We decided to go ahead and give Tiger Lily her first haircut!
A Mundan ceremony is basically a baby's first haircut. Brother Bear had his, and now Tiger Lily can join the club.
A Mundan is not the average trimming of the ends. It actually involves shaving the baby's hair.
That's right, ladies and germs--a Mundan involves completely shaving the baby's head!
*gasp*
Before we ban me from the nice moms club, read on...
The Mundan ceremony is usually done in the first 31 days of life, (but we take a bit of creative liberty and just do ours within the baby's first two years). It is essentially the removal of the baby's "womb hair," which brings luck--and reportedly better, stronger, thicker hair.
While I know how hair growth works (shaving it off will not effect thicker hair--it just ends the breaking off that newborn hair is often wont to do, thus giving way to what I call the toddler hair--longer, and often thicker!), I also respect and immerse my family in his culture and mine as much as possible. While I will admit it was a little daunting to know my baby would be without her wispy curls, I was excited for her to have this cultural connection to our family, especially her grandma Ammaji.
Hubby and I are very keen for the kids to have as deep a connection to their Sri Lankan roots as we are to keep them connected to their Jamaican and American roots. It is important to us that they know who they are and where they came from. We don't want the schools or the world to teach them who they are--that is our job and we don't sleep at the helm.
Getting down to it, I know he expected me to flake out at the last minute. Even though Tiger Lily's hair has so far remained as wispy and fine as day one, I always adored those soft little twirls. As soon as she stopped snatching her little clippies out, I started putting a bow in her hair every day. Always coordinated to her outfit. I make at least twenty clippies per week sometimes just to keep a fresh rotation. If Brother Bear is any indication, she will have a glorious head of dark curls and twirls in just a little while and all those clippies would get a heckuva workout.
But anyway...
I did not flake.
Behold...
Our little unicorn currently has a peach fuzz where her mane was!
Do we miss it?
No.
Is she bothered?
She didn't bat an eye during the process, and she doesn't seem upset in the least even days later.
Were we worried about someone shaving her hair while she is so young?
Again, NOPE. Hubby took care of the actual Mundan, and we invested in an excellent straight razor for it, as well as some ayurvedic oil to keep her scalp comfortable as her hair grows in again. (Regrowth is itchy enough--and since her hair is growing in as fast as Brother Bear's did, we knew she would benefit from a "soother.")
Why did we perpetuate a custom like this?
For the same reason other parents pierce ears or buy puppies for infants, or take vacations with kids who won't remember the actual trip...
...because she is our kid, and this is how our family works. We observe our customs and traditions just like other families observe theirs.
No comments:
Post a Comment