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Newborns
When we
see a pregnant woman we usually wish her "Kali Lefteria"
which means, literally, "Good Liberation". The general
meaning is "Safe Delivery". St. Elefterios is the
protector of pregnant women.
When a baby is born, the parents usually give him/her
the name of a grandfather or grandmother. In many parts
of Greece, the first child takes the name of the
grandparent from the father's side. In other parts of
Greece, if the first born is a girl, it takes the name
of the grandmother from the mother's side. The middle
name given to the child (regardless of gender) is
usually the father's first name.
For the forty days following childbirth, neither mother
nor newborn are allowed to leave the house. During the
forty day period, the new mother is referred to as the "lehona".
Many believe that it is bad luck to be visited by a
lehona. If she happens to visit your house, you must
make her step on a key before she enters the house to
prevent any evil from entering. When the forty day
period is up, mother and child must go to church for the
priest to read the forty day blessing just like the
Virgin Mary did with little Jesus. Mother and child are
not allowed to go to Church before the forty day period
is over. If over forty days go by and the mother has not
received the blessing, then she must wait another forty
days before the priest can read the blessing. If the
newborn is a boy, the priest carries him into the altar.
If it's a girl, he carries her only up to the entrance
of the altar but does not go inside.
Many little babies wear a "filakto" which is a small
religious cloth pouch or medal. This is pinned on their
clothes on the upper left shoulderblade. The ones that
are made out of cloth contain something religious such
as a flower from the Epitaphio, or a little piece of the
holy cross, of some soil from the holy grounds of
Jerusalem. Along with the filakto sometimes the mother
pins a cross and/ or the "mati" which is a medallion
that wards off the evil spirit and protects the child
from the vaskania .
When a baby yawns, it is customary to make the sign of
the cross over his/her mouth to protect them from evil.
A baby's hair must not be cut until the baby is
baptized. The priest cuts a lock of hair from the infant
for the first time during the baptism.
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