In Japan, families with babies hold a celebratory ceremony called “Okuizome” with the hope that “they will never have to worry about food for the rest of their lives.”
My family has a baby born last year, and we also had Okuizome the other day.
Celebration on the 100th day after birth
When a baby is born, we hold various events to pray for their healthy growth. These events include the ‘Oshichiya(Seventh night)’ and ‘Omiyamairi(Visit to the shrine).’
Okuizome(The weaning ceremony) is a celebration held on the 100th day after the baby’s birth. It is also known as ‘Momokaiwai’ . In some regions, it is referred to as ‘Mana-hajime,’ ‘Hashizoroe(Chopstick arrangement),’ or ‘Hagatame(Teething Ceremony).’
Although there are individual differences, baby teeth usually start to emerge around 100 days after birth. During this period, caregivers imitate feeding their infants to help them find food easily throughout their lives and grow up healthy. 🙂
According to tradition, it is believed that Okuizome was introduced during the Heian period (794-1185). It involved placing a rice cake in a bowl of hot water and then feeding it to the baby on the 50th day after their birth.
Okuizome is traditionally held 100 days after the baby’s birth, with the day of birth being counted as the first day.
However, it is worth noting that in certain regions, the celebration may be held on the 110th or 120th day, which means that celebrating on the 100th day is not an absolute requirement.
It is suggested that the ceremony be held around the time the baby is 6 months old, which coincides with the start of weaning. It is important to consider the mother’s recovery and the availability of attendees when determining the timing.
Location and participants in Okuizome
In the past, it was customary to invite acquaintances and relatives to one’s home. However, in modern times, there are now various methods available to accommodate different lifestyles.
Can be done at home or in a restaurant.
Okuizome is typically conducted at home, although it can also be held at a ryotei or restaurant with private rooms.
On the day of the ceremony, a special meal known as a ‘Iwaizen(celebratory meal)’ is served. If the preparation of a large number of dishes seems daunting, it may be worth considering the ‘Okuizome plan’ offered by ryotei or restaurants.
If the ceremony is being held at home, there are a few options for food. You can either prepare the food yourself, arrange for home delivery.Additionally, there are mail order sites that offer frozen shipment of dishes, which may be worth considering.
Often done by family members only these days
In the past, relatives and close friends were invited to the ceremony at home, but today it is more common to have a “family only” ceremony with grandparents, parents, and the baby.
If you want to celebrate Okuizome in a big way, you can invite relatives in addition to the grandparents, or if you want to keep it small, you can invite just the parents and the baby.
About 100 days after giving birth, the mother’s body may not have fully recovered and the baby may be unstable. If you invite a large number of people, it will be difficult to prepare and make arrangements, so choose a number of people and a method that will not be a burden on you.
What do I need to prepare?
At Okuizome, you will have a special meal called a “celebration meal”. If the ceremony is held at a ryotei or restaurant, all you need to do is make a reservation, but if it is held at home, “tableware” is required.
Tableware for Okuzome
If you hold Okuizome at home, prepare “Tableware for Okuizome” and “Iwaibashi(Festive Chopsticks).
For the traditional OKuizome, a “table with legs” and a lacquerware bowl called a “Kuizome bowl” are used. For boys, both the outside and inside are usually cinnabar lacquered, and for girls, the outside is usually black and the inside is usually cinnabar lacquered.
Chopsticks are made of willow or white wood with thin ends called “Iwaibashi(festive chopsticks)”.
In recent years, more and more families use regular “baby dishes” instead of traditional dishes. There are no strict rules, so it is best to discuss this with the family and make a decision.
teething stone
At the first weaning ceremony, a “teething ceremony” is performed, and a small stone called a “teething stone” is required for this ceremony.
The stone is usually given by a shrine priest during a visit to the shrine or picked up from the grounds of a nearby shrine. If there is a riverbank nearby, you can borrow stones from there.
If you do not feel comfortable picking one up outside, you can also purchase a teething stone from a mail-order website.
The pebble should be about 2 to 3 cm in diameter and preferably black, white, or red, but if not available, any color will do.
In our case, it is including in the ‘Okuizome plan’ by the restaurant.
Contents and Meaning of Celebratory Meals
Each dish served at the celebratory meals has its own meaning. Let’s prepare the dishes with all our hearts and wish for the healthy growth of your baby.
based on a single soup and three dishes
The “celebratory meal” is based on “one soup and three dishes,” which is the foundation of Japanese cuisine. The soup is osuimono, which is a clear broth that is seasoned with soy sauce and salt.; the three dishes are grilled fish, boiled dishes, and savory dishes; and the rice is red rice.
Osuimono” is meant to “help the mother suckle her milk well” and should be made with clams, sea bream, or other seasonal ingredients.
Grilled fish” is usually made with sea bream, a word that means “happy” in Japanese.
For “nimono” (boiled dishes), kombu (seaweed) or other ingredients can be added to express “yorokombu” (to be pleased). For “Konomono,” we recommend “Daikon and Carrot Namasu” for a colorful dish.
In some regions, pickled plums are served with the dish to wish for long life until the plums become wrinkled.
Let’s also prepare a whole grilled sea bream with a tail head
When serving “sea bream” for grilled fish, prepare “whole grilled sea bream with tail head”. It is a good omen and beautiful to look at.
Remove the scales and guts from the sea bream and sprinkle the whole fish with salt. Since this is a festive dish, do not make any cuts in the sea bream to improve the heat. The fins should also be salted thoroughly to prevent them from burning and losing their shape.
To make the sea bream look like it is undulating and dancing, skewer it in an S-shape.
When serving, place a sheet of red and white paper on a plate or in a basket to bring good luck. It is good manners to place the fish with the head on the left and the tail on the right.
Since this is a festive dish, take care of its appearance and make sure to serve it in a beautiful way.
How to celebrate
At Okuizome, after the “Okuizome” in which you “imitate” your baby eating, the “teething ceremony” is held. Let’s review the procedures and etiquette of the ceremony.
Imitate a long-lived person feeding you
The purpose of Okuizome is to wish the child healthy growth and longevity. In the ceremony, the “oldest” of the participants holds the baby on his or her lap and imitates feeding the baby.
The oldest person is called “Yashinai Oya” (foster parent), and the ceremony is meant to honor his or her longevity.
If the baby is a boy, the “man” becomes the Yashinai Oya, and if it is a girl, the “woman” becomes the Yashiinai Oya.
The order in which the food is served is “rice, soup, rice, fish, rice, soup. Repeat three times.
It is okay to do this only by “imitation”. Babies cannot eat the same food as adults. Be careful not to actually feed them, as there is a risk that they may choke.
Ceremony to set teeth for strong teeth
The teething ceremony is performed before or after the weaning ceremony.
Place chopsticks on the prepared “teething stone” and gently touch the baby’s lips and gums with the chopsticks. At this time, pray in your heart that the baby will have strong teeth.
In the old days, the stone was placed directly on the baby’s gums or the baby was allowed to chew on the stone, but nowadays it is considered ideal to do it indirectly with the chopsticks because of the risk of accidental swallowing.
This completes the teething ceremony. After cleaning the stone, put it back in its original place.
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