You'd never guess from looking at his grey eyes and white skin, but Jory has a Chinese grandfather and an Indian grandfather. An Indian friend offered to host an annaprashan for Jory to celebrate - via his Indian heritage - his first intake of solid food.
Of course, we cheated. Jory had his first "solid" food a few weeks ago. But the most fun part of the annaprashan comes after the ritual feeding, when the child is presented with a tray of items and invited to, you know, determine the course of his entire life. No pressure.
So Mommy and Daddy got dolled up in their dressy Indian clothes and convinced Jory to wear the kurta/pyjama that his Auntie Emma brought him from India.
Jory's godfather Ajay started the ceremony by blessing Jory with an offering of grass and seeds:
And then Jory got his first tikka:
And then it was on to the feeding. When I saw the foods that our friend had prepared for him, I burst out laughing. Honey, ras malai, sugar, and meat - all the things the pediatricians tell you are strictly forbidden for infants! After a quick conference we decided that there are a billion Indians, after all, and so it was highly unlikely that Jory was going to burst into flames - or hives - by tasting the forbidden foods.
He really enjoyed them - especially the meat! Uncle Ajay had to explain to Jory that he was supposed to be eating the kofta, not Ajay's fingers:
And then finally, the main event: the determination of Jory's entire future. KC held him in front of the collection of books (to become a scholar), balls (to be a soccer or basketball player), ceramic chilis (to be a chef), thread (to be a tailor - or fashion designer, we decided), magnifying glass (to be a scientist), pens and pencils (to be a writer - apparently a one-eyed writer), and an origami box (we weren't quite sure what that one signified, but it was brightly colored).
Jory took one look at the objects and flung himself into the middle of them, thrashing his arms around. After a brief tussle with fate, he waved his future in his clenched hand:
A book! About pie! The food, not the mathematical symbol! And he verified his choice by munching on the book for the rest of the party.
Thank you Uncle Ajay, Auntie Sai, and Auntie Devaki and family for helping us give Jory an Indian welcome to solid food!
Of course, we cheated. Jory had his first "solid" food a few weeks ago. But the most fun part of the annaprashan comes after the ritual feeding, when the child is presented with a tray of items and invited to, you know, determine the course of his entire life. No pressure.
So Mommy and Daddy got dolled up in their dressy Indian clothes and convinced Jory to wear the kurta/pyjama that his Auntie Emma brought him from India.
Jory's godfather Ajay started the ceremony by blessing Jory with an offering of grass and seeds:
And then Jory got his first tikka:
And then it was on to the feeding. When I saw the foods that our friend had prepared for him, I burst out laughing. Honey, ras malai, sugar, and meat - all the things the pediatricians tell you are strictly forbidden for infants! After a quick conference we decided that there are a billion Indians, after all, and so it was highly unlikely that Jory was going to burst into flames - or hives - by tasting the forbidden foods.
He really enjoyed them - especially the meat! Uncle Ajay had to explain to Jory that he was supposed to be eating the kofta, not Ajay's fingers:
And then finally, the main event: the determination of Jory's entire future. KC held him in front of the collection of books (to become a scholar), balls (to be a soccer or basketball player), ceramic chilis (to be a chef), thread (to be a tailor - or fashion designer, we decided), magnifying glass (to be a scientist), pens and pencils (to be a writer - apparently a one-eyed writer), and an origami box (we weren't quite sure what that one signified, but it was brightly colored).
Jory took one look at the objects and flung himself into the middle of them, thrashing his arms around. After a brief tussle with fate, he waved his future in his clenched hand:
A book! About pie! The food, not the mathematical symbol! And he verified his choice by munching on the book for the rest of the party.
Thank you Uncle Ajay, Auntie Sai, and Auntie Devaki and family for helping us give Jory an Indian welcome to solid food!
Good choice, Jory! I would pick the book too. or the pie. Maybe you'll be a food writer :)
ReplyDelete