Rice Feeding Ceremony

When a Nepalese baby turns seven months it is time to start tasting solid foods. This is also a time for celebration, because now the child is ready to have rice! I was honored to take part in my co-workers child’s rice feeding celebration.

The center of the village of Khokana was separated for the party with colorful cloths. The celebration boy was receiving guests with his parents in the down stairs of the village’s temple. He was dressed in red and in a typical Nepalese way his eyes were lined with black. People gave presents and made a red tika on his forehead as a blessing.

It is very usual that all the small children have eyes lined with black, this is seen to make their eyes more beautiful. All the small children also wear jewelry, they have long hair and their clothing is not gendered – in Newar community at least. It is hard to tell weather a child is a boy or a girl, but I think they are on the right track with this one: does it actually matter which sex the child is and to whom does it matter? Though when the children are five years old, the boys' hair is cut and after this time they will not wear the jewelry anymore and the clothing starts to be gendered.    

After greeting the child and parents quests continued for the feast. First starters, with some crab crackers, nuts and other dishes- and meat for the meat eaters, this was a Newar feast after all. Then the main course sitting outside. This contained naturally beaten rice and different kinds of bean dishes- and buffalo and other meats for the meat eaters in different forms. We were also served rice beer, and a traditional very bitter soup that is good for ones health and curd (yoghurt) for dessert.    

For a Finn the celebration reminded a Christian christening in a way: the child is dressed in ceremonial clothes, people bring presents and bless the child. And then people eat together. But the rice feeding ceremony has more guests, because the idea of friends and family is wider, and so he also gets more presents. But as in Finland there are some traditional gifts given, in Nepal they are jewelry, clothes and the child is usually blessed with yoghurt and the child as well as the parents get duck eggs.

As the name tells us, this is the time the child tastes rice for the first time. This ceremony is a good example how important rice is in Nepal.