Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-03-04
CHINESE CUSTOMS
Interesting Rites Are Connected with
Birth-vnry According 10 Province

|
Birth-vnry According 10 Province
The difference in customs In "a great
| as the difference in dialect throughout
! China. The following paragraphs are
only general customs concerning q child's
birth in tho Provinces Of Kiangsu and
Chekiang. Even in these two provinces
| there are variations
| When home is expecting TO have Its
! first baby every ono is busy making prep
! arations. According to custom the
wfe's family is to provide q certain
amount of baby clothes, shoes and caps.
! In rich families they usually supply
everything for the child for five or ten
years. Tho wife will be looked down
upon by her husbands people IL her own
! family is not rich enough to offer plenty
of clothes.
: The egg vender always had a good bar
gain at the birth of n baby. Three days
! after the childs birth the family present
/ red boiled eggs to relatives. friends and
, neichbors Sometimes two thousand eggs
or even moro arc given away. Tho eggs
are first cooked in boiling water then
| dipped into red dye mixed with vinegar
! aud water. The presentation OF red eggs
| is token that the family hopes that
| their children will be as numerous as the
| eggs.
Those who are not busy looking after
the eggs are preparing for the babys
bath. Two tubs are made ready. the big
ger one for the body and the smaller one
for the head. They put into the water
OF both tubs dragons eyes and peanuts
| meaning success in everything and long
| life for the baby. While the washing is
| ha "a
into the water for the woman servant
! Usually they are very liberal on this kind
of occasion.
The infant, after being dressed in It's
clothes. is wrapped up into a bundle with
square wrap In winter cotton padded
cloth is used. and in milder weather tie
wraps are simply lined
Seven days later tho Child is to ask
| blessing from the bed father and moth
er." On the table beside the bed are two
lighted red candles on candle sticks.
Some one takes the little infant and per-
forms the ceremony by bowling toward
| the bed
One of the most interesting things is the
| locket. 1t is made Of gold. silver and
jade. On it are the words long life and
4; riches" Fearing that the child will be
hard to rear this locket Is used to lock up
/ get hold of or harm 1t. II the child is
born in family whose children died in
! childhood II is believed that the evil
spirits are avengng some wrong that had
been done. II new baby is granted 10
this home, before the child's birth his
parents go to the neghbors for a few
! coppers from each. With this money
they buy a locket and Immediately after
the child's birth they put it on the child's
wrist or around the neck. This kind OF
a locket is to remain there until the child
is twenty or thirty years old and some
times it is worn for life. 1t is said that
whenever the locket is taken away the
life will end but no one has ever tried.
| for the superstition is too great
Another way of preserving the child's
life is by the use of dress made of small
pieces Of different colored cloth given by
the neighbors. The child is safe from
harm because this dress keeps away evil
spirits.
/ II boy is born in a home they will
treat him as a girl. They bore hole in
his left ear for earring. II it is a girl they
will dress her up as boy. Sometimes
girls wear boys clothes until they are
| twelve or fourteen years old. This dis.
guise in costumes makes il easier for the
child to develop.
When the child is a month old the
| family will give a feast known as the
shaving feast" The child is shaved on
this day. The hair is all shaved off ex-
| cept the part in front in the shape Of a
| peach. The barber while shaving must
say something good about the child's
future il he wants a handsome payment.
Months pass and soon the child is
, able to play with toys. The family will
make test of the chld's future They put
different things. as swords. money, pen,
book. medicine, needle. thimble, boat and
bow on table They let the child take
whatever it chooses. OF course this is
| only playing. If the child takes pen or
a book the parents will be very happy
II it will take any bad thing they will
say that this test cannot decide the
future.
| Sickness always occurs to baby IF
the child is very sick the mother will go
to temple and make promises that IL
! the gods allow her child to live she will
consecrate his life to their service as a
monk. Sometimes the children die but
most of them live and later become
monks unwillngly
! Soon comes the child's birthday:
| "Mien" or noodles is the chief thing
served on this day Servants are sent
out, taking basketsful of "Mien" to
friends and relatives. Some families give
fcasts on this day. The house is very
noisy with music or story telling.
After this birthday party. no special
thing happens until the child is ten years
old. This tenth birthday is always a
great ce!ebration.-Miss l.. O. Fong, in
China Bureau of Public Information.