The arrival of a newborn is a special and momentous experience, bringing joy not only to the parents but also to the entire family. Many religious Indian families follow certain rituals to welcome the newest
member of the family, which vary from region to region. A Punjabi family’s video of following a cherished ritual, however, received mixed reactions on social media.
A heartwarming video featuring the family went viral on Instagram. In the clip, a man is seen preparing chickpeas in a huge kadhai, while his wife is spotted seated in front of him. Following this, we can spot a joyful family moment in which the family’s young child is seen taking his first steps, accompanied first by his grandparents and then by his parents. “Throwback to his first steps,” read the caption.
The text overlaying the video reads, “My lil one’s first step”, followed by a heart and an evil eye emoji. This simple ritual is a gentle way to help him walk on the black chickpeas as he learns to walk without falling.
What Ritual Is Followed By The Punjabi Family?
The parents also revealed the details about the cultural practice in the comments. When a person asked, “Can you explain this,” the parents shared, “In Punjabi tradition, when a baby starts walking, a small ceremony is performed. During this ceremony, black chickpeas are prepared, and the child is gently made to walk on a few chickpeas, so that the baby learns to walk without falling.”
According to the explanation in the post’s comments, the warm chickpeas are scattered on a cloth, and the baby is made to walk upon them. During the ceremony, the baby’s legs are lightly touched with warm food items, making them as strong as “iron”, allowing them to walk firmly without stumbling. After the ritual, the remaining chickpeas are distributed among family members, neighbours, and other children as a form of celebration.
Watch the video here:
The Punjabi Tradition For A Baby’s First Steps Angers The Internet
Soon after the video about the small ceremony went viral, a section of social media users strongly reacted to this. A user questioned, “What Punjabi tradition? There is no tradition like this in Punjab.” Echoing the same emotion, a person shared, “Never heard of this tradition in my last 4 generations, all hardcore Punjabi married in different Punjabi castes and cultures.”
A comment read, “Never heard of this ritual… even my mother is Sikhni from Punjab, she also isn’t aware of this.” “How about making him walk on sand, grass, small pebbles, the real obstacle in life and road,” read a thoughtful comment. Someone shared, “Mujhe lga distribute karte hai (I thought chikpeas are distributed).”
Another social media user said, “Sorry magar ann par pair (Sorry but stepping on food).”
The Family’s Response To The Criticism About The Ritual
After people commented that the video is hurting many religious sentiments, the parent also commented in the video, “We are not making fun of anyone’s religion. We did not specifically mention which Punjabi community. This tradition belongs to Multani Punjabi culture, not Sikhism. Every community has its own culture and practices.”
A section of social media users, however, extended their love for the child’s first steps.
The other Punjabi traditions related to the newborn child in Indian families include Annaprashan, the introduction to rice, Chhathi, celebrated on the sixth day after birth to welcome the child, Chhappar Phadan and many others.
