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The celebration is held between six months and two years after the babyโs birth. Eight days before the ceremony, a large hut, theย galma,ย is built and the childโs father invites the familyโs numerous relatives to the naming ceremony. Each guest to the event brings anย qodhaย full of curdled milk as a gift and that is why the ceremony takes place after the heavy spring rains have greened up pastures that provide abundant forage for cows.
The arrival of the guests from the nearby villages indicates that the party is about to start. Seven people, theย Torban,ย help the babyโs father throughout the event. Two sticks, five twigs (one of which is bigger than the others), and a big branch are placed in a row before the entrance of the cow fence. One of the sticks, theย Wades, is for the babyโs father; the other, theย Danis, is for the baby. Two of the twigs, theย ootti, are placed above the door of theย galma; the others, including the largest one, are put on the wall at the bottom of the hut. The branch, calledย Gulanta, is located in the center of the place.
The babyโs father puts a lock of the babyโs hair and his umbilical cord, which has been cut into small pieces and which has been kept by the babyโs mother in a flap of her dress until the day of the ceremony, into a wooden bowl (qorri). Then the father puts theย michira,ย a copper bracelet, which is a symbol of belonging to the tribe, on the babyโs wrist.
The two parents enter theย galmaย to prepare theย buni, a ceremonial drink made with toasted coffee beans and fresh milk. A few drops of oil are poured on the palm of the hands of the guests, and they spread it on their wrist and face. Everybody drinks theย buniย while an elder prays.
Women start milking cows at about nine oโclock in the evening, then everybody gets back to theย galma. The babyโs parents eat eight roasted berries: this gesture symbolizes that their son is now officially entering the family. Some women bring some milk. One of the elders intones a sort of litany, to which everyone responds. Then the father lifts the baby up in his arms and says,ย Wario Gollicha makes jeda jeda, (the babyโs name), the others reply,ย Gudaadi Ateti Abbe bulfad, (โMay the baby grow well, long life to his father and motherโ.)
The invocation is repeated 16 times in turn by the father, mother, grandfather and grandmother (for a total of 64 times). Then a silence filled with mystery falls. After a while the babyโs father starts to sing a song that invites guests to celebrate:ย Ho, hoyoyo jilla, hahahe!ย Another three songs are sung to wish the baby a happy life, many cows, green pastures, and abundant water.
Outside the hut, people dance, women clap their hands, while young people do high jumps as the dance requires. Curdled milk is served to guests uninterruptedly.
At about three oโclock in the morning the dances end. Everyone goes to sleep while the babyโs father and the sevenย torban, remain in theย galmaย and continue to sing until the until the sun rises.
At the beginning of the new day, theย Sorรฌoย sacrifice is performed: the babyโs father slits a bullโs throat. Theย Danisย andย Wadesย sticks are placed under the rivulets of blood so that they get soaked with the bullโs blood, while the reading of good wishes is performed and some pieces of meat are distributed to those who brought milk.
A final ceremony, theย handuraย (umbilical cord) marks the end of the great event. The babyโs father, followed by the mother who holds the baby and by the grandfather, enters the cattle fence; he holds the bowl containing the babyโs umbilical cord and the lock of hair. He then puts pieces of this mixture on the back of some cows, the โbabyโsย handura cowsโ, that symbolize the babyโs legacy, the guarantee for a wealthy life. This ceremony is repeated for four days. Before leaving, the elderly make good wishes and some meat is offered to guests before they return to their own village and their work sun rises.
