Tamil Traditions
In which month is Valaikappu usually performed?
7th month
How many weeks is full-term pregnancy?
40 Weeks
“Love hormone” is called?
Oxytocin
Common first gift for newborns?
Gold
In “Hickory Dickory Dock,” what ran up the clock?
The mouse
What traditional jewelry is worn during the Valaikappu?
Glass Bangles
Which vitamin prevents neural tube defects?
Folic Acid
First milk after birth?
Colostrum
Common Tamil nickname for babies?
Kutty
In “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep,” how many bags of wool does the sheep give?
Three
What does turmeric (manjal) symbolize?
Purity
Baby born before 37 weeks is called?
Preterm
Recovery period after childbirth?
Postpartum
A baby’s first cry shows what?
Breathing
What Tamil lullaby is about a butterfly?
vannathi poochi vannathi poochi, parakkuthu paar...
What is the black dot placed on a baby called?
Drishti Pottu
What dilates to 10 cm during labor?
Cervix
What do most new moms lack?
Sleep
What sound do traditional baby anklets (kolusu) make?
Jingle
What popular Tamil children’s rhyme is about the moon?
“Nila nila odi vaa”
Why is the baby’s head shaved during the 31st day Mottai ceremony?
To remove birth impurities
What connects baby and mother?
Placenta
Emotional mood swings after birth are called?
Baby blues
I help parents carry the baby hands-free.
Baby sling or carrier
In the Tamil rhyme “Aathichudi,” written by the poet Avvaiyar, what letter does every line begin with?
Each line begins with a letter from the Tamil alphabet (A, Aa, E, Ee...). It’s a moral alphabet used in childhood education.