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Ancestral worship is the underlying principle of Chinese ethics. Therefore, the birth of a child, in particular a son that will carry on the family’s name, is regarded as an extremely fortunate event. As such, there are many customs and rituals to encourage child birth especially among couples who are yet childless, unable to conceive or who have no luck with male infants.

When a daughter who remained childless after the fifteenth day of the previous year of marriage, relatives from her family would send her a series of auspicious items on an auspicious day selected between the fifth and fourteenth day of the month. These items include the following: 

A paper lantern, figuring or painting of the Goddess of Mercy or Kuan Yin, depicted as carrying a child in her hands, frequently with an inscription of ‘Child Bestowing KuanYin’;

Painting of a hundred children – You will only find 99 children in the painting, this originated from Wen Wang, the Duke of Zhou in 1231-1135 BC who had 99 children plus one he adopted. The painting of a hundred children symbolizes many descendants that lasts for generations

Paintings or figurines of unicorns – Ancient texts had mentioned that each time the unicorn was sighted, an illustrious offspring will be born. It was mentioned in ancient texts that Emperor Yao, Emperor Shun and Confucius were born after the unicorn appeared. Some said the mother of Confucius became pregnant when she followed the footsteps left by the unicorn in a temple.

Paintings or figurines of elephants – Elephant brings infant luck to those who are wishing for babies in their lives. Buddha’s mother dreamt about a white elephant and got pregnant after that.

Oyster in an earthen vessel – The oysters have the same sound as ‘younger brother’, while the earthen vessel means ‘to come’;

Rice cakes or Gao – means elder brother, Ge, which implies having more than one son;

Oranges or Ju – means Ji, quickly or with urgency;

Garlic – sounds like grandchildren;

A lantern is presented bearing an inscription ‘Child in A Tub’, a reference to the typical wooden tub used to receive children during child birth in ancient China;

A lantern shaped like an orange called Ju Deng can offered;

Pomegranate – Many seeds, which implies many sons;

Sugarcane – The long and many segments signifies many elder brothers;

Bean Curb – Which means ‘sure to have’ in local parlance

 

 

If these auspicious efforts were successful, on the hundredth day after the birth of a male infant, a tray containing essential everyday items were placed in front of him. These include clothing, toiletries, combs, writing brush etc. Whatever item the child grasp is an indication of his fortune later in life.

Copyright @ www.eChinaExpat.Com

Interested in China and the Chinese Culture? Read more about Chinese Fertility Tips and other articles by Linus Leong at eChina Expat Articles.

 

Linus is an expat living in China. He writes about China and the Chinese Culture for eChina Expat at http://www.eChinaExpat.com/, a platform for Chinese Culture, China Travel, Feng Shui and general China expat tips for expatriates and tourists living in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and other China cities.

Balinese Castes

The Balinese Hindu religion regards a traditional caste system though it has never been as divisive as its Indian ascendent. This is for the most part due to the fact that over 90% of Balinese belong to the lowest ‘Sudra’ caste, and in India would have been considered ‘untouchable’. Given their dominance such mental attitudes in Bali would not be realistic. Notwithstanding these facts, inter-marriage persists to be uncommon and discouraged.

The three upper castes are together recognized as the ‘Triwangsa’ (’three peoples’) constituting Brahmana, Kesayatria and Wesia. Caste is specified by birth but is rarely reflected in a person’s occupation, although only a Brahmana can be suited to be a Pedanda high priest, and only Brahmana may take the task of recreating masks from the ‘Barong’ dance as they harbour the ability to protect themselves from the evil spirits.

Balinese Names

Upon learning a Balinese friends name, you can establish some elements of his or her background. First Of All, the name will often indicate the cast to which they belong. For illustration, if you meet someone named Ida Bagus, you recognize they belong to the highest Brahmana caste or, if they are addressed as Gusti, they will almost surely belong to the Wesia caste. The Balinese also distinguish their children in order of birth. Together with a personal name, unique in the family, a Balinese child will be awarded a more common name. The firstborn is often Wayan or Putu while the second born generally carries the name of Made or Kadek. The third child usually is Nyoman or Komang and the fourth is always Ketut; with the birth of a fifth child, the naming cycle starts again.

Children

The Balinese dote on their children, a devotion that no doubt leads to the calm and relaxed demeanour of the island’s population. At birth the baby’s umbilical cord is buried with oblations to protect them throughout their lives. Until the child reaches three months of age, they are permanently carried as it is regarded as unclean and disrespectful if they should touch the ground before that age. Balinese children are discouraged from crawling, believed to be only the actions of an animal, and learn to walk at a very young age. Upon reaching 105 days, the baby will be ornamented with bracelets and anklets. A further 105 days later, a ceremony is held to signify their entry into adulthood. The passage through puberty is celebrated with a tooth filing ceremony, aimed to flatten any pointed teeth that may represent evil and designed to restrict sinful emotions and actions such as greed, anger, jealousy, stupidity, and adultery.

Everyday, there are many temple ceremonies all over Bali. Some are held at a single village temple while others are island-wide. One common ceremony is the ‘odelan’, held every 210 days to celebrate a temple’s anniversary. Another is held every time there is a full moon. The day of Saraswati heralds a ceremony celebrating knowledge, learning and the arts. Ceremonies on this day are held in relation to schools and primarily involve students. Some important days occur very rarely such as the ‘Eka Dasa Rudra’, held only once every 100 years at Besakih Temple. .

Religion

Bali is a predominantly Hindu Island, surviving in an Islamic nation. Minority populations of Muslims, Christians and Buddhists are also found on the island.

Little is known of the introduction of Hinduism in Bali though it doubtlessly involved the Indian traders who came to these parts for the spice trade over two thousand years ago. Given its physical isolation from the ancestral religion, Balinese Hinduism has since developed into a unique version of the ancient faith. Although the fundamentals remain the same, many of the gods revered on Bali are unknown in India and vice versa. Vast Hindu kingdoms were also found in neighbouring islands but they disappeared soon after the Arabs became interested in the archipelago, bringing with them Islam to Indonesia’s shores. Bali held little interest for the Arab traders so it was largely left alone. Throughout Indonesia, traditional beliefs in mysticism and the spiritual world remain strong, despite the common practice of imported faiths that forbid such strong beliefs.

While the impact this has had on the Islamic faith is often controversial, for the Balinese, the two have merely blend to create the distinctive religion they follow today.

to be continued…..

Bali Travel Guide is a comprehensive guide to the island of Bali, a collaboration by Jenifer Bird and Dave Waldheim. A complete Bali introduction with travel tips and reviews of all major bali resorts and bali hotels. You can collect the parts of this travel guide here from this website or download it as a complete ebook with maps and fotos at the Bali vacations website. A Bali travel site featuring articles, island infos and monthly hotel review updates.

Baby car seats are very important to the safety of your child while he/she is travelling in a vehicle.  All newer car seats meet all the safety regulations that have been established nationally.  The correct installation and the correct seat can be the difference between injury and no injury should you become involved in a crash.  Many fire departments and police departments offer clinics to teach you how to correctly install your seats and to ensure that they are correctly installed.  All types of car seats should be installed in the backseat.  The front seat is deadly if your car has a passenger airbag.  There are several types of car seats available – infant car seats, convertible car seats, forward facing toddler seats, and booster seats.

Infant car seats are seats that are designed for infants usually from 5 pounds up to between 22 and 30 pounds (depending on the model).  These seats should always be rear facing as this is the safest position for your baby.  Many infant car seats have bases that latch into the vehicle which allows the actual seat to act as a carrier and to snap in and out of the base.  This will keep you from having to “install” the seat every time you get into the vehicle.  Your infant should remain in the rear facing position until he/she is one year old and 20 pounds.  Both criteria should be met before placing your child in a forward facing seat.

Convertible car seats are car seats that work in both the rear facing and forward facing positions.   This type of car seat is installed in the vehicle in a rear facing position fully reclined until the baby reaches one year and 20 pounds.  At that time, the car seat can be turned around and installed in a forward facing position.  These car seats have a five point harness (or a T-shield or a tray shield) and can be used for children up to age 4 and 40 pounds (some models allow for a heavier 4 year old and go up to 80 pounds).  Many models offer the ability to remove the 5 point harness and install the seat as a belt positioning booster seat. 

A forward facing toddler seat is a car seat that is designed for children age 1 to age 4 ranging in weight from 20 pounds to 40 pounds or more depending on the model.  This is the next step in car seats after the infant car seat.  Many of these types of seats also convert into a booster seat.

Booster seats are designed to ensure the seatbelts in your vehicle fit your child.  The seats are for children from age 4 and 40 pounds.  There are high back and backless styles available.  Any toddler or convertible car seat is going to convert to a high back.  A backless style sits in the seat under the child and raises the child to the appropriate height for the belt. It is imperative that your child sits in a baby car seat, make sure you are using the right one.

Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his field. You can get more free advice on a baby car seat and baby car seat tray at http://www.bestbabycarseat.com

Copyright (c) 2008 Charles Carter

There are several important things in the life of a woman. Among various things, breastfeeding is considered as the most important thing. Breastfeeding is really a very special experience for women. It is a phase of life which is equally important for both the mother as well as the child. For the women, proper diet at the time of breastfeeding is extremely important. For proper development and well being of the baby it is very important to follow some dos and don’t about the breastfeeding diet.

Most of the people remain in dilemma as to take what sort of diet for breastfeeding. If you want to make some alterations in your diet then you are required to wait for a moment. To begin with, it is very important to first of all consult your health care professional so as to make sure whether the alterations made by you in the diet are going in the right direction or not. In case it is suiting your lifestyle then you can certainly go for it. However if it is not then it is advisable to leave that option and go for any other. It is so because you cannot take chances during this phase of your life.

Among various important things, the first and the most important thing is to focus on the proper intake of vitamins in the diet. If you want all the vitamins in right proportion then you cannot manage it with the help of any kind of nutritional supplement. It can be achieved only and only through a well balanced diet. Along with normal breastfeeding diets try to include some fruits as well as vegetables in it. If possible then try to go for five portions of vegetables and fruits in each day’s meal. For proper amount of vitamin A and C you can include broccoli in your routine breastfeeding diet. If it is a season of winter then having a sun bath can be an outstanding idea. It is a fact that sun is a great source for vitamin D and it can fulfill your requirement in a natural way. In summer season, you can manage this requirement by going for dairy products, oily fish and margarine in your breastfeeding diet.

Some of the minerals like Zinc, Calcium and Selenium are considered very important for a breastfeeding mother. For including zinc in your breastfeeding diet you can go for red meat, sardines, baked potatoes, hard cheese, cashew nuts and fish like prawns and mackerel. The best sources for calcium include almonds, spinach, white bread, dried figs, tofu and calcium enriched Soya milk, and sardines.

This is all you require to include in your breastfeeding diet. But the description of breastfeeding diet is not confined to this only. There are some of the things which we require not to do while going for a breastfeeding diet. If you prefer the intake of alcohol then it is highly advisable not to have it now. The contents of alcohol indirectly reach to the milk which the young one sucks through the breasts. It can be extremely harmful for the physiological functions taking place inside the body of the young one.

Avoid caffeine as much as possible and go for calorie free sugar. Only go for home made food and avoid the processed food to a very extent. It is not advisable to go for foods which contain a large amount of additives in them. Thus one should not go for consuming peanuts as it is in the position to leave allergens in the breast milk thus it needs to be avoided.

If we talk generally then we can say that there is not at all any specific diet in terms of specific breastfeeding diet. The most important thing that one should take care is to focus on the well balanced diet. Still if you have any doubt or you want to know more about the breastfeeding diet, then either you surf the net or you must consult the doctor. There are several sites on the net that can provide you with all the useful information about the breastfeeding diet.

Breastfeeding is no doubt the most special gift for a woman. It is important to take care for all the aspects as then only it can prove useful for the mother as well as the baby.

Find great value on organic baby clothes, organic nursing, and more.

When you really think about, how much waste we produce on a daily basis, it simply is baffling.

We are about to have our second child in the next few weeks and one of the on-going costs with having babies are diapers. Every week, I must throw out at anywhere between forty to fifty diapers in the garbage that end up in the local landfill. That’s just me, can you image how many diapers are being thrown out on a weekly basis by parents in your city.

Growing up, I remember parents using cloth diapers for newborn babies. Yes it was a bit more work, but they were recyclable, environmentally friendly and you always had some on hand. So it was a great surprise when my wife approached me one day to say she is contemplating using cloth diapers for our second child. This was a surprise, but when she outlined the benefits, it was then that I realized this was an excellent choice.

For some reason I never really thought she would want to go this route with the new baby coming.On top of producing less waste, we ran some calculations and figured out the savings to be had over a course of a year. It did not stop there, we started calculating for two years and the price was astonishing.

What about all the extra work?

Turns out these new cloth diapers were more technologically advanced with features like double or triple layers of cloth to prevent leakage. In the old days they used to use large safety pins, where now cloth diapers use velcro for fastening. And the washing part can be outsourced to a weekly diaper service which are popping up all over the place.Yes the disposable diapers are convenient, great for traveling, required by some day cares and take less time to work with, but when calculating the costs and the tax on the environment, cloth diapers should be considered as an option.

These days, cloth diapers are made from various materials and have a variety of features. They’re not the standard white color anymore, you’ll find designers getting in to the action by creating unique prints and patterns making them even more attractive.

It is worth taking a second look at the cloth vs disposable diaper dilemma and consider the re-birth of the cloth baby diapers market. Take it to consideration the environmental and cost factor, you may be surprised at the savings this solution may provide for you, your new baby and your household budget.

Anthony writes for a number of web sites, but is currently interested in baby cloth diapers for his new baby. View some great designs for cloth diapers at
Baby Cloth Diapers

One of your main concerns as a parent raising a baby in the city is your baby’s safety. The city does a wonderful job of offering a wide spectrum of culture and experience that cannot be found anywhere else. However, with that wonderful experience comes a host of possible dangers. This is not meant to scare anyone away from the joys of city living, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Health hazards, transportation and public playgrounds present possible dangers that should be guarded against.

With such a large population, it’s no wonder that health hazards exist. Two big ones that affect your little city dweller are ozone and pollution. To protect your family from ozone, watch the news for ozone warnings. Usually, the danger time is from 1 to 5 p.m. so keep outside playtime in the morning and evening. Also watch for air pollution warnings and avoid outside play during danger times. You must also keep watch on the indoor air pollution. Try to keep the apartment ventilated and clean any window A/C units. Don’t smoke, and if your child has allergies, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter. If you live in a building or home constructed before 1978, keep a lookout for the dangers of lead paint. For all info on lead risks, contact the EPA’s National Lead Information Center (www.epa.gov/lead/nlic.htm) . The last two problems are mold and pests. Mold is best controlled by controlling moisture. If problems do arise, notify your landlord and/or clean it immediately. For more info go to www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/moldguide.html . As for pests, everyone’s familiar with cockroaches, rats and mice. The best prevention for all pests is cleanliness. Clean up any food spills or messes and tightly store all pantry food in sturdy plastic bins.

Large cities have many forms of transportation from mass transit to taxi cabs, and it’s important to keep your baby safe while on the go. One big danger on the subway or bus is the presence of germs. Babies and toddlers love to touch everything, so try to keep them restrained and invest in some hand sanitizer. In case the train or bus makes a sudden stop, make sure your toddler is firmly seated at all times. If no seats are available, hold them as securely as you can, but usually people give up seats if they see you with children. As for taxis, be sure to bring something like a car seat or travel vest to strap in your little one. If you’ve ever ridden in a taxi, you understand how dangerous it can be for an infant or toddler. Also beware of intersections while walking as they are the most common place for tragic accidents.

As for playgrounds, also make an effort to inspect the equipment and surface even if it is owned by the city. Many playgrounds are not very safe for your toddler, so keep them closely supervised.

Grant Carroll proud father and co-owner of http://www.littlepamperedbabies.com with Unique Baby Clothes and Toddler Clothing
Also visit Little Pampered Pets where you can find boutique quality Dog Clothes and Small Dog Sweaters