You know how on old TV shows, whenever a baby was about to be born, people would scurry about and inevitably somebody was told to go boil water? What’s the boiling water for? I never got that...
Well, in many Asian cultures, somebody is sent to go get ashes. The fine ashes are placed on a plate by the mother so the baby can be smothered after birth if it is a girl.
How far is Rep. Hirono willing to go to support traditional Asian practices?
For hot towels to wrap the baby in. Because people didn’t know when the baby would actually be born, they would have to keep the water boiling and the towels would have to be kept hot - hence, they had to use ALL the towels in the household.
“... people would scurry about and inevitably somebody was told to go boil water?”
My Great-Grandmother was a midwife. Yes... it is to wrap up the baby (the towel was warm not hot) and to wipe down the Mom. However, it served another purpose as well especially with first time Dads. Some tended to become distressed and they were told to do “helpful things” like boil water, get sheets, etc... It was a way to keep their minds occupied while the Mom and midwife did their job. Focusing attention on something other than the birth pains....
Barbaric.