As a first-time parent, it is immensely thrilling to commemorate your newborn child’s major developmental milestones. The baby’s full moon celebration is one of the most significant milestones that follows birth.
What exactly is a Baby Full Moon Party?
This important celebration dates back to ancient Chinese customs, during which the infant mortality rate was extremely high. Therefore, when an infant reaches one month of age (“Month” in Mandarin is yue, which directly translates to “Moon”), a grand celebration is in order.
According to tradition, the parents will declare the birth of their new child to family and acquaintances only after the infant has successfully survived the first month.
With this profound significance, many Chinese families continue to celebrate the baby’s full moon as an excellent opportunity to announce the birth of their child.
Continue reading if you wish to celebrate your baby’s full moon!
Chinese Baby Full Moon Traditions and Practises
Shaving the infant’s head.
During their full moon celebration, many continue to follow this tradition by shaving or trimming the baby’s first head of hair.
This tradition was handed down with the belief that the mother’s blood taints a newborn’s first head of hair and that only by shaving it at one month old will the infant be able to develop luscious and healthy hair in the future.
Full moon baby swimming.
After shaving the baby’s head, the infant will be bathed in water infused with either pomelo foliage or blossoms. The belief is that this will purify the infant, protect it from harm and evil, and renew the newborn for a good life ahead.
Honouring one’s ancestors.
While the festivity focuses on the official announcement of the newborn’s birth, we do not neglect our ancestors. By honouring ancestors and introducing the infant to them, we would seek their blessings for the child’s long, healthy, and prosperous life.
Now that the rituals have been completed, it is time to plan a baby full moon party or curate a baby full moon gift to share this jubilant occasion with your loved ones.
If you have no idea where to begin, here are some tips and suggestions to help you get started.
Party planning for a Baby Full Moon
Establish a theme and plan accordingly.
You could keep things as straightforward as feasible by inviting family and friends to your home for a meal.
However, if you appreciate party planning, you could set a theme and organise the party accordingly. You can completely abandon the traditional theme or combine both traditional elements with a modern variation that you know your guests will appreciate.
Include traditional foods to commemorate the event.
Several important foods are associated with the Chinese infant full moon celebration:
- Red Hard-Boiled Eggs – to bring your baby good prosperity throughout their existence.
- Ang Ku Kuih (Red Turtle Cakes) – to symbolise the child’s lengthy life.
- Glutinous Rice – to symbolise a happy occasion.
If you prefer a more convenient yet equally meaningful commemoration, you can send infant full moon gift sets to family and friends as the official announcement of your child’s birth.