China's Baby Care Superstitions ...........

[Guest guest]

Dear Ed,

 

As you have said, " Not all superstitions are superstitious " . I still

can't fathom calling the child names to ward off evil spirits (the

practice exists in India too) but I can discern the need to keep the

mother healthy while she is weaning the baby.

 

The child inherits the mother's illness from her milk. Also her diet

affects the child.

 

About keeping her isolated, this may be to ward off passions which

traditional medicine says makes the milk unfit for the child. Again

with the mother having only the child for company the bonding between

the mother and child is also stronger.

 

In India tradition demanded that the lady went to her fathers house

after conception and returned only after the baby was adjusted to

solid food. Besides the above reasons this also ensured that the

mother was not unnecessarily burdened with work and got proper rest.

 

Regards,

Jagannath.

 

, " Ed Siceloff "

<siceloff@e...> wrote:

>

> Nice post. Different traditions.