Pidyon haben- baby outfit & garlic question

lucky14

Sun, Jan 24 2016, 1:24 pm

What does the baby usually wear to the Pidyon Haben? Can I just put him in anything I want?

Last edited by lucky14 on Tue, Jan 26 2016, 2:53 pm; edited 1 time in total

LittleDucky

Sun, Jan 24 2016, 1:43 pm

Mine was in a cute outfit that was actually DH's as an infant. But any cute outfit works!

allthingsblue

Sun, Jan 24 2016, 1:54 pm

Of course you can put in anything you want! I haven't heard of any customs (I'm Ashkenazi, maybe sefardim or chassidim have different customs).
I put him in a classy, dressy outfit in baby blue and white.

lucky14

Sun, Jan 24 2016, 8:25 pm

ok. I was just looking at pictures online (I haven't ever been to one) and it looked like most of the babies are wearing either white or blue- with the majority in white. Just making sure it isn't weird to have him in something else.

mommy3b2c

Sun, Jan 24 2016, 9:46 pm

lucky14 wrote:

It depends what you mean by something else. It would be weird to have him in a sweatsuit for example. But any dressy shabbos outfit will do.

lucky14

Tue, Jan 26 2016, 2:54 pm

Thanks for all the answers, I have a cute (non-white) outfit for him to wear. Deff not a sweatsuit Smile

I have another question about the bags of garlic and sugar cubes: how many should I make? One per family attending?

mha3484

Tue, Jan 26 2016, 3:08 pm

I put DS in a little blue knit outfit. Pants and sweater. The bris he wore a sleep dress.

amother

Brown

Tue, Jan 26 2016, 3:25 pm

You can put him in ANYTHING you want!

My SIL put him in a grey pinstripe suit with a pink shirt... he looked like a cool gangsta thug with all the gold jewelry around him. It wasn't traditional, but fitting for her family, who is in the clothing biz.
(Anon because it was quite memorable and less than a year ago.)

ENJOY your simcha! Mazel tov!

agreer

Tue, Jan 26 2016, 3:27 pm

lucky14 wrote:

Thanks for all the answers, I have a cute (non-white) outfit for him to wear. Deff not a sweatsuit Smile

I have another question about the bags of garlic and sugar cubes: how many should I make? One per family attending?

No, make a TON. people take these home and give to friends/family who couldn't attend, as it is a great segula to eat something from a pidyon haben.

If you have extra, you can use it yourself and enjoy the segula for longer!

(People often put it into the cholent.)

amother

Khaki

Tue, Jan 26 2016, 4:13 pm

lucky14 wrote:

Thanks for all the answers, I have a cute (non-white) outfit for him to wear. Deff not a sweatsuit Smile

I have another question about the bags of garlic and sugar cubes: how many should I make? One per family attending?

I agree with agreer Wink

we are also making a pidyon BezH and I called someone who makes sugar and garlic pecklech for a business. She said to make a lot extra because people take a bunch... Mazal tov!

Iymnok

Tue, Jan 26 2016, 4:16 pm

Also put a few garlic heads on the tray. I saw someone put an extra sugar cube box under the tray.

kosher

Tue, Jan 26 2016, 4:40 pm

Ive seen extra sugar cubes put out a few times. And I think you'll never have too much- people take a whole bunch each, and you can always take any leftovers home with you. But make sure someone puts away for you, or take for yourself right away so that you're left with something. There were none left for us at my sons pidyon....

agreer

Tue, Jan 26 2016, 6:29 pm

greenfire wrote:

can you please explain the garlic ?

It's really for a practical purpose.

Apparently, eating something at a PB is equivalent to fasting a bunch of fasts (84?) because it's such a great simcha. So, people put out food that won't spoil, like garlic and sugar, that people can take home and use later and thereby share the z'chus with others.

Garlic and sugar can last a while, so people began giving those out, and it has become tradition.

You can also take home a portion of your meal, but you'd have to refrigerate that, etc...

If you use the garlic/sugar in a pot of soup or cholent, everyone eating from it gets all that merit.

wiki

Wed, Jan 27 2016, 12:18 pm

I love the garlic and sugar custom. You can add them as ingredients in nearly anything cooked, and then your family and guests are virtually (or more than that!) sharing in the attendance at the pidyon haben simcha, even if they weren't physically there.

And I'm a person with no patience for meaningless segula-type practices--but this one is reasonably sensible and so nice!

Ms.MaryMack(inblack)

Wed, Jan 27 2016, 1:34 pm

I think white. I've been to at least five and they all wore white. Dunno why? Maybe the same reason as the bris? Also the gold jewelry stands out on the white