Around the World Series • The Pillar of 'Ritual & Celebrate'

Honouring motherhood through culture, tradition and care

In many traditional cultures, motherhood is treated as sacred. It is a time when the mother is held just as gently as the baby.

We believe in slowing down and honouring this tender transition. Our core pillar for August, Ritual and Celebrate, is an invitation to pause, reflect and embrace the cultural wisdom that helps mothers feel seen, supported and cared for.

Ritual brings intention into healing. It is the thread that connects us to our ancestors. It offers space to honour the body, the spirit and the quiet moments that often go unnoticed.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the postpartum window is known as a critical time for recovery and restoration. The body is seen as open and vulnerable after birth, and this is when warmth, nourishment and deep rest become essential to bring balance back to the mother’s system. Practices that support qi, replenish blood and care for yin are not only restorative, they are preventative and deeply rooted in long-term wellbeing.

This month, we are sharing beautiful postpartum traditions from around the world. Each one reflects the essence of care, connection and ceremony. These practices remind us that across cultures, mothers are never meant to heal alone.

Malayan Chinese Postpartum Tradition: Bengkung Belly Binding

In Malaysian Chinese culture, belly binding, also known as Bengkung, is a traditional practice that supports the healing body after birth.

After a mother gives birth, the womb is left with an empty space where the baby and placenta once lived. Bengkung helps to gently close that space, giving the mother a sense of being physically held and energetically supported.

This practice holds personal meaning for our founder, U-Fhern, who experienced belly binding in Melbourne with the help of her doula Addison. It was a moment of deep connection to cultural heritage and the body’s own wisdom.

Armenian Postpartum traditions: ‘Atamhatik’

In the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, families honour a baby’s first tooth through a celebration known as Atamhatik.

During the gathering, symbolic items are placed in front of the baby to help imagine their future path. In some regions, a knife is included with the hope that the next baby in the family will be a boy.

These traditions reflect the importance of family, legacy and the joyful marking of life’s earliest milestones.

Latin American Postpatum Traditions: ‘La Cerrada’

In Latin America tradition, La Cerrada, also known as Closing the Bones, is a sacred
postpartum ritual that supports the physical and emotional integration of birth.

The practice involves wrapping the mother’s body with a rebozo, a traditional shawl, at seven key points from head to toe. It creates a safe container for the mother to rest and release.

This ritual acknowledges that birth is not only physical, it is emotional and transformative. La Cerrada offers mothers a space to feel nurtured, grounded and whole.

Australian Aboriginal Postpartum Traditions: Smoke Cleansing and Grounding

In some Aboriginal communities in North Queensland, postpartum healing begins with a cleansing ritual using smoke and earth.

The mother crouches over a fire of acacia leaves and sandalwood chips, allowing the smoke to rise and gently cleanse the womb. After this, the mother and baby are painted with white ochre and placed in front of an Iron Wood tree while water is thrown onto the fire, sending more smoke into the air.

This ritual is deeply spiritual and grounded in connection to land, lineage and the body. It is a powerful reminder that healing happens within community and culture.

What Ritual and Celebrate Looks Like in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

A time to restore, rebalance and be held with care.

In TCM, the postpartum period is seen as a sacred window for deep healing. The body is open, energy is delicate, and the need for gentle support becomes vital.

Practices during this time focus on restoring balance through warmth, nourishment and rest. From slow-cooked herbal soups to rituals that replenish qi and blood, each act is intentional. It’s not only about physical recovery, but about honouring the transformation of the mother — body, heart and spirit.

Ritual and Celebrate in TCM is quiet and powerful. It is ancestral wisdom in practice, where healing becomes an act of love passed down through generations.

Across cultures and generations, rituals have long marked life’s tender transitions. They create space to slow down, to honour the body, and to connect with something greater than ourselves.

As we explore Ritual and Celebrate this August, may these stories from around the world remind us that motherhood is never meant to be walked alone. It is a journey to be witnessed, supported and cherished.

Whether your ritual is rooted in heritage or shaped by your own rhythm, it holds value. It is care with intention. A quiet celebration. A return to self.

This month and always, we invite you to pause, reflect and celebrate all that you are — because every mother deserves to be held in her healing.

Source:

https://elan.house/blogs/around-the-world-series/around-the-world-series-traditional-malaysian-chinese-birthing-practices-1 

https://elan.house/blogs/around-the-world-series/around-the-world-series-armenian-postpartum-traditions

https://elan.house/blogs/around-the-world-series/around-the-world-series-traditional-latin-america-postpartum-practices

https://elan.house/blogs/around-the-world-series/around-the-world-series-traditional-australian-aboriginal-birthing-practices

 

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