Does the Anti-Drooling ceremony help to stop drooling in babies?

We are creating memories with our Little Ones (LOs) when they are four months old! We will never see them in their four-month-old selves once we pass this phase. 🥹

When a baby turns 4 months old in Taiwan, his or her parents will host an “Anti-Drooling” ceremony, known as Shou Xian (收涎) or Siu-Nua in Hokkien. Literally, the ceremony is to bless the baby so that they do not drool (Hello, anti-drool!) and have a smooth teething journey. Now, this is not only limited to Taiwan, but many parents all over the world are also jumping on the bandwagon to celebrate their babies’ growth!

As my baby turned 4 months old while writing this article, I went to learn more about this ceremony.

Photo by Lisa: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-toddler-holding-cookie-4124471/

What happens during the ceremony?

Food items are presented to the baby, and each food item has its own meaning. After the ceremony, the food is eaten by the baby’s parents and/or guests. Here are some optional food items:

• Spring onion: Brush the spring onion on top of the baby’s head. In Mandarin Chinese, spring onion is cōng (葱), while the word for “clever” or “smart” is 聪明 (cōngmíng). Because of this homophone, this food symbolises cleverness.
• Chicken drumstick^: Let the baby lick the drumstick 🍗. This symbolises that they will eat well in the future.
• Prawns^: Let the baby lick the prawn 🍤. In Cantonese, prawn is ha (虾), which sounds like laughter (“ha ha”). Because of this homophone, this food symbolises happiness.
• Tofu^: Let the baby lick the tofu. Typically, tofu represents a smooth, “clean” start. Hence, this food symbolises rising in rank/position.

^Ensure that the food is prepared by boiling thoroughly without any sauces or condiments.

Here is the real MVP of the ceremony:

• Slobber cookies/ Anti-drooling biscuits*: 12 biscuits are strung with a red thread and hung around the baby’s neck. They are then rubbed against the baby’s mouth (lightly) to “dry up” his or her saliva. If you have guests attending the ceremony, the guests may take turns rubbing biscuits around the baby’s lips while saying blessings.

*Personally, I used Marie biscuits and threaded a red sewing thread through the holes with a sewing needle. 🧵

Another item involved in the ceremony is the red packet (ang bao). This symbolises good luck and blessings to the baby. If the ceremony is done within the immediate family, only the parents give the red packet to the baby. If relatives are invited, grandparents and elder relatives are typically the ones to give red packets.

At the end of the day, does the anti-drooling ceremony help in stopping the baby’s drool?

Honestly, it is not a scientific solution. However, these ceremonies are performed for cultural and/or social purposes. We are creating memories with our Little Ones (LOs) when they are four months old! We will never see them in their four-month-old selves once we pass this phase. 🥹

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