A new baby in the family
The arrival of a baby is a happy, busy time for a family. Many things
have to be clone for the new little one. In most parts of the world,
there are special ceremonies connected with the birth of a child.
Many Christian families have a ceremony called baptism. A short time
after a baby is born, the parents take it to church. Here, a priest or
minister puts water on the baby’s head and says prayers. The ceremony
shows that the baby is now a member of the Christian faith.
In Japan, many parents belong to the Shinto religion.
Throughout the world, most Christian babies are baptized soon after
birth. This ceremony makes the baby a member of a Christian church.
In Japan, mothers take their babies to Shinto shrines to give thanks
that they are alive.
So a month after a baby is born, the mother takes it to a Shinto shrine.
Here the mother “shows” her baby to the gods and gives thanks that it is
alive.
Some people have ceremonies to protect babies from danger and disease.
In Swaziland, in Africa, the people burn hair and pieces of hide from
wild animals. The baby is held in the smoke. They believe this will
protect the child from wild animals all its life.
And in Brazil, Tchikrin Indian parents tie bands of red cloth around
their baby’s wrists, ankles, and knees, and paint its body red. They
believe that this will help the baby grow strong because, to them, red
is the color of health and strength.
