The Baby’s First Birthday Party

[wenzili]

Part One: MAZI Processing

There was a locally characterized celebration for baby’s first birthday in our hometown.

Maybe for the reason of low percentage of babies’ survival in the past, parents could only get some confidence from the born babies and consider their lifelines had been firmed after babies’ first birthday celebration. In this way, the celebration party must be very ceremonious.

As early as about 3 o’clock a.m. in the birthday morning, mum and her older daughters had got up already and started their breakfast preparation. They were constantly pulling and pushing the bellows to steam a bucket* of sticky rice.

After the steaming completion, it was father or older brothers’ turn to process rice cakes, locally known as MAZI.

The MAZI making was a sort of physically heavy-duty work. One strong person raised a wooden hammer (pestle) with about15-20 kg weight, continuously stroke out a stone mortar where the steamed rice was located in. In the mean time, another man bowing beside the mortar was swiftly stirring the rice, at the interval before the pestle dropping down.

Their cooperation must be very harmonic; otherwise, body injury or product defect must happen inevitably, either which was considered as an unlucky omen to the baby’s future.

The striking process may last one and half hours. Then, they came to a MAZI-Ball making process.

The well-done rice must be evenly melted together and become a soft and elastic solid with the steam wreathed upward.

In spite of the hots, the MAZI maker took some of it on his left palm, then held and squeezed it quickly.

The rice paste came out between his thumb and point finger. His right hand quickly twisted and broke it away and rolled in the mixture of sesame powder and sugar. It became a small rice ball (as small as a pin pang) with attractive fragrance.

Thanks to father’s and brothers’ strength and swift skill, the MAZI balls were quickly piled up.

The completed MAZI balls would be held on dishes and presented on dinning tables for guests’ enjoyment.

Besides, there would be some extra amount of MAZI neatly placed on a large bamboo pan, which, together with a type of spicy pasted noodles (LUZI), will be sent to relatives and neighbors nearby.

As a sort of breakfast snacks, the machine made MAZI is still very popular in the low-and-middle reach of Yangtze River even today.

* A wooden bucket with lots of holes on its bottom is a container used for rice steaming, which was widely used in China about 30 years ago.

(To be continued by P2: LUZI Preparation)

[dramasnot6]

You might want to break it up a little, very difficult to read all strung together like that.

[wenzili]

Thank you for your valuable advice! I did it now as per your suggetion.:yawnb:

[dramasnot6]

Wow! That made me really hungry :p, is it supposed to be just an explanation of the process or will it lead into a story? The clarity is very nice and i especially like that you slipped in some of the more social history with those superstitions. It made for a nice touch :D Look forward to seeing more! Even if it drives me to an asian restaurant for lunch. :)

[wenzili]

Part 2: LUZI Preparation

After the rice steaming completion, without stop, housewife immediately started to prepare a type of spicy pasted noodles locally known as LUZI.

LUZI was also a sort of lucky food, since the pronunciation of noodles shared the same meaning of “long” and “continuous” in Chinese, as parents’ hope to baby’s life.

The soup and ingredients for LUZI making were carefully prepared beforehand.

The soup was made from pig’s backbone stewed over night and the ingredients included some tiny pieces of cattle’s entrails, scrambled eggs, slices of ginger, spring onion, garlic, and chili.

All of these ingredients were mixed in the boiled soup, then added and stirred up with sweet potato starch.

The well-done LUZI, really was a colorful and delicious paste.

The well-boiled and flushed out noodles were held in a big container beside the LUZI.

Like serving a buffet, guests were helping themselves to pick up half bowl of noodles, then, put a large spool of LUZI on the top. Before eating, people used to mix the LUZI up together with the noodles below with chopsticks.

With the forehead sweating, they all were devouring those long and hot noodles as cheerfully saying some good words to the baby in birthday.

Amused by their admiration, parents were so happy, that they were constantly pouring LUZI into their bowls.

“Da Wa (the first boy), Er Niu (the second girl) and San Mei (the third sister), hurry up and send the MAZI and LUZI to our neighbors!” Mum and dad loudly ordered.

“ The uncle of my dear baby, fire the cracks and get ready to rob of the birthday party!” They joyfully announced the beginning of the most exciting procedure.

(To be continued by P3: The Birthday “Grab” )

[wenzili]

Part3: The “Birthday Grab”

Under the thunder-like firecracker sound, children nearby dashed to the birthday party site in all the directions.

Meanwhile, handful peanuts, sweets and cookies were constantly being thrown out from inside door.

“ Birthday Grab!”” Birthday Grab”, the children were so excited that they all were cheerfully snatching at the food as hailing.

Since the food was thrown out more and more often, the pouncing and shouting became more and more exciting too. The atmosphere in birthday party was really turning hot.

In this moment, parents with the little baby, known as long-life star, on arms appeared in front of the door and repeated same shouting as children doing.

Finding such a joyful scene, the little star would stretch out the little arms shouting and laughing to tears.

Why had this custom been continued from ancient time? One of the most senior people in our town once explained to me.

“Since the ‘birthday grab’ is sounded like ‘long life’ in our local dialect; and the children’s shouting and pouncing looked like the situation when the ministers had a pilgrimage to the emperor.

Above all, parents firmly believed it was good for baby’s future fortune.” Said the old man.

I trusted his explanation and fully understood the fact that in this way, both the baby and adults had got their enjoyment and spiritual intoxication respectively.

(To be continued by P4:“ Birthday Fumbling”)

[dramasnot6]

How interesting, i'm really learning a lot about the culture. :D;)

[wenzili]

I am really encouraged by your positive comments! Thank you very much indeed!

[wenzili]

Part 4: The ” Birthday Fumbling”:flare:

After the “birthday grab”, the little star was held to the dinning hall for “Birthday Fumbling” procedure.

“Birthday Fumbling” was a common custom in most parts of China.

It has been said the fumbling result and process itself could not only predict the baby’s future, but also ensure the baby’s healthy growing psychologically.

Our predecessors always attributed the fickle child (ADHD patient) to lack of fumbling process in its first birthday party.

Therefore, no matter the rich or the poor, this procedure must be conducted carefully.

It was elaborately arranged before the celebration banquet.

In the center of the dinning hall, there was a square table where pair of lighted candles and 3 pieces of burned incenses were placed.

The sacrifices, such as roasted pig head, chicken and fish were also laid in front of the candles.

On the outer part of the table, there were lots of items, such as book, rule, balance, abacus, needle & thread, which served as symbols of occupational careers.

Besides, some items symbolizing human being’s habits and desires, such as cigarette, alcohol and rouge were also presented in somewhere.

The little star guided by parents worshiped ancestors first, then came to the table and carried out the fumbling process.

If he or she had picked up a book, it meant he or she would be a scholar in the future.

Of course, it would largely amuse the parents and arouse a hail of congratulations:” the book lot is superb; the future scholar must be top.”

If, unfortunately, the lot was cigarette or alcohol, parents would be very unhappy and disappointed.

Because it meant the child might become a slacker with smoke or alcohol addiction.

In this case, the onlookers would also shout:” Millions of money has been owning, enjoying wine like a king.”

People said it was a reverse shouting, which could change the lot to be lucky.

The most embarrassing lot was the rouge, which represented playboy or lecher.

These items were deliberately placed in the far end of the table or partially hidden by something else, even though, the little star would still fancy to them for their colorful packages or oddly shaped cases.

In this case, parents would spare no effort to avoid a tragedy happening, however, how could the little star understand their good will?

He or she would struggle against any obstacle, even cried to reject parents’ kind intention.

Once the difficulties were overcome, the little star was very happy but parents were very awkward and depressed.

In this agonizing moment, the reverse shouting sounded again:” Red rose is modified by leaves green; the hero must be accompanied by a wise heroine.”

Thanks to onlookers’ wisdom and alertness, the parents were amused again and affably inviting them to birthday dinner.

No sooner, the noise waves of the banquet competition* burst out, the birthday party was coming to a new climax.

* Banquet competition is a typical Chinese custom, which is a “bottom up” game in a banquet. Under a lucky rhythm, 2 persons present their fingers and guess the finger sum simultaneously. The loser should be “bottom up”.

(The End)