Monday, December 2, 2013

Baby Traditions in Various Countries


Each country has its own share of traditions, cultural practices, and beliefs. How about on babies or children? What do countries have when it comes to baby/child traditions or beliefs?

In Japan, the 3rd, 5th, and 7th birthdays of children are special. During these special birthdays, Japanese children participate in the upcoming Shichi-go-san Festival (meaning the "Seven-Five-Three" Festival), celebrated annually on November 15. During this festival, children and their families visit a shrine or other place of worship and will give thanks to God for their health and strength, and ask to be blessed with continued well-being in the future and a long life (this is due to the fact that a long time ago children died before their 3rd, 5th or 7th birthdays). For this occasion, girls and boys always dress in their finest clothes, which may be traditional kimonos or also western-style clothing (source: coolest-kid-birthday-parties.com).

In the Philippines, children are carried over back and forth over the casket of deceased relative so that they would not be visited/haunted by the spirit of that relative.

In Russia, it is said that mothers typically do not show their baby to anyone except the father, the midwife and other close relatives for forty days after the baby is born.

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