Upsherin. Son turns three right before Pesach

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 11:49 am

My baby is growing up!!

His birthday is the day of bedikas chametz. Trying to figure out how to celebrate his upsherin.

When would you do haircut? Does it have to be that day?

Party? I'm thinking maybe chol hamoed... I don't think anyone will want to come to a party on his actual birthday

What about going to cheder? Schools aren't in session on his actual birthday.

amother

Clematis

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 11:51 am

I'd do the haircut & party the night before. Maybe kosher l'pesach party. You can't cut hair on chol hamoed, so it has to be done before pesach.
I guess cheder he'll just miss.

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 11:55 am

tichellady wrote:

doesn't have to be exact day. I would do it after pesach

But it will be sefira. So no haircuts or parties.

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 11:56 am

amother Clematis wrote:

I'd do the haircut & party the night before. Maybe kosher l'pesach party. You can't cut hair on chol hamoed, so it has to be done before pesach.
I guess cheder he'll just miss.

That makes sense for the haircut.

About the party I'm not going to make a huge affair but I don't know if people would come at such a crazy time.

Maybe if I served supper for the kids though... thinking about it

amother

Floralwhite

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 11:57 am

We had similar. We cut the hair on the night of the birthday, and made a brunch for everyone on chol hamoed. It was beautiful. Our minhag to do a cheder feerin is really strong so we did that on the first day back to school.

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 11:58 am

amother Floralwhite wrote:

Thank you! That sounds perfect.

What did you serve at the brunch?

amother

Floralwhite

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:02 pm

amother OP wrote:

Thank you! That sounds perfect.

What did you serve at the brunch?

If you have a regular pesach kitchen you have tons of options. If you don’t it might be a little bit harder.
Matzah, cream cheese, butter, jams, eggs, drinks like iced coffee and juice, regular coffee station, lots of fruit, yogurts, lebens, vegetable salad, cheesecake, blintzes, and more, I don’t remember everything. We had potato chips and lollipops for the kids.

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:04 pm

amother Floralwhite wrote:

Sounds great, thank you!

We're a bit more limited with products but I like the idea of also doing cheesecake etc. to make it more special

amother

Feverfew

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:06 pm

My sons was a few days before Pesach so I was able to take him to cheder on his birthday and cut his hair on that day. I rented a bounce type play place one afternoon on chol hamoed for both sides of the family and it was a blast. I did it after lunch so there was no food involved I just brought water and prizes for a sort of self serve goody bag. I couldn't do food on Pesach there are too many different minhagim in our families not everyone would feel comfortable eating in our house.

amother

Clematis

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:07 pm

amother OP wrote:

Sounds great, thank you!

We're a bit more limited with products but I like the idea of also doing cheesecake etc. to make it more special

You have to make sure that people will be able to come on chol hamoed and that people will eat at your house. Not everyone eats at other's homes on pesach.

amother

Floralwhite

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:09 pm

amother Clematis wrote:

You have to make sure that people will be able to come on chol hamoed and that people will eat at your house. Not everyone eats at other's homes on pesach.

I find that unless they’re away, people are always looking for things to do on chol hamoed, and a family brunch is the perfect way to kill a day.
True not everyone eats at others homes, but most people will eat matzah and fruit and have a coffee at their siblings home.

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:10 pm

amother Clematis wrote:

You have to make sure that people will be able to come on chol hamoed and that people will eat at your house. Not everyone eats at other's homes on pesach.

True.

He was a Pesach bris too and I remember we served matza, whole fruit etc. to have options for people who wouldn't mish

My siblings would for sure eat at us but I'm not sure about my husbands'...

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:11 pm

amother Feverfew wrote:

So nice!

How much does renting out that kind of place cost? They were willing to do it on Chol Hamoed when they would be busy?

amother

Floralwhite

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:11 pm

amother OP wrote:

You can also put out whole avocados, whole uncut fruit, unpeeled hard boiled eggs. Most people will eat those things even if they don’t mish.

amother

Maize

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:14 pm

My son has the same birthday and we did a Lag Baomer upsherin.

Edit: His birthday is Erev Pesach.

amother

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:15 pm

amother Maize wrote:

My son has the same birthday and we did a Lag Baomer upsherin.

So that's an option I didn't think of!

You waited to cut his hair till then?

amother

Feverfew

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:24 pm

amother OP wrote:

So nice!

How much does renting out that kind of place cost? They were willing to do it on Chol Hamoed when they would be busy?

It was a few years ago but around $600 for 1.5 hours. It will vary based on number of people and how much time you want. It wasn't a frum place either a bounce u or pump it up and they have hours that they're open for the public and hours that are for parties I don't think that changes chol hamoed. I got the idea from a friend who's mother rents a play place out every year for a family chol hamoed activity.

amother

Stoneblue

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 12:27 pm

I would suggest waiting until Lag b'Omer. It's only another thirty four days, and the timing is much easier.

amother

Babyblue

Tue, Feb 07 2023, 2:42 pm

We asked a shayla actually and we’re guided to do it early rather than late. But as an old lady with crows feet and thinning hair and years of wisdom cut his hair and give out lollipops at sreifas chometz and take him to cheder later or dont