Cultural Beliefs: Pregnancy and Childbirth

Cultural Events and Customs

The Food Exchange

| Folklores |

Here are a few folklores from different cultures that arrived here. Some you may know and some may be new to you. Some people believe them and some don't. But these folklores have been around for a long time, because they are passed down through the generations. Have fun with these.

(1) Don't put shoes in a coffin or you'll hear them walking when a ghost comes to visit you.

(2) If you wear sunglasses in the dark, the next morning you will be blind.

(3) If you have an itchy palm , you will receive money.

(4) If you think about someone that you really miss and you are crying, that person you think about will bite his/her tongue.

(5) If you hear a lizard make a sound at night and you knock on the wall back to the lizard, you will be getting a letter or a guest.

(6) If you drop a fork, a male guest will visit you.

If you drop a spoon, a female guest will visit you.

(7) If you whistle at night, you will call a ghost.

(8) If you have a rash on your shoulder or a pimple on your nose, you have a crush on someone.

(9) When a lizard makes noises at night, it's warning you of danger.

(10) Knock on wood when you say something bad.

(11) If you see a shooting star at night, you will see a ghost.

(12) If you see a moth, someone dead will visit you.

(13) If you don't laugh, your teeth will fall out.

(14) At camp, if you flush the toilet, you will hear a baby cry.

(15) You will have a bad day if you wake up on the left side of the bed.

(16) If you take a photograph at the graveyard, you will see a ghost in the background.

(17) If you point to a grave when you are carrying something, it will drop.

(18) If you kill a big moth, ghosts and spirits will haunt you.

(19) If you find money on the ground, you have to give change or spit.

(20) If you put a certain root in your wallet, you will get good luck , but you are not suppose to tell anyone.

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Here are some cultural beliefs on pregnancy and childbirth.

.Diet:

(H) Do not eat salty, spicy or bloody foods. Limit starchy foods to keep the baby's weight down.

(F) Avoid eating squid as the tentacles could hold the baby back. For strength during delivery eat ground -up worms.

(J) Eat foods high on protein and iron. Avoid starchy, sweet, and gas-forming foods.

.Exercise:

Both (H) and (F) encouraged exercise such as walking or swimming to ease delivery. They also believed that too much sleep and rest would cause a large, lazy baby causing a slow and difficult birth.

Preparing for Delivery:

(H) seek forgiveness from those whom you had ignored. Hard feelings cause a difficult delivery.

(J)Pray at the temple. Carry a protective emblem to dispel evil spirits.

Bury the placenta:

(H)Planted a tree over the placenta to ensure that the child is rooted to it's birth and.

(C)Buried the placenta to ensure that no harm would come to the baby.

(F)Added orange leaves to ward off devils.

(J)Carefully washed the placenta to prevent infection to the mother and then bury it.

Chinese=(C) Filipino=(F) Japanese=(J) Hawaiian=(H)

source: Waipahu Cultural Gardens Museum

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Aloe:

Many plantation house gardens had aloe growing. It was used for medicinal purposes, such as burns and minor skin irritation.

(1) Girls Day, March 3 - also known as Hinamatsuri or Dolls Festival.

(2) Boys Day, May 5 - Is celebrated by flying carp streamers and the display of male dolls.

(3) Baby luau - A baby's 1st birthday party, a very big event.

(4) Pound and eat mochi (sweet rice) on New Years Day, January 1.

(5) Malasada Tuesday - A Portuguese event to celebrate the day before Lent.

(6) Bon Dances - They are held from end of June to August to honor loved ones who have

passed away.

(7) Take off your shoes when you go in the house.

(8) May Day also called Lei Day - A school event celebrated close to May 1st. The schools have a royal court with king, queen, and princess. Dancing, singing, and having a good time.

(9) Omiyage - The Japanese custom of giving a gift when visiting a home. The gift is usually a snack or dessert. The custom shows generosity, thoughtfulness and respect for one another.

(10) Chinese New Year - Usually celebrated sometime in February.

	Geta: Japanese slippers made of wood. The high bottom kept feet above dust.
	frono: This is a Portuguese oven. The baker would place flowers inside to see if the temperature was right.

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mini-garden:

The plantation workers planted their own vegetables and fruits in their gardens. Usually from seeds brought or sent from their home country. They lived on plantation houses with a yard so they could use it for planting.

Food is an important part of all the different cultures. The immigrants wanted their own type of food. So they brought their own food and the plantation owners readily imported seeds and other ingredients to keep the workers happy. People liked to eat and they readily shared their food. Today the people of Hawaii eat "plate lunches" or "bentos" (see Pidgin English) which have a variety of ethnic foods. Here are some of the different foods that are common in Hawaii.

(1) lup cheung - Chinese sausage

(2) kalua pig - pit cooked pork (usually the whole pig) (Hawaiian)

(3) lau lau - pork and fish wrapped in taro leaves and then bundled in ti leaves then steamed

(Hawaiian)

(4) manapua - pork centered in a bun that is steamed or baked (Chinese)

(5) haupia - a coconut pudding (Hawaiian)

(6) kal bi - Korean style barbecue ribs

(7) char siu - Chinese roast pork (usually red color)

(8) saimen - Japanese noodle soup

(9) pao doce - Portuguese sweet bread

(10) mochi - Japanese steamed rice cake

(11) malasadas - deep fried doughnuts sprinkled with sugar (Portuguese)

(12) an da gi - an Okinawa sweet deep fried doughnut

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Rice:

Rice has become the staple of the people of Hawaii. The first Chinese immigrants started rice farms. The workers demanded rice in their diet. Today, rice is included in almost every meal for the local people.