I had the privilege of being invited to a baby's 2nd birthday. My Filipina friend, Wilma, is married to a korean and their son turned two. Other Filipinas in the area were also invited and of course all the baby's clan members. The custom in giving gifts for a baby's birthday is to give money in an envelope. This is to help the parents offset the expenses in renting out the restaurant and the food expenses as well.
There is this tradition that is performed after all the guests have eaten and the gifts given (and before the candles are blown on the cake). The celebrant is placed on a high chair with all the guests assembled around him.
Then things are laid out in front of the baby for the baby to reach out and grab. Different items mean different jobs or fate for the baby. The string means long life, while the golf ball means he might become a golf player someday. The notebook means he would be good in his studies while the pencil either connotes that he will be a writer or a poet someday. The last two items are the toy stethoscope (meaning he would be a doctor) and the microphone (foretelling his future as a singer).
Wilma's baby reached for the mike first. Hmmm, I guess he would be a great singer someday (or develop a good singing voice).
The next item the baby chose was the stethoscope. Does this mean Wilma's baby would also be a doctor someday? Maybe a singing doctor? :)
My friends told me that other items can be included in the choices: like money (choosing this mean the baby will be rich when he gets older), a soccer ball (I don't really have to say what the baby would be when he chooses this, do I?), and other sports items [baseball bat, basketball, etc.]. What neat and fun tradition. Wish we had this in my country.
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