Babinden

The Slavic holiday Babinden

(bah-bean-den) happens each year on January 21. This my first as an actual grandmother!

Baba is "grandmother", and the in is possessive; den is "day", so the meaning is "Grandmother’s Day". It’s also called Midwives Day.

Babinden is an ancient festival, still celebrated in Bulgaria, to give thanks and show respect to the women (or men) who have helped in the child-birthing process, and for all the other skills and knowledge the grandmothers have: Growing food, cooking, herb lore, looking after their grandchildren, and teaching folklore and traditions. 

The roots of this festival, however, are in fertility rites. In Bulgaria, a house full of healthy and beautiful children is a basic value, and this is the underlying focus of the rituals on Babinden.

Agenda today:
1. Journal queries
2. Hand-washing ceremony
3. Gifts for my grandmothers
4. House cleaning and blessing

1. Journal queries:
Today I remember all the grandmothers in my life - my ancestors and my older friends - and I also consider what it means to me to be a grandmother. 

And I think about the grandchildren in my life: My delightful baby grandson, as well as all the children and young adults I have helped to raise up to be thoughtful humans.

What does being a grandmother mean to me?

What burning questions would I like to ask my grandmothers? 
What wisdom would I like to share with my grandchildren?

2. Hand-washing ceremony:

Early this morning, young women in Bulgaria visit the local midwife or doctor. They bring soap, a towel, hot water in a ceramic bottle, and their young children. They perform a complicated symbolic hand-washing ritual, the purpose of which is to ensure easy births in the future and tall, strong children. The midwife gives a silver coin to each child she has delivered.

If I'm having an art class, we sometimes have a small hand-washing ceremony outside under the apple tree. My students hand me the soap, and pour water over my hands. I splash the water up into the air and say "May you all be tall, beautiful, and healthy!" Then I give them each a silver coin from my stash of foreign coins.

This year I will bless my grandson (as I wash his sticky-icky hands and face) with Grandma Love, and tell him:

Oh, you smily, cuddly, smart baby boy! You give me hope and joy, and inspire me to play, and create, and work for your future on this planet.

3. Gifts for my grandmothers: 
About lunchtime all the Bulgarian women go back to the midwife’s house without their children, bringing gifts and food: Socks, scarves, embroidery, bread, chicken, sweets, wine and brandy.

The lunchtime gathering turns into an all-day "women’s only" party (except the doctor might be a man, and sometimes male musicians attend- but they must dress as women) and it gets pretty wild! The women drink, dance, sing dirty songs, tell jokes, and gossip, and it goes on into the night.

Last year I thought, "Next year, when I am a grandmother, I'm going to throw a grandmother party!" But of course I can't do that because of covid... 

So today I'll say a prayer for my grandmothers of the past, and I'll plan small ways to honor my women friends of grandmother age in the coming weeks, with cards, gifts, and food, because they have helped me to survive this last year with their humor, love, and good advise.

4. House cleaning and blessing:
In Bulgaria and elsewhere, water is a symbol of purity and has healing powers. Many Bulgarians will have a house-blessing after Epiphany (January 6) with a sprinkling of holy water. Several other water related rituals are also performed this month.

One effective way to bless a house is to clean it, with attention. I am well into my January month of deep cleaning, taking care of mold-related issues in my house. This week I've been working on the bathroom. I hope to-

• Clean and dust the shelves.
• Scrub the mildew off the ceiling and walls with detergent and warm water, then use a solution of ¼-cup bleach in 1-quart water. Wait 20 minutes, apply Borax solution and do not rinse, to help prevent mold from growing again. 
• Clean the baseboards and floor, and wash the rug.