Birth Traditions from Around the World

The arrival of a new baby is a significant event that is celebrated uniquely across the globe. There are between four and five babies born every single second around the world, which amounts to over 250 every minute. Each newborn baby is welcomed into the world in their family’s own unique way, often with special birth traditions or customs that their cultures have observed for centuries. Many of these cultural practices are designed to protect the baby’s mother and the new arrival during the fragile postpartum period.

We love to hear about the different ways that families welcome their new arrivals, so today we are taking a look at how different cultures around the world celebrate births and help new parents to navigate what can feel like a daunting experience. From Asia to Latin America, the ways we celebrate new life vary wildly, yet common themes of rest, protection, and community support connect them all.

[Post updated July 2026]

Japan

In Japan, on the 7th day after the baby’s birth, the parents officially share their little one’s name in a traditional celebration called Oshichiya. This is the day when the mother and baby would usually be released from hospital care and is cause for celebration. Usually, both sets of grandparents join them at the parents’ home for a meal which is prepared by the baby’s grandmothers as the mother is encouraged not to engage in any work.

New mothers will often remain at the maternal grandparents’ house for the first month after giving birth to allow them the opportunity to focus on postpartum recovery. This includes a 21-day recuperation period in bed, during which they avoid physical activity to ensure long-term good health.

Hindu Tradition

In Hindu tradition, a person goes through 16 rites of passage in their life, and there are two specific birth rituals which are dedicated to a newborn baby. First is the birth ceremony called Jatakarma, which celebrates the baby’s birth with hymns and prayers in a private ceremony for parents, close friends, and relatives.  

This is followed 11 days after birth by the Namakarana ceremony, the official name-giving ceremony. By tradition, the baby’s name is chosen using Vedic astrology, looking at the child’s month of birth, the family deity, and the position of the moon in the birth chart to select the perfect first names.  

In India, there is a major focus on rest and recuperation in the postpartum period to allow for bonding and establishing breastfeeding. During this time, the mother is usually cared for by her own mother alongside other female relatives, sometimes moving into her mother’s home at the end of her pregnancy. She is encouraged not to take on any strenuous work and is even pampered during this time, away from the worries of a long day’s work.  

Chinese Culture

Like Japan and India, Chinese culture puts a strong emphasis on a mother resting after the birth of her baby. However, pregnant women are also discouraged from any form of heavy work while pregnant too. To ward off bad luck, expectant moms are often encouraged to follow specific dietary rules, including eating certain nutritious foods to balance the body.

After birth, the first 30 days are known as the sitting month, or zuo yuezi. To aid postpartum recovery, new mums are discouraged from bathing in cold water or exposing their bare feet to cold floors. Instead, warm water is used for hygiene, and the foods they eat during this specific time are chosen to balance the yin and yang in their bodies. Both mothers and newborn babies are often massaged to encourage a good recovery as well as healthy development for the newborn.

After those 30 days, families will officially celebrate their new arrival with friends and family at a party affectionately known as a Red Egg and Ginger Party. Hard-boiled eggs are dyed with red food coloring, symbolising good fortune and good luck for the infant’s future. These items, along with essential baby gifts, are presented to the new parents. In the Manchu area of China, traditional clothing like split pants might be used, showing how regional baby traditions vary.

South Korea

In South Korea, modern birth traditions meet a highly supportive medical system. After leaving the hospital, many new mothers move into a special postpartum care center, known as a joriwon. These facilities are designed to offer high-end care for both the baby’s mother and the newborn.

New mums receive a special massage, nutritious foods like seaweed soup to aid recovery, and expert guidance from healthcare providers. It is a time for the mother to rest completely while professionals take care of the baby necessities. This focus on maternal health and excellent healthcare providers contributes to the country having some of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world.

Mexico and Latin America

Mexico and several other countries in Latin America have a similar rest and recuperation period known as la cuarentena. This involves 40 days spent away from work, during which the mother is looked after closely by female family members. It is believed by some to be derived from Biblical traditions where women needed a period of purification after giving birth.

During this time, the new mom is kept warm, avoiding an ice bath or hot water extremes, and foods are carefully prepared by members of the family. Women often wear a faja, which is a type of postpartum girdle designed to support the stomach and help the body recover. To protect the baby from the evil eye, a small amulet or red ribbon is sometimes pinned to the baby’s clothes, as evil spirits are thought to be drawn to the vulnerability of a newborn.

East Africa

In Malawi and Madagascar, a special Masonjoany mask is created out of a type of paste using the ground wood from certain trees mixed with water and oil. This is applied to the mother’s face in the first seven days after giving birth to protect her skin from the sunshine and to ward off bad luck and bad spirits, as the mother and baby are considered to be in a particularly fragile position after birth.

Holland and the Western World

The Netherlands stands out in the western world for its approach to childbirth. Holland has one of the highest rates of planned home births, with around 30% of women giving birth at home. This is attributed to their attitude towards home births being the norm, as it is the way their parents and grandparents always did it.

They are usually attended by a midwife and a birth assistant, and the country’s healthcare providers are excellently set up for this. When the baby arrives, the family celebrates by serving beschuit met muisjes, a round toast with aniseed sprinkles. Blue ribbons or blue stripes on the packaging traditionally signify a boy, while pink signifies a girl.

In contrast, in the United States, the experience often revolves around a baby shower held before the birth, where friends gather to gift baby necessities like a baby’s first bed, clothes, and toys. Following the birth, newborn hospital photos are a popular modern trend before the family heads home.

Finland

In Finland, the arrival of a new baby is met with a famous government tradition that has been running for decades. Every expectant mother receives a maternity package from the government office, which comes in a large cardboard box.

This baby box is cleverly designed to double up as the baby’s first bed, complete with a small mattress at the bottom. Inside, parents find clothes, nappies, bath products, and other baby necessities. This tradition ensures that all babies, whether born in affluent urban centres or rural areas, get an equal start in life, helping the country maintain incredibly low infant mortality rates.

Royal Births

Even within a country or culture’s usual traditions, there are further unique customs observed by certain families. In the UK’s royal family, many of us heard that the Princess of Wales broke tradition by choosing to give birth at the Lindo Wing rather than having the typical home birth that the Queen had with her children. This is much preferred to the spectacle that royal births used to be in centuries gone by, when official witnesses were deemed necessary to verify the birth.

Today, the reigning monarch must be the first person to be informed about the birth of a new royal baby, before the news is officially announced to the public via an easel placed outside Buckingham Palace.

Whether it is waiting for the baby laughs, preserving the umbilical cord, washing the baby’s hair in a specific way during the first bath, or navigating the first weeks of maternity leave, welcoming a baby is a universal experience. While different countries have unique answers to the challenges of early parenthood, the core goal remains the same: ensuring the good health, safety, and happiness of both the mother and her beautiful new arrival.