THE CUSTOM OF CUTTING A BABY HAIR

This custom is normally held after the 40th day of the baby birth or after the mother has undergone the abstinence period. Relatives and neighbours are invited for a special prayer and Quran recital altogether. The baby is then ushered to the living room after the prayers. Then the Imam (religious leader), relatives, neighbours as well as pious leaders are invited to cut a bit of the baby hair while reciting prayers so that the baby grows up blessed. There are cases where babies are shaved clean. The cut or shaved hair is placed into a coconut shell and buried around the house.

Normally the host distributes egg flower(hard-boiled egg in a stalk of flower) and scented potpourri of flowers to the guests. The egg is usually cooked pindang style for longer keeping and not easily spoiled. Also practiced is the custom of scattering raw rice and an amount of coins in the living area at the end of the cutting of hair ceremony. This action symbolizes that upon growing up the baby is blessed with good fortune with abundant food (signified by the raw rice) and wealth (signified by the coins).