Hani People's Naming Ceremony

A naming ceremony should be held on the third day after a newborn Hani baby's birth.

Every Hani has at least two names: one is the formal name, named after his father quite secretly; the other is a pet name, named in public. Besides, most Hani have one more Han name for common use in modern times.

A Hani's formal name after his father is of the greatest importance for him, because it is appreciated as the sign of the union of his spirit and body, and would be recorded into his family tree. Before the naming ceremony, this name would be determined by his father or grandfather, and be kept known by no one else except the elder members of the family. In fact, even he himself couldn't have any idea of his formal name in his childhood. But if some respected people in the village or some elder family member died at his age of 7, he would be told his own formal name by his father. Otherwise, this formal name could only be disclosed by "Mopi"(Hani priest) after the person's death, to add it into his family tree.

At the beginning of the naming ceremony, the baby's pet name is determined in public. The baby would be held out of the room to pay its respects to heaven and earth, and also the sun, on hope that it would grow up quickly and healthily. This pet name is always named according to characteristics of the baby, like the precise time of its birth, the size of its figure, and anything that is special of it. For instance, a boy born on tiger's day (according to Hani calendar) is possibly named "Hazhe", and a girl "Hayi"; born on rabbit's day, then a boy maybe called "Lizhe", and a girl "Liyi".

As long as it has worshiped the heaven and earth, the new born Hani baby is expected to begin learning to be a human. The first step, two eggs would be rolled over the baby's body. It is necessary because when the baby grows up, he/she will be protected from getting wrinkles or cracks while working in fields. Then gift would be presented to the baby; if it is a boy, the gift might be a crossbow, hoping that he would be skilled at hunting in the future; a girl might get a bamboo tube, she is on the hope of being skilled at catching shrimps and crabs.

On this day, the baby's parents would invite a number of 7 or 8-year-old children bringing along some farming tools. After the above two steps have finished, these children will teach the first lesson of one's life to the baby: a boy child would show the baby how to use a hoe, if it is also a boy; or, a girl child playing fish catching or millet harvesting to a baby girl.

All the family's best wishes to a newborn baby are clearly expressed during such a special naming ceremony. People survive on earth by working; for Hani people, a person should be filled with work ethic since the day he/she was born.

(Edit:Ruby)