The Sebou’: An Egyptian baby shower

At the beginning of the celebration, the baby is placed in a sieve, a kind of tray with a bottom net used in kitchens to separate flour from other impurities before preparing the dough. Today, however, such sieves are hardly used. Instead, the decorated sieves sold at Darb al-Barbara market are precisely intended for Sebou’ celebrations — blue sieves for baby boys and pink ones for baby girls. Long ago, the sieve would be placed on a high table with a traditional kettle next to it in case of a male infant, or a clay pitcher in case of a female infant. This tradition no longer takes place today. Then, the sieve and the child were carried and placed on the floor. This is when, most often, the grandmother or another elderly relative of the baby, started banging a copper pestle and mortar and repeating commandments to the baby, advising him or her to be obedient to the parents.

In more recent times, Muslims have turned even more to the Islamic ritual of the “Aqiqah” as a celebration of a baby’s birth. The Aqiqah was practiced by Prophet Mohamed. It consists of a sacrificial slaughter to feed the family and the poor. Some Egyptians hold both the Sebou’ and the Aqiqah. The grandmother, or one of the women, would prepare the food in the morning, consisting of a cooked “Fattah” — a thick stew made of bread mixed with the meat of the sacrifice, that is later presented to the invited relatives, neighbors and the needy.

The grandmother and her sister go together to Darb al-Barbara market, which lies between the popular Attaba neighborhood and the old Hussein neighborhood in the center of Cairo’s narrow alleys. The market there has been dedicated to the sale of wedding and celebration supplies since the Mamluks, and is now known for the sale of supplies for Sebou’ celebrations at a wide range of prices.

Dar al-Barbara has a long history: Under the British occupation of Egypt and the Egyptian monarchy, the word “Barbara” became associated in the memory of Egyptians with the Haggana squads, the strong camel-riding guards who were delegated with dispersing demonstrations, most of whom came from the countryside in the south of Egypt. Today, this path is visited by many, and is known as one of the best places to buy supplies for the Sebou’ and wedding ceremonies.

Um Mohamed, a woman who has been in the business of preparing the boxes of sweets for more than 30 years, says she was born in Darb al-Barbara. She explains that things have changed a lot over the years. In the past, people bought the sweets from spice sellers (Atareen), before the alley became famous for selling Sebou’ supplies. There are two main accounts of the naming of the alley. The first goes back to the Berber (or the Amazigh) tribes in North Africa and the Maghreb, who came with Jawhar the Sicilian during the conquest of Egypt in the Fatimid period and settled. The second account relates to Nubian workers who came to Cairo and the Delta at the beginning of the 19th century, and stayed and met in the area. Others claim, however, that the name is related to a group of Berbers who came to Cairo to work as servants and butlers to the Pashas during the rule of Mohamed Ali Pasha at the beginning of the 19th century.

After the grandmother brings the bags and boxes of sweets from Darb al-Barbara market, the women and children gather at night in the newborn’s house to prepare cones of candy, popcorn, peanuts, hummus and artichokes. They also prepare seven bean grains to show optimism concerning the new arrival.

A 54-year-old Egyptian grandmother prepares sweets for the new infant in her house. She says the Sebou’ is a tradition that brings goodness and happiness to a home.

Banging the pestle and mortar is one of the rituals of the Sebou’ ceremony, although as a kitchen utensil it is disappearing from use. There are blue ones for baby boys and pink ones for baby girls. The banging of the pestle and mortar is a tradition intended to get the infant used to the noise and disturbances of life. Similarly, shaking the sieve is meant to teach the infant that life could place them in fluctuating situations.

The Aqiqah — sacrificial slaughter of sheep — is one of the Sebou’ traditions. The grandmother prepares lunch for the guests to indicate the child’s health and safety. The number of sheep slaughtered depends on the wealth of the family.

Both Muslims and Christians hold Sebou’ rituals, which differ regarding baptism. Baptism takes place after 40 days of the birth of the infant. The infant is placed in purified water to expel evil spirits. Girls are submerged in water 80 days after birth.

The baptism ritual for Jaden George Gaber takes place at the Church of the Virgin Mary. Priest Philopater Fawzi places him in holy water to expel the devil and make him the son of Christ. He then rubs holy oil, prepared by the Pope, on the infant’s body, as his mother and father read holy words. The parents start reading the holy words at the east of the church, where the sun rises, ending in the west, where the devil leaves the child’s body.

The infant is submerged three times in holy water to rid him of the sins of Adam and Eve, making him a son of Christ.

When the women finish filling the boxes with sweets in Darb al-Barbara, the grandmother carries the supplies, such as the decorated sieve, the pestle and mortar, the boxes of sweets and the Sebou’ toys home, where the women gather to prepare the cones of candy for the Sebou’ ceremony.

Dancing and singing takes place to welcome the newborn into the family. Relatives and family members carry the sieve, singing the words, “We pray to God that he grows up and becomes like us.” The culture of the celebration differs from one family to another. Nubians have distinct songs and dances for the Sebou’ ceremony.

Children and relatives gather around the newborn in his padded bed (the sieve). Next, people place gifts around the child. The gifts vary according to income, with rich relatives more likely to give gold jewelry.

Taking seven steps is an ancient Egyptian tradition intended to ward off the evil eye. The woman burns incense and then walks around, stepping over the sieve and repeating words such as, “The first step in the name of Allah, the second in the name of Allah and even the sixth.” These steps are also often seen at Zar ceremonies. The family members gather around both mother and child, repeating the seven steps to the sound of the banging pestle and mortar and smoke from burning incense.

Although some Sebou’ ceremonial songs are not totally comprehensible to many Egyptians, because of their ancient roots, the words are still repeated out of tradition. One song refers to the child’s earrings. Some say this can be traced back to the pharaohs, who used to give golden hooped earrings to their infants. The hoop refers to the Goddess Isis, the mother of the god Horus. Egyptians would whisper through the hoop to the infant to obey God, making this the first thing he or she hears. It is believed that hearing starts seven days after birth. This is why there is so much noise during the Sebou’.

The singing, dancing and ululating styles differ depending on the area Sebou’ ceremonies are held in, for example, they are very different in Nubia.

The women and the grandmother repeat commands to the infant, telling him to obey his mother and not his father, in a humorous fashion. The sweets are placed on a table next to the newborn, and are distributed to children to indicate the generosity of the newborn. The type and number of sweets varies depending on the wealth of the family.

Attendees place money (Noqta in Egyptian vernacular) as a gift next to Lara on the day of her Sebou’.

Children use candles in an old Sebou’ ritual to light the mother’s path as she carries her newborn and also as she steps over the sieve.

Holding the newborn, the mother walks down the stairs to the rhythm of the banging pestle and mortar. Behind her, children carry candles to light her path. The carrying of candles is a tradition that started long ago, when they were the only way to provide light. All Sebou’ celebrations start after Maghreb prayers, when the sun has gone down.

The grandmother carries a plate of salt that contains the rest of the Sebou’ sweets. She starts throwing salt on the attendees as the mother, who is carrying her child, goes down the stairs. The grandmother is heard saying, “May there be salt in the eyes of those who don’t pray to the prophet.” Throwing salt is a tradition that is meant to ward off evil, presumably by making spirits unable to see from the salt in their eyes.

Exiting the apartment and going down the stairs is one of the traditions by which the birth is announced to the rest of the building, to the songs and rhythm of the pestle and mortar. The mother later goes up the stairs again to conclude the ceremony.

The mother waits outside for the priest to bless the infant and to eat the sacramental bread after the prayers and baptism rituals have finished.

The father registers the infant in the priest’s room, declaring him a son of the church.

Parents, relatives and neighbors meet seven days after the infant is born, as they wait for him to be strong enough. These traditions are very important in Egyptian society.

The infant is paraded into the church to announce that he is one of the sons of Christ.

After the mother descends to the ground floor, she returns once again to her apartment to sing and conclude the ceremony. The sweets and toys are distributed to the attendees, particularly the children.

«وفر مُجدي» و«شلل واسع النطاق»

Douma in new remand detention cycle as court rejects appeal

تجاهل «الترميم» يقتل أسرة سكندرية تحت سقف «الإيجار القديم»

The long and costly wait for a new personal status law

We will sit together on Srifa hill, Qassem

تكتيكات الاستعمار الإسرائيلي: دروس القدس وسيناء وجنوب لبنان

«اتجمعوا العشاق في الزنزانة»: عن أحمد دومة والشعرية التي لا يسعها المنطق السجني

How the horrible month of March for Meloni might change the path of Italy

مأساة الأطفال مبتوري الأطراف في غزة

Gaza’s child amputees

يوم ما أبطل أشجع…

إيچبشن سوبر هيرو

على جسم مصر التاريخ يقدر يقول ما شاء

مصائر مشتركة

ملتقى فبراير

يوميات قارئ صحف

Mada Morning Digest

فتحي نمر

Karam Saad

كرم سعد

The Sebou’: An Egyptian baby shower

Asmaa Gamal

Your support is the only way to ensure independent, progressive journalism survives.