|
tradition (tra`di•cn) n..
The body of customs, thought, practices, etc., belonging to a particular family, and
handed down from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth, over a relatively
long period.
Brazilian Baby Memory Box
When my kids were born, I started other traditions
for the new babies:
Each sibling-to-be would "bring" a gift to
the other one(s) that had been born first, from the hospital. My oldest
daughter got a nice doll (a baby) with many clothes, diapers and a feeding
bottle (I made the clothes myself) from her sister. It was taken to the
hospital with me, so when she came to visit her newly born sister and me
she left the hospital with her own baby. Believe it or not, she never got
jealous of her sister, and I think that strategy had a lot to do with it.
Then when my third kid was born (a boy), as we were very short of money,
he "brought" a record (yeah, CDs didn't exist) for both of his
sisters. It was a record with stories and songs for children that they had
been begging us to buy, so it was a success.
I bought the newspaper on the day my kids were born
(one of my sisters did it, as I was in hospital). I placed it carefully,
along with their first shoes and coins from the year they were born in
their "memory box" (each one has a box with their baby album,
pictures, first drawings, etc).
I bought a cassette and recorded their heart beat
while still in the womb (my doctor was GREAT, he suggested it), then I
recorded their first cry the moment they were born, then their first
words, first prayers, first songs, etc. That's what we consider a REAL
treasure! It's kept in the same box...
We have a saying in Brazil that says a baby's first
shoes have to be red if we want him/her to be rich, have to be given
instead of bought by the parents. The baby must wear something yellow on
the first day if we want him/her to be happy. And his first shirt has to
be made out of some old clothes from his dad, if we want them to be
friends. So, my mother-in-law gave me old pajamas that were my husbands,
and I cut and sew my kids' shirt from it. It was handmade, no sewing
machine, and my mom embroidered it. Being so worn-out, the fabric was
really soft and nice to touch. My three kids wore the same shirt on their
first day. The yellow outfit and the red woolen shoes were different, and
are kept in that now famous box!
Olimpia Thorne
Back to
Traditions Archive Home |
|
