Childbirth Habits Parents, friends, and neighbors celebrate the birth of a newborn a week after the birth of a child. This is a celebration of the arrival of this child. A specific food is served, such as couscous, and chickpeas are distributed, and the father may make a table for meat and Fattah (Egyptian Food). A celebration is held by playing music and songs for the occasion.
People light candles and sing, and the mother steps over the child seven times. Parents present gifts to the mother (an amount of money) for joy at the arrival of the new baby. Some mothers may shave the child’s head for fear of envy so that it does not catch the eye.
