Kazakh birth ceremony
3 min readKazak, Kirgiz and Tajik hold a birth ceremony on the day of the baby’s birth. Kazak butcher a sheep especially for the puerperal. All the women of the pasture village will come to congratulate and wish the baby a long life with some gifts. The whole pasture village will be immersed in joy. At night, young men and women will gather at or in front of the puerpera’s home, singing, dancing and playing the tambura to celebrate the birth of the new life.
After the baby is born, Kirgiz family will immediately notify the men waiting outside the door. Baby’s grandfather or father will gallop to announce the good news to the neighbors and friends. Women who have received the good news will come to congratulate by bringing gifts like clothes, soap, perfumed soap, meat and dairy products. The puerpera’s family slaughter sheep and stew meat to entertain the guests. During the dinner, the oldest woman whose children are all healthy and who enjoys a harmonious family will spoon upsome milk from one bowl and pour into another to express good wishes like growing healthily, long life and high ability to the baby. During the dinner, all sorts of traditional folk entertainments will be held to express the delight of a new life. According to traditional custom, the baby’s family has to hang a piece of red cloth on the lintels, providing not only for warning outsiders not to randomly enter for that there is a puerperal, but also for warding off evil spirits at the same time. If the child is a boy,a set of bow and arrow or dragon image will be hung on the door. However, if a girl is born,a red cloth with a bird image will be hung on the door. In ancient times, when a boy was born,3 arrows will be shot into the air to wish the child to be a good archer.
Nowadays, in some of the mountain areas, the Kirgiz people also fire 3 shots into the air to announce good news to the whole village.
In the past, once a boy is born in the Tajik family, the father will fire 3 shots into the skylight or yell three times to announce good news and wish the child valiant and ambition. When a girl is born, there will be no firing, but they put a broom upon the girl’s head, hoping that she will grow up with good ability todo housework. As a blessing, friends and neighbors coming to congratulate will scatter some flour on the baby’s body.
The Mongolian will hold the”Baptism”at home without inviting the strangers on the third day of the baby’s birth. The midwife, however, as the most distinguished guest, will be invited to the party and preside over Baptism.
The midwife bathes the baby with black tea or lying pine juice, and then bathes it with sheep bone soup. The elders bless the baby. After the Baptism, people will eat meat, drink wine, sing and bless.
