birth rite

One birth rite, called pirtīžas, was a special sacral meal in which only women took part. Marriage rites were quite extensive and corresponded closely to similar Old Indian ceremonies. Fire and bread had special importance and were taken along to the house of the newly married…

The birth is itself the subject of elaborate ceremonies, the main features of which are an oblation of ghee (clarified butter) cast into the fire; the introduction of a pellet of honey and ghee into the newborn child’s mouth, which according to many authorities is an…

…is afforded by the traditional rites surrounding childbirth as these were commonly observed in Japan until the mid-20th century. Observances began when a woman learned she was pregnant. Partly for stated reasons of promoting health and partly for supernaturalistic reasons, she thenceforth abstained from certain foods and ate others. During…

…30 to 100 days after birth, is to initiate the baby as a new adherent. The Shichi-go-san (Seven-Five-Three) festival on November 15 is the occasion for boys of five years and girls of three and seven years of age to visit the shrine to give thanks for kami’s protection and…

Birth ceremonies were simple family affairs. After the birth, both parents fasted for a few days and observed food taboos. Couvade was practiced; that is, the father stayed in the hut several days, mimicking labour, while relatives and friends provided essential needs.

Birth took place at home, in a special birth structure or, according to early travelers among neighbouring Mi’kmaq, in the woods. One or more knowledgeable women assisted the mother in giving birth and in caring for the delivered child. Swaddled babies were diapered with moss…

…at the actual time of childbirth and, as exemplified by the Christian sacrament of baptism and the fading rite of churching of women, to a ceremony of thanksgiving for mothers soon after childbirth. These rites involve the parents as well as the child and in some societies include the couvade,…

Rites surrounding the birth of a child are often a complex of distinct rituals that prescribe different behaviours on the part of the mother, the father, other relatives, and nonfamilial members of society with respect to the newborn. Observances may begin when pregnancy…

The birth of a child, the consecration of a king, a marriage, or a death are ritualized both positively and negatively. The ritual of birth or death involves the child or corpse in a ritual that, in turn, places the child or the corpse in a…