Hi all, was talking to Rocco (Madrid Insider) yesterday and he mentioned a tradition here in Spain when a baby is born that I found to be . I just wanted to send a shout out to those in the know on this board and ask if there is any truth to this.
Ok, I was told that when a baby is born here in Spain, it is customary to use the pieces of umbilical cord to make keychains, that is, to dry them out and make keychains out of them
What!!!??? I've never heard of that one...! Careful publishing that one buddy. The US State department could get wind of it and put out a Spain Travel advisory!!!
:cheers:
poseso.... Tony --- English Unlimited... Un ambiente para aprender ingl�s... (An English Learning Environment)
Posts: 656 | Location: Madrid (Kansas City, USA) | Registered: 06 November 2001
Uh, EW and a big NO! Unless... well exactly who did he get this information from? ANd this next bit isn't to be racist or anything, but IF there are people that do do that in Spain, the Gypsies maybe? Since they're into folklore and traditions from way back in the day?????
As far as Spaniards, recently having a rash of births in my family, no baby umbilical key chains for us!
Siguiendo mi propio Camino de Santiago
Posts: 387 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 19 October 2002
Wait a minute!!! I think you heard me wrong. What I was told by one of my Spanish, English language students, is that they attach and use a clip / pin on the umbelical cord and use this clip / pin with a piece of the cord to make the keychain. Rocco.
"They." Who the Hell are "they?" Is that something like "you people." Unbelievable. Somebody made a key chain out of an umbilical cord clip and all of sudden, it is "they," all Spaniards, who do this as a custom. I have known a slew of people in Spain over my 30+ years of traveling and/or living there and sometimes spend whole weeks talking to nothing but Spaniards and I have never encountered this. From now on, I am going to do a keychain check on everyone I meet. By the way, I assisted at the births of all three of my daughters and put Pol Roger Champagne on their lips as soon as they were cleaned up. Does that mean Americans put Champagne on their kid's lips before mother's milk?
Gerry Dawes
Posts: 97 | Location: Suffern, NY USA | Registered: 23 March 2002
Whatever, but still, NO! They don't do it. Rocco, its possible its a tradition in the town your student is from, but hospitals don't let people leave with that kind of stuff!!!!
I've done it before to am. students because of stupid questions like, in spain, do we have butter? Could it be this student is pulling your leg?
Siguiendo mi propio Camino de Santiago
Posts: 387 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 19 October 2002
Gerry: you old Francophile, you! The French have been putting champagne on their newborns' lips for a long time. But, hey, you're a wine guy. I'm a proponent of mother's milk, myself.
As for the umbilicus issue, in the "olden days" when my kids were born, I think they used suture material to tie it off, but now, they do in fact use a clip of some sort. In either case, a little stubby bit remains and falls off, to be thrown away(I never knew anyone who saved it in modern times). I never heard of anyone saving the clip,either, but that wouldn't be so gross, but then, I'm a grandma.
Do they have butter?? Yes, but I don't think they routinely put it on bread---one reason Spaniards tend to be thinner and have fewer heart problems?
Pack light, sleep cheap, eat well.
Posts: 479 | Location: ROCKFORD,MI, USA | Registered: 23 May 2001
Well ..... I've got the clips and bits of umbilical cord of all three of my children but I haven't used them for anything, just saved them for sentimental reasons
When the bit of umbilical cord falls off (a few days after birth) it is neither big enough nor attractive enough to do anything decorative or useful with
Jo
Posts: 137 | Location: Holmfirth, UK | Registered: 25 May 2001
Sue, my butter comment... what I meant was, that sometimes, when I get a REALLY stupid question, like: Do we have running water in Spain?- I'm prone to answer it with another smart response like, no, we still have to go to the river and get it ourselves, that's why the apt. buildings have stables (for our Burros)instead of parking! If someone is gullible enough to believe that then I can't help them!
Its just like people telling you the wrong word for how to say something to get a laugh- sometimes people will mislead you as a joke- which is why I said maybe Rocco's student was pulling his leg!
Siguiendo mi propio Camino de Santiago
Posts: 387 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 19 October 2002
Rocco and Jer; definetely no, that's not a widespread custom, I had never heard of it. I believe though, that my mum keeps the clips from when my sisters and I were born and in the clips there is some 'pelito', some of that first baby hair that eventually falls out. She does it for sentimental reasons too, the same way some parents keep the tiny hospital bracelets from their newborns, no?
Hey Jer, you're getting some cool ideas for when little "Jeritos" and/or "Enitas" arrive.... :l:
Posts: 627 | Location: Brussels | Registered: 16 December 2001
I once saw a TV interview with Eric Estrada originally of the TV series "CHIPS" fame and more recently of "Dos Mujeres Un Camino" a Spanish language soap opera from Mexico I believe. Anyway, he had a keychain that was linked to a small glass vile with a piece of his baby's umbilical cord in it. It looked very small and dark when he held it up to the camera for a better look. Well between seeing this interview and hearing the Spanish lady from Madrid's explanation of this, which even grossed her out while she telling about this, I felt that it may be plausible / believable. No offense to those of you who have not heard about this practice by some specific people who do it for there own sentimental reasons and not to say that this is a widespread tradition. To each his own. Rocco.
Rocco- What you just pointed out, and what we're saying, is that its not a widespread thing- and certainly not a Spanish custom! Now, do parents keep the nasty scaby thing when it falls off- some do, just like baby teeth, hair etc- but to make it into a key chain? I'm confident in saying HIGHLY unusual- that stuff is usually kept in a baby book or someother baby keepsake thing. But again- that's anywhere in the world- not a Spanish custom. As you said, to each his/her own!
Siguiendo mi propio Camino de Santiago
Posts: 387 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 19 October 2002
Hahaha! Ok- the ears... no, its not done without parents consent! And no, its also not done the same day! Good greif! Can you imagine?! Poor baby!
When do they do it?! Well, that's up to the parents, my sister got hers done 3 weeks after she was born, and mine were done 3 months- but I think for me, they were waiting for a visit in Spain as I was born in europe, but not in Spain.
This is in fact a custom and I'm glad! I was spared the pain from getting my ears pierced at an older age where I'd remember the pain! Also, it makes it REALLY easy to tell the female babies from the males- no akward, oh she's so cute, and its a boy, or having to call a baby 'it' until they tell you what sex it is!
Siguiendo mi propio Camino de Santiago
Posts: 387 | Location: Madrid | Registered: 19 October 2002
. I just wanted to send a shout out to those in the know on this board and ask if there is any truth to this.
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