Nico's Annaprashan Ceremony

We recently visited Papu Kaku in Chicago to meet L & N's new baby cousin. While we were there, we celebrated with Nico's Annaprashan ceremony.

This ceremony is a Bengali tradition that marks the first time that a baby eats solid food (Nico has already eaten solids, but this time he ate payesh, a rice pudding).

Here is a video of the ceremony - Nico's was short and sweet in comparison to his brother's. First, his uncle feeds him the rice pudding. Then he chooses from among several items out in front of him on a plate - a book, pen, some coins, and some dirt - that indicate his prospects in life. If he chose the book or pen, he is supposed to become a scholar; the coins indicate wealth, i.e. becoming a merchant or businessman; and the dirt signifies becoming a land owner. Watch to see what he picked...