Fertility Customs

For a pregnant woman, she will have different physical response in daily life, especially in terms of diet, hence the preference, for the sour and sweet generally.  Both her mother and mother-in-law are well ready for the foods, ensuring that she is nice and healthy enough to give birth to a cherubic and chubby baby.

Prenatal Reminder    During the ten or so days before giving birth, the pregnant woman is offered with sweets, fruits, eggs, chicken, and the like, which is so-called “Prenatal Reminder”. It will be offered a second or third time, in the hope that the baby would be born safe and smooth as soon as possible.

Tie Up Baby’s Sleeves    After bathing and dressing the newborn baby, its sleeves are to be tied up. As a result, the baby cannot retract the hands to the chest and scratch randomly. Furthermore, it encourages the child to be square and straightforward in the future, and not to steal the others’ belongings. The mother should take the responsibility to educate her children from the early childhood.

Announce the new birth    It is the responsibility of the baby’s father to announce the new birth. If the father is not available at the moment, his sisters and sister-in-laws and other female relatives will take the job. A crock of sweet wine is carried by the announcer at one end and a fowl coop at the other. A rooster is prepared for the birth of a baby boy, and a hen for the baby girl. In the response to the news, an “eternal chicken” is granted by the baby’s grandmother, joining a hen to the rooster, or a rooster to the hen. This means that the family will possess both a son and a daughter.

Mini Congrats    On the third day of the baby’s birth, a feast is held up in the evening, called “Mini Congrats” by the baby’s grandparents and major relatives. On this occasion, “Major Congrats” is to be settled on the fifteenth day of the new birth.

Major Congrats    The major congrats last for three days. The first day is preliminary congrats, the second a banquet, and the third the departure. Currently the congrats is settled within a day served with two meals. This day is usually fixed in the  the fifteenth day of the first month. It bespeaks the equal share of good luck in both the parents’ and parents-in-law’s families. In that case, the relatives and friends bring forward a load of gifts, such as chickens and ducks, eggs, baby’s clothes, shoes and hats, gold and silver jewelry, and cheerfully congratulate the new birth of the baby.

Name the Baby    The baby is named by the grandfather on the evening of the second day of the “Major Congrats”. After several rounds of drinking, the grandfather is requested to name the baby. With the name given, firecrackers are set off, and the baby is brought forward to the grandfather for an embrace with best blesses. 

Congrats for a Full Month     At the end of the first month of the birth, the baby is congratulated by grandparents with rice cakes, the four treasures of study, toys, and other items placed on a table, attracting the baby’s attention and testing its preference. Rice cakes augurs that the baby will grow to be thoughtful, and the four treasures of study will indicate that the baby will take on the pen to earn a success in the future.

Nurturing Customs

Pray for a Birth of a Baby   A praying ceremony is held by the Miao people in the hope of a birth of a baby. The Goddess of Kwan-yin is worshiped with such sacrificial offerings as a piece of cloth, a few pounds of oil, and some incense and paper money. Or the God of Nuo is sacrificed, butchering pigs and sheep, and playing Nuo Opera for three days. Or even a bridge of Yin and Yang is made up as a sacrificial offering, as well as with cloth, wine, meat, incense, rice cakes, tofu, etc. A wizard is requested to chair the ceremony. A person is hoped to step across the bridge, muttering some auspicious words, and best blessing the couple. Then he will be fully thanked by the host, who offers a toast in the feast on the spot, as well as a red envelope.

Perform the Exorcism     After a baby is born, mostly it needs fortune tellers to perform the exorcism. In that case, a stone tablet is positioned nearby the village, called a “arrow-blocking tablet” or “guidepost” at crossroads.

Entrust Foster-Parents    Foster parents are to be entrusted to bring up the baby if it suffers sustainably. Bodhisattva, the Goddess of Kwan-yin, steep cliff, ancient trees or well, or even a deep pool would be entrusted for nurturing. However, other babies are entrusted another couple as foster-parents.

Reassure the Scared Babies    A frail baby is usually considered frightened out its life and needs reassuring by the wizard. A boiled egg, a rooster, and two cups of tea are prepared to worship the God of the Earth. On the way back home, the rooster is kept patting, thus hooting non-stop. It is headed by one who cries “Our baby is coming back!” It is positively responded by the other as soon as possible. The reassuring lasts for three days. Afterwards, the eggs are fed to the baby, thus ending the scare.

(Translated by Tian Xia)