Palau - Postcards from Paradise

Ngasech - Childbirth Ceremony

Like in many cultures, the birth of a child is always regarded as a joyous event celebrated by parents and families alike. In all the tiny islands of Micronesia, no one celebrates this event with so much spirit and passion like the people of Palau, a home of the exquisite Rock Islands, a Mecca for diving enthusiasts, and an island rich in traditions. Travelers to Palau cannot miss but witness some of its unique traditions such as the spectacular "storyboards", famous for depicting stories and legends of Palau; the stone money beads called "udoud" worn by local women; the "abai", a traditional men¹s meeting house uniquely designed and built with local wood ("dort") on a raised platform of stones. But what is also a very unique and bold Palauan tradition is the event known as "Ngasech", which is a childbirth ceremony celebrated after the birth of a firstborn. The event is more than an immediate family-affair; in fact it is rather a delightful event that brings together close and distant relatives including clans and even villages.

For every Palauan woman, the first birth is a special time for the newborn, the proud mother and father and all of their families. Usually 2-3 months after giving birth, the new mother is traditionally required to undergo an intense cleansing process before she could be seen in public. During the cleansing process, which lasts between 4-10 days depending on her clan tradition, the new mother is rubbed daily with coconut oils and turmeric, a yellow gingerroot, massaged and bathe with steaming herbal leaves and plants throughout each day of the therapeutic bath. The process is meant to help heal the body and mind and reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Once the cleansing is completed, the new mother's family, particularly her maternal uncle and some of her male relatives are responsible for preparing a huge feast for everyone. On the last day commemorating this special ceremony, she is rubbed one more time with the yellow ginger and coconut oil mixture, dressed in her family¹s traditional grass skirt and decorated with flowers. Her husband's relatives would adorn her with their family bead money. Finally, she is then ready to be brought and presented to the families and the public.

The celebration starts off with ritualistic introductions and dances, then it turns into an extended dance party with live vibrant tropical music and an abundance of food and drinks enough to feed an army with the feast lasting for hours. So remember if you are planning a trip to Palau, make sure to attend a "Ngasech" and sample the rich traditions of the islands.

Watch the Video - Ngasech: Childbirth Ceremony

Instructions for streaming video:

Download the Windows or Mac version of Windows Media Player if it is not already installed on your computer.

For Windows users click on the name of the video you want to access.

For Mac users, open Windows Media Player, go to the File menu, click on Open Location.

Copy the link location from the video you want to view and paste it into the locatio

Childbirth Ceremony courtesy of Leah Salii and Alex Kaluu -new proud parents
Video courtesy of Blanche and Kate Salii
Written by Brenda Tarimel


Ngasech - Childbirth Ceremony Like in many cultures, the birth of a child is always regarded as a joyous event celebrated by parents and families alike. In all the tiny islands of Micronesia, no one celebrates this event with so much spirit and passion like the people of Palau, a home of the exquisite Rock Islands, a Mecca for diving enthusiasts, and an island rich in traditions. Travelers to Palau cannot miss but witness some of its unique traditions such as the spectacular "storyboards", famous for depicting stories and legends of Palau; the stone money beads called "udoud" worn by local women; the "abai", a traditional men¹s meeting house uniquely designed and built with local wood ("dort") on a raised platform of stones. But what is also a very unique and bold Palauan tradition is the event known as "Ngasech", which is a childbirth ceremony celebrated after the birth of a firstborn. The event is more than an immediate family-affair; in fact it is rather a delightful event that brings together close and distant relatives including clans and even villages. For every Palauan woman, the first birth is a special time for the newborn, the proud mother and father and all of their families. Usually 2-3 months after giving birth, the new mother is traditionally required to undergo an intense cleansing process before she could be seen in public. During the cleansing process, which lasts between 4-10 days depending on her clan tradition, the new mother is rubbed daily with coconut oils and turmeric, a yellow gingerroot, massaged and bathe with steaming herbal leaves and plants throughout each day of the therapeutic bath. The process is meant to help heal the body and mind and reduce the appearance of stretch marks. Once the cleansing is completed, the new mother's family, particularly her maternal uncle and some of her male relatives are responsible for preparing a huge feast for everyone. On the last day commemorating this special ceremony, she is rubbed one more time with the yellow ginger and coconut oil mixture, dressed in her family¹s traditional grass skirt and decorated with flowers. Her husband's relatives would adorn her with their family bead money. Finally, she is then ready to be brought and presented to the families and the public. The celebration starts off with ritualistic introductions and dances, then it turns into an extended dance party with live vibrant tropical music and an abundance of food and drinks enough to feed an army with the feast lasting for hours. So remember if you are planning a trip to Palau, make sure to attend a "Ngasech" and sample the rich traditions of the islands. Watch the Video - Ngasech: Childbirth Ceremony

	Instructions for streaming video: Download the Windows or Mac version of Windows Media Player if it is not already installed on your computer. For Windows users click on the name of the video you want to access. For Mac users, open Windows Media Player, go to the File menu, click on Open Location. Copy the link location from the video you want to view and paste it into the locatio

Childbirth Ceremony courtesy of Leah Salii and Alex Kaluu -new proud parents Video courtesy of Blanche and Kate Salii Written by Brenda Tarimel