Newborn Baby in Africa

"The belief in charms for protecting newborn infants is very strong in Greece" - J. T. Bent

Since there are so many tribes in Africa, they are many ritual to celebrate newborn baby. I have choose one ritual from Umtata people that live in South Eastern Cape of Africa. They have a ceremony after birth of a baby called Sifudu. It means passing child through smoke which accomplished by picking leaves from the Sifudu tree. 

the leaves of Sifudu tree have an exceptionally pungent aroma. 

A small fire is made in the centre of the hut, upon which leaves are placed, creating a thin pall of smoke, most irritating to mouth, nostrils and eyes. A woman holds a baby head downwards into the smoke, which gives such a shock it can hardly cry.

The ritual is believed to assure that when the child grows up, it will never be subject to fright nor be timid, shy or easily ridiculed by minor or adult, as it will stand it's ground

Other birth and childhood ritual upon African tribes can be seen here African tribes