About three weeks ago, my husband received two invitations from his Malay friends celebrating their respective newborns one month old birthday. This week, he received another invite from another Malay friend, and we are wondering whether this is going to be a trend - a trend of following the Chinese custom of celebrating their newborns first month? We did not attend the first two, therefore we did not know how it was done - whether with the cukur rambut ceremony or not. But what we know is that one of the hubby's friend actually organised his kiddo's little celebration at his void deck - a celebration that is mostly for weddings or engagement ceremonies. So imagine the scale of the celebration? And for both earlier invitations, it was not even their firstborns.
My understanding is that, and pardon me if I am wrong, cukur rambut ceremony usually takes place after the child is 40 days old, usually after the mother has 'lepas hari'. Whatever the cultural or social significance of the cukur rambut ceremony, I am clueless, especially with the need to have the "kelapa muda" and all its other accessories as insisted by MIL during my time but what I understand is that during our Prophet's times, the hair that is shaven from the child is weigh and this weight is to be converted to gold and be used to help their poor. But I don't remember doing this. I don't remember weighing the hair or convert it to cash to help the needy. I only saw it soaked in that kelapa muda, and after that, entah diorang buat apa dengan benda tu? I only remembered the lavish occasion for my son, complete with marhaban and a buffet spread of nasi beriyani (because we had to do it that way, not that we want to do it that way), and furthermore it also coincided with our housewarming.
Maybe it is a happy occasion, one that calls for sharing and spreading one's happiness, but I don't see a need to have such an elaborate one-month old celebration. What's the significance, especially from the Islamic viewpoint except for the spreading of joy? Maybe I'm just selfish, I would rather enjoy my baby and me, with only family and a few close friends celebrating my happiness and joy.
3 comments:
Maybe they are celebrating the Baby Bonus Scheme? ;)
As far as I know, its sunnah to have the aqiqah on the 7th day and the child is named on the same day as well.
Surfed to your site from Kakteh's sentraal station.
heheh din know the Malays r now picking up on 1st mth celebration. Hmm...
We din hv any 'cukur rambut' sampai botak ceremony. I din know that ive to weigh the hair n convert the value n donate out. My DH knew but he din tell me. So for Aisyah, we (me n DH) shaved her head bald in the toilet while giving her bath w the ladies shaver (a new one of cos). The hair flow thru the drain. For Khair, i knew abt the donation aft ive read a book. So i shaved him myself n kept the hair. DH weighed it...no movement. So how???? DH kept the hair n do nothg..giving excuse hw much to value??? Ya Allah tu org. I told him to bring to the mosque n asked the ustaz there or someone who knows. NO ACTION. He kept it in a bowl in his aquarium cabinet. Aft 2years I told him off, then he threw it away. FINALLY!
We did aqiqah for both n invite relatives n friends. But it wasnt on the 7th day...both were aft my confinement.
Speaking of celebrations, I dont go for birthday parties either...only one time this year. Tu pun cos the family is a close friend so it was more of a courtesy attendance. At the same time visiting her mum who just had an accident.
That's as much as I know. My knowledge is so cetek anyway. As for aqiqah, yet to do it for Afzal...hmmmm...insya Allah.
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