MORE RITUALS

Today’s destination, The Museum Rotterdam and our assignment, to find more Dutch rituals. Well I found a lot more. My newest favorite is the New Life Ritual, which involves family participation. It’s a way for families to share the impending birth of a child, or in other words, spread the good news! Here’s how it works: One family member starts the process by passing around a special silver bowl filled with wine and a small figure called the Hansj. The Hansj floats around and everyone knows someone in the house is pregnant. Another part of the ritual involves the father. The father has to wait outside until the baby is born and after the birth, everyone celebrates the occasion with food and drinks. The new parents warm a combination of egg whites, white wine and sugar. They believe if a child is born on a Sunday during Christmas, the child is believed to be a child of fortune and could see into the future.