Traditional family customs and ceremonies of Belarusians

Abstract

On the basis of published and field expedition materials, the author describes the folk knowledge, regulations of woman’s behavior during pregnancy and childbirth, obstetric and ritual-magical actions of midwives, customs of naming a child, visiting the lying-in woman, choosing godparents, rites of celebrating baptisms, signs and beliefs related to the baby’s first bath, his first steps, speech, haircut.