My cave baby is a Scottish cave baby. One of the customs my extended family wanted to practise with him is called silvering the baby.
Silvering a baby is the tradition of placing a silver coin in a baby's hand, or under a pillow or sheet, the first time you meet him.
The most common interpretation of this ceremony is wishing the baby luck, prosperity and hope that the child never wants for money. Another opinion is that it is a polite way of giving the the family money without embarrassing them, though this doesn't really apply in the age of baby showers and cash gifts.
This tradition shows up in our consumerist culture in the form of silver piggy banks, silver spoons and rattles (Charlotte in New York with a Tiffany's box) and mints offering collector sets of coins for each year.
I think this tradition has a nice, sentimental place in our times. We can openly give money and other helpful gifts to new families without embarrassment, but it is always nice to wish the best for a new baby in a tangible way.
My cave baby now has a brand new coin of his birth year that was handed to him by his great-grandparents, and a collector set of coins from the same year. Something to remind him of a loving family that wants the best for him when he is old enough to understand.
Does your family have any special traditions you had never heard of before you had a baby?
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