A new baby in the family is always joyful news and it is followed by a ton of preparation and of course – plenty of customs that serve to bring happiness, joy and health to the baby and the mother. In Serbia, many of these customs are old and superstitious, but some of them can be observed from the pure logical side.
First of all, while you have probably heard about “baby showers” and maybe even participated in some of them, there is no such thing in Serbia. It is not usual to buy presents for the baby before it gets born, because it is believed to bring bad luck to the unborn child. It is also very common that the parents do not announce the news about pregnancy before the beginning of the fourth month, but I believe this is quite logical, since the complications commonly occur in the first trimester. Another custom says that the baby’s crib should be bought and brought into the house on the same day baby arrives home.
After the baby is born, in some parts of Serbia red string is tied around its wrist, to protect the baby from the “evil eye” and bring it good fortune. According to the belief, the baby should not be taken out of home for the first forty days, and people should not visit the baby during this period either. Some old beliefs say that during the first 40 days baby should sleep with the lights on, in order for the forces of evil not to come and take the baby away.
When the 40 days have passed and it is time to visit the baby, customs vary depending on the part of the country. What they all have in common is that the visitors bring gifts for the baby, and they usually include baby clothes, toys and almost always some money. In some parts of Serbia the money is put under the baby’s pillow for good fortune, but it is being abandoned because the money has gone through many hands.
