Baby Shower

As requested by Miss K, a flash back of our baby shower.

We had Javanese baby shower in Jakarta when I was 7 months pregnant (April). In Javanese tradition, when a would-be mother is 7th month pregnant, carrying her first baby in her womb, a ritual ceremony called Mitoni is performed. (Mitoni is from the word pitu means seven). This traditional ceremony aims to request God’s blessings for the safety of the would be parents and the baby. Hopefully, the whole family shall live safely, happily and the child should bring a good life to the family.
The whole ceremony consist of several steps of ritual, such as:

Sungkeman: To husband and both Parents
Siraman: using a mix of 7 water springs and sritaman flowers, consist of rose, yasmin, magnolia and cananga. 7 Older people will bath mom-to-be as a symbol of blessing.
Dressing up: There are 6 kinds of batik pattern and one lurik cloth prepared for mom-to-be. Every pattern have good wishes for the family and the baby.
Eating Tumpeng (rice cone with vegetables and chicken) Husband will feed the wife as a symbol that husband bring 'food' to the family.
Selling rujak (mixed of slices of fruits with hot sambal) and dawet (sweet refreshment drink, the juice is mixed of coconut milk and sugar). Rujak is symbolizing enthusiastic life and dawet is depicting a smooth and safe birth of the baby.