celebrate first meal: Okuizome

Okuizome is one of the very important celebration event for baby in Japan.

Usually it is held on the baby's 100th day, (could be 110th or 120th too).

"Okui" means eat and "Zome" means first, so this is the celebration for the baby to eat a meal for the first time.

But you would probably think, 100 days old baby wouldn't eat!!

No, they don't.

The oldest person in the family would pretend to feed the baby and wish to the baby to never suffer from hunger in their life.

Apparently this celebration has started sometime in Heian Era(794). Traditionally 1 soup and 3 vegetables and grilled whole sea bream is the menu to be served.

This is the classic menu.

Osui mono: Clear soup with clams or prawn.

Sekihan: Rice cooked with red beans

Taki mono: Simmered vegetables or chicken

Kou no mono: pickles. usually pickled plum, called Ume boshi  

Hagatame: this is a stone that you could received from temples/shrine. This represent strong teeth. 

Some area use boiled octopus instead of stone.

Tai: a grilled whole Seabream. Symbol of celebration. 

It was Hugo's 100th day yesterday and we did this Okuizome under the blue sky in our garden with close friends.        

As we don't have any family living in UK, Thomas is the oldest person in our family. He pretended to feed Hugo from Sekihan to Hagatame.

Sake is not traditionally on the menu, but as I'm Japanese (and my occupation..) I wish Hugo to have good sake in his life. I used a sparkling sake from Ninki Inc. One day, we would drink sake all together, older Hugo, older us... I'm really looking forward to it.

This is what I've done for today!!

Sekihan

Chikuzen ni: simmered chicken, carrot, shiitake mushroom, and parsnips instead of Japanese taro potato.

Red radish pickle: the color of red and white are also symbol of celebration. You'd see it in any kind of celebration in Japan,  

Ume boshi

Clear soup with Prawn dumpling

Hagatame

And off course, Tai!!!

When Thomas brought the food in front of Hugo's mouth, Hugo looked at it very confused. He must have thought "Mmm..where is my milk?"

 

The ceremony lasted about 6-7 minutes.  After that we enjoyed a nice long BBQ lunch. 

My parents celebrated Okuizome with me, and I'm sure my grandparents also did it with my parents... Just think about it, it is such a amazing custom that carry on for so long, generation after generation. I understand now, how my parents felt and what they wish when they did Okuizome to me when I was a baby.

It's been 100 days since my son was born.

He was so tiny when he's born to this world and hospitalized after... we were so worried about him and we've been through really stressful time at the beginning. 

But he's growing perfectly and we were so happy to cerebrate this day which very important in my culture.       

I'd like to thank everybody who's been really supportive and helpful. Without your support, we won't be here... Really, thank you.

And Congratulations Hugo!! 

昨日、息子ヒュウゴの誕生100日を祝うお食い初めを、我が家で行いました。

いつも親しくしている友人も駆けつけてくれ、青空の下、バーベキューを楽しみつつのお食い初めとなりました。

初節句の二の前にはならないように、今回は結構前からいろいろと考えていました。

初節句は恥ずかしながらも2日前まで気が付かず、気が付いたというのも母との国際電話で、“ヒュウゴ、日本に居たら初節句だねぇー”と言われてから。

それで急遽家にあった折り紙で鯉のぼりを完成させ、ホッと一安心。

海外だし、手に入る分けないし、そんなに大した問題でも…と言う思いは脳裏を過りましたが、長男の、しかも初めての端午の節句をそんな言い訳で見過ごす訳には!!と半ば没頭し(←実は結構楽しかった) 自分でもちょっと納得の鯉のぼりを作りました。

ただ、今回はお食い初め。

これはとっても重要と、何週間も前からトーマスに言い聞かせ、昨日に至りました。

私もトーマスも、家族が近くに住んでいない為、我が家の長老はトーマス。彼がヒュウゴを膝に乗せ、お赤飯から歯固めの石まで順々に食べさせて行きました。

日本酒は…伝統的でもないし、無くても良いのですが、私が日本人である事(そして職業柄)から、ヒュウゴが一生お酒に困らないように、との思いを込めて。

今回、人気酒造のスパークリング酒を使わせて頂きました。

いつか家族そろって、日本酒が飲める日が来るんだろうな。楽しみです。

今回作ったのが、こちらのお食い初め善。

お赤飯ならぬ五穀米。

筑前煮

赤かぶの浅漬け

梅干し

海老シンジョウのお吸い物

歯固めの石

そして鯛!!

鯛は逆向きだった事に焼き上がってから気が付き、他が完璧だっただけにかなりショックでしたが、ま、物は考えよう。お食い初めをする事に意義が有ると自己満足。

お食い初め自体は約6,7分で終了。今回お食い初めを無事に終える事が出来て、日本の大事な文化を一つ達成出来、ホッとしています。

私は両親から、そして私の両親はそのまた両親から、代々お食い初めが受け継がれて来たと言う事、そして皆どんな気持ちで我が子にお食い初めをしたのか、今、親になってみて初めて解ったように思います。
昨日で100日を迎えた息子、産まれた時は本当に小さくて、入退院をしたりで、本当にちゃんと育つのかと心配だったけど、お陰様でこの日を迎える事が出来ました。

ご協力くださった皆様、いつも温かく私達を見守ってくれてる皆様、本当にありがとう。

こうしてお祝い出来るのも、皆のお陰です。

そしてヒュウゴ、おめでとう!!!