To commemorate this occasion, sweets are distributed among those present. Superstitious parents often tie lengths of black string around the infant's wrists. Since a black mark is commonly regsrded as a blemish, the belief is that both the black dot and the black string will outwit the evil eye into thinking that the baby is unattractive and leaving it alone. The tradition of not selecting name until the baby has actually arrived on the scene is explained by the wish not to tempt fate. In most Pakistani families, naming the baby is the prerogative of the grandfather.
Parents have little say in the matter.
All this is changing and many old customs, especially those rooted in superstitions, are dying out. Since a name is seldom agreed upon before the baby's arrival, it is not uncommon that a child is known by a nickname for quite a while. Partly because of the superstition but mostly due to sentiments, the first garment of an expected baby's layette is made from an old shirt of the grandfather. An old garment is not likely to tempt fate. A barber carefully shaves off the child's hair thus ensuring, so the belief goes, a strong, thick growth.