Baby Naming

I'll break the bad news first - they didn't pick my name suggestion, so don't get excited that I named a Rwandan baby. But it's all for the best, really.

On Sunday I went to Christine's baby's naming ceremony. It is a tradition that after about a month, every Rwandan child is given a baby naming ceremony. Before this time - you guessed it- the baby doesn't have a name.

All the family and friends gather at the house. We were served Fanta and ate a meal. The baby made her grand entrance, and then was passed around so everyone could have a look. The children of the family came in and all offered a name, which was quite adorable. I think some of them just recommended their own name, which was a tactic I thought of too. Then one by one the adults each offered a name. At the end the parents proclaim the name to everyone. In this case, they had already decided beforehand. They get to pick a first name and a last name.

So welcome baby Nacia to the world. (Pronounced like Nadia but with a 'sea' in the middle.) Christine can now be called Mama Nacia, which nicely rolls off the tongue.