Our neighbours in a nearby mews development celebrated the recent arrival of their latest child with a party. This prompted my Chinese wife to recount a tradition that many Chinese families have, of sending out red-dyed boiled eggs and preserved ginger in a bundle; this acts as an announcement & invitation to meet the new family member and make a gift for the child. I couldn't help thinking of the parallels between this and a traditional English Christening ceremony where invitations are issued (quite apart from the religious overtones) and gifts are given. As a I have a natural interest in these customs (which most regrettably are often fast disappearing) I would be interested in hearing from Chinese friends and colleagues as to the meaning and observance of the Red Eggs & Ginger tradition? Is it still widely observed? Also there may be other cultures that have a similar custom? if you have anything to share on this subject perhaps you would be kind enough to email me on the subject? [log in to unmask] With thanks Roger Read Global Museum - 82 countries, FREE online subscription, the very latest in International News, Views, Vacancies,Virtual Mall, Travel Service, Resources and more! http://www.globalmuseum.org ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).