July 7, 2007
First Month—Sitting Month
In the first month of the new baby’s arrival, it’s called, “sitting month” when the new mother and new infant can gain their full energy and strength. Traditionally, the new mother shouldn’t leave the house, wash her hair, eat fresh fruit, or drink cold beverages.
The Chinese believe that a new mother is leuring, or cool. Since her life energy, or qi, is considered full of yin following childbirth, efforts are made to rebuild her body by restoring the internal balance of yin and yang. One critical agent for invigorating a new mother’s strength is ginger, the heat-generating aromatic that warms the body.
At one month of age, the child is welcomed with a celebration of firsts. There’s the first bath, the first haircut, the first new outfit, and finally, a new Chinese name. The grandmother typically presides over this ceremony as she peels a dyed-red hard-boiled egg and rolls it on the infant’s skull, forehead, and body to invoke a life not only filled with good fortune but blessed with high rank.
For today’s party after three months since Sebastian is born, we have red eggs and ginger. Eggs are a symbol of fertility, birth and life, and the color red is a symbol of happiness and good luck. Pickled ginger represents a family’s strong, deep roots that their grandchildren perpetuate. For good luck, the ginger is dyed red or pink.
Naming
As a part of the baby celebration, a Chinese name is bestowed on the baby. A Chinese name not only serves as an identity marker but also expresses a family’s aspirations and intentions for the child. There is the surname, Ng that represents the Chinese village or district from which the family originated. The second character is the generational name that connects siblings. And finally the third name is unique to that child. For Sebastian, his Chinese name is Ng En Li in Mandarin or in Cantonese. His name En Li means grace and truth. Evi is En Yi that means grace and proper and Gavin is En De that means grace and virtue.
In our Christian tradition, parents introduce their new baby to be dedicated to God, the maker of all things and the giver of life. In doing so, we follow the way of Jesus who said, “Let the little children come to me; for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs.”
Greg and Heather have given their third child a very special English name, Sebastian. Originating from the Greek, it was popular during the time of Herod the Great. When I thought about others who have been called “Sebastian,” I think about John Sebastian, the leader of the 1960s the Lovin Spoonfuls or Johan Sebastian Bach, the great 17th century classical composer and organist or more recently, Sebastian the little red crab in the Little Mermaid. But the true meaning of Sebastian is much more venerable and august. Sebastian means worthy of respect by reason of dignity, character, and positive impression. When you are in the presence of Sebastian, there is inspiring awe, imposing magnificence and a person of high position and rank. When Grandmother Joy rubbed that red egg on Sebastian’s forehead, he will be blessed with good fortune and high rank in life.
We may say what awesome and perhaps unrealistic expectations Greg and Heather have placed on his little one. But isn’t that what we hope for from all of our children? We bring them into this world because we trust in God’s promises for blessings and abundance. For every child that is born, we have the hope that just maybe this is the child that will find a cure to cancer or be another Mother Teresa or help bring about long-lasting peace in the world. We know that God will not disappoint us. And when we see all the awful things that we have done to the world in which we live, our hope and prayer are that these little ones will reflect the positive character of honesty, dignity, trust that we need for a better tomorrow. In a real sense, we come to these baby parties, with the desire to dedicate and rededicate all of our children to become “Sebastian-like” in their lives for the good of humanity.
Community Support
In the life of the Christian community as well as in the nurturing and loving community of family and friends, we have the responsibility to pray for this new child to grow up, mature in faith in God, by providing him with nurture, love, support and instruction. No longer is Sebastian just the responsibility of Greg and Heather. He is also ours. With the help of God, we will fulfill God’s plan for this child’s life and purpose in the world. Who knows? With a name like Sebastian Richard Ng, he may become the next Herod the Great!
Now may “God bless you and keep you. God’s face shine upon you and be gracious to you. God look upon you with favor and give you peace.” Amen.