What are the pregnancy and childbirth customs of Sinhalese people?

Sinhalese women living in the mountains of western and central Sri Lanka will make wishes in temples after pregnancy for peace. During pregnancy, pregnant women should eat traditional herbs and eat different foods.

In the first three months of pregnancy, pregnant women get candy, fresh butter and rice in the fourth month, milk in the fifth month, butter in their diet, vegetarian porridge in the sixth and seventh months, butter in porridge in the eighth month and traditional herbs in the ninth month. A few months before giving birth, the husband sent his wife back to her mother-in-law

After the baby is born, people take a few blades of grass called "Bailedani" and put them in a new pottery basin, then squeeze a few drops of mother's milk, put a gold ring in it, and then wipe the baby's mouth with the milk stained with blades of grass and rings. This ceremony is called "feeding golden milk". It means that babies will get bodybuilding and strength from it.

Later, people knocked on metal plates and other things to announce the birth of new members of their families. In the countryside, if a boy is born, a yoke will be thrown from the roof. If it's a girl, throw away the rice pestle.

After three or four days, we should give the parturient a bath. Bath water is made by adding stimulating plant branches and leaves such as ramie leaves and lemon leaves. After taking three baths, rinse with clean hot water. When the baby is about half a month old, a banquet will be held to entertain relatives and friends.

Six months after the baby is born, within one year, the boy must choose an auspicious day to hold the bimonthly Indurga Mo ceremony, and the girl will hold it in a single month. The ceremony includes feeding the baby the first bite, drawing a birthday table, naming and predicting the future. This is the first major ceremony in Sinhalese life.

On this day, the whole family and relatives get together, and the baby's grandfather or grandfather puts "auspicious" milk rice into the child's mouth at an auspicious moment. Then, ask the astrologer to draw a birthday table for the baby according to the date and time of birth, and then name the baby according to the letters divined by the astrologer. Finally, people spread a big mat on the ground, spread a white cloth on the mat, put some food, books, pencils, toys, copper coins and other things on it, and light two coconut oil lamps at both ends of the mat. When a child is put on the table at a predetermined time, people believe that what the child catches means what kind of person he will become in the future. If he catches a book, he thinks he will be a scholar in the future; When he catches the copper coin, he thinks he will be a businessman in the future, and so on.

When a child reaches the age of four or five, his parents will hold an enlightenment ceremony for him. First of all, choose an auspicious day of the zodiac. On this day, parents take their children to see a Buddhist elder. The children first presented flowers and oil lamps to Siddhartha Gautama, the elders and the Buddhist scriptures protecting Sanzang, and then presented all kinds of sweets, fruits, "auspicious" milk rice and coconut oil lamps to Gannivea, the god of wisdom and education, and Salas Wadia, the god of literature. At a certain moment, the child bows to his elders, and the elders give him an alphabet, so that he can face a specific direction and recite the letters by himself. Finally, invite the elders to eat lent at home.