Valaikaapu
Sign in to saveValaikaappu (in Tamil: ) is a prenatal ceremony or celebration similar to a baby shower, practised as part of Tamil culture by South Indian women from Tamil Nadu and parts of Kanyakumari, as well as regions of Kerala bordering Tamil Nadu, meant to bless a pregnant woman, celebrate her fertility, and prepare the baby and mother-to-be for a safe birth. It is typically held at the 5th month and 7th month of the pregnancy by the mother side of the girl in her mother’s house. It is widely practiced among both the urban and rural populations of the region.
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Encyclopedic overview
7 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- History
- Purpose
- Food at the ceremony
- Similar ceremonies
- Gallery
- References
Valaikaappu (in Tamil: ) is a prenatal ceremony or celebration similar to a baby shower, practised as part of Tamil culture by South Indian women from Tamil Nadu and parts of Kanyakumari, as well as regions of Kerala bordering Tamil Nadu, meant to bless a pregnant woman, celebrate her fertility, and prepare the baby and mother-to-be for a safe birth. It is typically held at the 5th month and 7th month of the pregnancy by the mother side of the girl in her mother’s house. It is widely practiced among both the urban and rural populations of the region.
== Etymology == The etymology could be related to two Tamil words that mean to protect the bangles: valaiyal (வளையல்) which is typically a glass bangle, and kaapu (காப்பு), which means to protect. The equivalent in Malayalam would be (വള) for bangle.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Valaikaapu” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.