New born baby traditions in Poland

I rent a house to a Polish couple, they are expecting their first baby any day now. I would like to know if there are any Polish traditions associated with first babies? I would like to congratulate them in a Polish way seeing as they are on there own with no Polish family to be with them!

Thanks

Franco

I would buy some baby suits, long sleeve with the hand protectors to prevent them scratching themselves and to keep the teeny hands warm. Cant have enough of those for a new born.

Normally you would only buy anything for the baby/mother if you're invited to the baby's christening ceremony and/or party. At least that's the custom here in Poland. But even if you're not invited, buying a gadget or two would certainly be nice of you, although normally not expected.

When you go over and "meet" the baby for the first time, you should bring something small, like a toy or romper. What is not customary in Poland (at least where I come from) is to give gifts for the baby before the baby is born. It's supposed to bring bad luck or something.

Something for the mother is always nice.

Yeh thats a big no no in Poland.

Be original buy a dildo.

Also no buying stuff before its born, if you're not close family thats bad luck mate.

Same in the UK - bad juju.


For a newborn, I prefer to give an ashtray - in later life one can never have too many.

i am third generation of polish decent in my family, when you greet the baby for the first time, you stuff money down the front of its onsie. that is what my family does, and we call it "polish money" and they are to keep it and not to spend it.

c'mon what kind of message is that to a newborn baby? See son, you must grab it, really grab it and hold on to it like your life depended on it, it'll keep you warm during the winter... Grow up and buy a wallet instead!!


that sounds like another of those Polish jokes

Merged: Polish Traditions for new baby

I'm Polish born in USA and observe all Polish traditions, and my daughter is expecting. There will not be any baby shower. When baby is born, we have christening and family get-together. Are there any customs or traditions performed for my first grandchild?

polish tradition for a new baby is to meet and drink a lot of vódka... ;)
seriously we do not have any special traditions just christenity and after that family get together.

don't forget the God-parents. be careful though.... some friends will run a mile, if they think they are going to be asked.

the day is another good reason to sit at the table, eat, chat and drink vodka.

what about making a gift? is it bad luck to start making something, or just when you actually gift it to them?

I think that Poland is one of the countries which has a "Naming Day" instead of the traditional "Birth Day", in the sense of counting the year of conception as the date of one's birth. Is that correct more or less?

Yeah, saints days....

You mean there's a Saint Renata??
News to me:-)

The year of conception counts as the year of birth as long as it is the same year.
Name days are popular just like birthdays are.
You usually buy a small gift when you visit a newborn for the first time.

Yes, I remember doing so some time back when visiting a young Polish couple having recently moved to New York upon the birth of their daughter:-)

"Z okazji Waszego imienia!", was how my salutation read at the top of the card I sent them.

But their relative popularity has drastically changed. I remember when imieniny were by far more important and birthdays were a kind of secondary afterthought... now it's more or less reversed with birthday customs rapidly homogenizing the the general western way and imieniny becoming a kind of secondary afterthought.

A lot of it is marketing of course and if Polish people are happy with that then... so be it, it just makes the country a little less distinctive (which is exactly what many Poles want).

@mafketis
There are name days everyone kind of know of like Barbara or Marcin.
As for me, they have never been more important than birthdays. When I was a kid, it was just another chance to get a gift. Birthdays have always been more important.

@Lyzko
Z okazji imienin*

And you send such cards to people who are celebrating name days not the birth of their child. ..

Thanks, kaprys!

Actually, it was a naming day which was being celebrated:-)

@Lyzko
A naming day? Or a name day?

Naming day sounds like a ceremony where a baby is formally given a name.... "Name day" is the expression I've always used in English for imieniny..

I see, sort of the like what we would call a "bris". Name day was what I had in mind, kaprys.
Perhaps the distinction is more important in Poland than it is here in the States.

How old are you (in general terms)? I've asked a friend or two who grew up before the 00s and they all said birthdays weren't really a thing when they were kids - it was all imieniny...

In capitalistic terms birthdays are more about consumption and so they've been heavily marketed (like buying expensive things for christmas presents)...

Maybe it depends on where, who and how, in my experience birthdays were the thing ....