Thu, Apr 26, 2007
Choices
There’s a tradition from the Polish side of my family that, on their first birthday, children are presented with four objects to see what they’ll reach for: a Bible, a piece of food, some money, and a pen. What do you suppose Lucy chose?
Here’s video of the event, so you can see for yourself. It’s a 5.1 MB download and runs 1'45".
Note: If you can’t see the video, you may simply need to update your free QuickTime plugin.
For the historical record, here’s an extract from a letter my Mom wrote to my Grandma Borzykowski after my own first birthday, back in 1967:
I gave him an apple instead of bread because I knew he’d eat the bread first thing. As it happened he touched the apple first anyway and then with his right hand on the Bible he touched the money and the pen.
I’d say the Bible-and-pen thing has played out nicely, but what’s with the money? (And is this penchant for the apple an early sign that I’d be a Mac user?)
This post was last modified April 26, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Kriss Marion said,
April 26, 2007, at 7:55 pm
Oh – I missed the birthday! I thought it was today, You are just gorgeous, Lucy! Looks like she’ll be a Mac user, too. Nice piano in the background, there.
Jon said,
April 26, 2007, at 8:07 pm
Yeah, Kriss — Lucy loves to tickle those ivories that y’all so graciously left behind here in Chicago for us. She can’t quite see them, but she reaches up over her head and plunks them up and down the scale….
young chang said,
April 27, 2007, at 9:34 am
Wow – they do a very similar thing in Korea! Can’t remember all the elements, but I will look them up!
So what do all the elements mean? Future profession? Bent? Does this mean she’ll be a foodie? =)
young chang said,
April 27, 2007, at 9:36 am
A little bit more elaborate of a celebration:
http://www.lifeinkorea.com/culture/tol/tol.cfm?xURL=table
Jon said,
April 27, 2007, at 9:53 am
Thanks for the comparative culture, Young. Very interesting. Like the Korean ceremony, this version is supposed to predict the baby’s future profession or skills.