaped pastries, red envelopes, and toys. These gifts symbolise their blessings and love for the child.
What Are the Rituals for a Baby’s Full-Month Celebration
1. Meeting People
At one-month-old, the baby is ready to meet people.
2. Visiting the Maternal Family ("出窝")
Typically, the mother stays at her in-laws' house for a month after childbirth ("坐月子"). After the baby turns one month old, the mother takes the child to her own parents' home, an event known as "出窝" (literally "leaving the nest"). The maternal grandmother will welcome the baby warmly and prepare gifts such as colourful threads draped over the baby's shoulders or silver ornaments (like pendants) hung around the baby’s neck, symbolising blessings for a long and prosperous life.
3. Giving "Oil Rice" 油饭
After the baby turns one month old, the parents may send oil rice, chicken legs, red eggs, or cakes to friends and relatives to announce the happy news and invite them to celebrate the baby's safe transition to a new milestone. Relatives and friends, in turn, often give the baby gifts such as clothes, accessories, or red envelopes in return.
Methods for Naming the Baby at the Full Month
In ancient times, naming was a very meticulous process. It often involved considering the baby’s birth date and time (based on the Eight Characters of Birth Time, or "Bazi"), the family's environment, and social background. If the name did not meet these criteria, it was believed to affect the child's fate negatively.
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