If you live in the urban areas of Malaysia, you may have come across many shops with signboards that say they sell Full Moon gifts and packages. You might have wondered about those red eggs too. Nowadays, you can order online and they even do delivery, saving you time, effort and money in your endeavour to observe age-old customs in this modern day and age. Tradition is alive and well and the simple fact that the Full Moon celebration for babies is now an industry is proof of that.
The Full Moon celebration for babies harks back to the ancient days when infant mortality was high in China. For a newborn to have survived the first month of their lives meant they were more likely to survive into adulthood. Reaching this crucial milestone in their young lives certainly called for celebration. This day also marked the time when mother would be released from confinement to show the new addition to the family to relatives and friends. The Full Moon celebration is therefore a sort of combi-do of three things: Baby’s coming-of-age, mother stepping out in style after 30 days of confinement and the Big Reveal of mother and baby to everyone around.
Full Moon Coming-of-Age for Baby
However, a lot of new-age mums and dads do get confused between Full Moon and Full Month. When do they celebrate their baby’s coming of age, they ask. Is it 30 days from the date of birth or is it on a special full moon date of the Chinese calendar?
The term “full moon” can be confusing.
That’s because the Chinese character for the occasion is: 满月. It is pronounced “man yue” which literally means: full moon! The moon (月亮) and month (月)as you can see, use the same characters more or less and since we are referring to the Chinese or lunar calendar, it all makes sense.
Baby’s Full Moon celebration is held exactly 30 days from his date of birth, coinciding with the end of mum’s confinement period, and not on a special full moon date on the Chinese calendar.
At the End of 30 Days
- Mum can take a Bath finally: China did not have modern appliances like water heaters or hair dryers back when this belief was coined. China has four seasons, their winters can be very bitter. Following a birth back in the day, both the mother and baby would be deemed to be in a weakened state, susceptible to falling sick. For this reason, both mother and child had to hide in the protective confines of home for one full month. However, at the end of 30 days which marks the end of her confinement, mum can now take her first full bath and have her hair washed. (Despite the high humidity of Malaysia’s weather, this custom is still obediently observed here). There would be pomelo leaves placed in the bath water as pomelo is a fruit that is held in high regard in the Chinese culture. Pomelo signifies abundance, prosperity, having children, good health, family unity, luck, illustrious children and so on. So there is a lot of significance in bathing that first bath in 30 days with pomelo leaves. It signifies the washing off of evil and all things that may be harmful to the happiness of mother and family.
- Baby’s First Shave: Balding the infant on that day or a few days before, carries a lot of significance and a lot old pantang and superstition. Baby is born with fetal hair and it is best to shave it all off to promote “rebirth” hair which will be fuller and thicker. The older folk will tell parents to shave off all the hair from the head and eyebrows too. Many modern parents will follow this advice, but some won’t, preferring to cut only a bit of the locks as a symbol of observing the occassion.
Here is some of what they say. It’s really cute:
- “Old people say when shave off hair, she won’t see hantu when she grows up. I also keep the hair to make baby brush.”
- “My mum says must botak head and eyebrows. Next time will grow new and thicker hair and eyebrows.”
- “Well, you don’t have to cut off every strand of hair ─ just a little trim here and there will do. If you follow the Peranakan tradition, you then wrap the hair in a piece of red cloth, slip it in an ang pow and sew it on to the baby’s pillow. It is good for warding off hantu and baby will be free from nightmares. Or you can simply put the hair in the ang pow in the baby’s pillow case. Its purpose is to prevent hantu from kacau –ing your child and of course, bye-bye nightmares.”
- Baby Hair Calligraphy Brush: Some traditional-minded parents will keep the cut-off hair so that they can make it into a calligraphy brush called “tai mao bi” as a lifelong and meaningful keepsake of their baby. The tradition of making baby hair brushes originates from Northern China. The brush represents the parents’ wishes for their child to become wise, studious and scholarly so that they may one day reach in the highest seats of government and industry, which is why they are often engraved with wishes of wisdom, health and happiness.
Only the first growth of hair is used for these brushes as that is the only time when human hair tapers naturally at the tip. - Baby’s first Bath: After the haircut, the baby is given a bath in water with a stalk of pomelo leaves, some hard-boiled eggs, coins and flowers in it. The hard-boiled eggs signify a new birth and renewal, coins bode well for riches and flowers denote the blossoming of a sweet and beautiful life ahead.
- New Clothes for Mother and Baby: Both mother and baby would then be dressed in new clothes, preferably in red, and be adorned in gold jewelry. Now they are ready to meet the world.
- Naming the Baby: The Chinese believe the name will determine the child’s character and destiny. It therefore has to be auspicious. Usually, the parents will ask the paternal grandfather to formally announce the name of the baby to relatives and friends at the full moon celebration. The name would have earlier been calculated and derived by a specially selected Chinese astrologer.
- Red Egg and Ginger Party
As this is the first time the family is holding a “coming out” party where every one especially relatives and friends can have a chance to meet the new addition, the celebration can be held as an informal meal with the closest family members at home, or an extravagant banquet at a hotel or restaurant for hundreds.
Some people prefer to get those ready-packed gift packs of food to friends and relatives to skip holding an event while some others distribute the gift packs to colleagues in the office as well. Usually guests invited to an elaborate do will come bearing gifts of ang pow, jewellery and gold. The child may also be gifted with jade bangles which will act as wrist guards to protect the child should they fall down when they learn to walk. The bangle will break in place of any bones.
Food for the Full Moon Celebration
Relatives and friends are usually presented with a set of symbolic gifts which may vary according to the country. In Malaysia, Nyonya cuisine is infused as it is a fusion of Chinese and native Malaysian cultures. That is why we include a bowl of chicken curry Nonya style (or a whole chicken) and yellow glutinous rice coloured with turmeric.
However the basics of the food requirements in a Full Moon celebration are:
- Red Eggs: Hard-boiled eggs dyed in red for good luck and given in an even number to signify a baby boy and an odd number to denote a baby girl. If you are making the eggs yourself, boil them in water with salt and vinegar. It makes the shells more porous to absorb the red food dye.
- Pickled Ginger: Pickled ginger because the Cantonese word for “sour” sounds like the word for “grandchild”, and it comes with the hope for more grandchildren to come.
- Meat Dishes: Meat dish (in Malaysia’s case ─ that would be chicken curry or roast chicken)
- Ang Ku Kueh: Traditional cakes or kueh like “ang ku kueh” (the ‘”red turtle cake” to signify longevity. Previously its design indicated the sex of the child ─ the modern version typically uses a pointed shape to represent a baby boy and a flat shape to represent a babygirl.
Remember, this is the first time that relatives and friends are hearing news of the birth, so all of these symbols play their part in conveying the information. (Nowadays of course there’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to tell the world about the baby but symbolism, just like tradition, is still very much loved and adhered to).
For more mother and baby practices, go to Motherhood.com.my