Baby gifts in Lao culture

September 10, 2021 10:41 AM

Are there any Lao MeFites who could help me out?

A dear friend of mine just had her first baby - a boy. The baby is half white, half Lao and will be raised in a predominantly white part of Western Canada. My friend has expressed that she would very much like for the baby to be connected with his culture/heritage but worries he won’t have many opportunities to do so outside his own family.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a gift I could give that would be representative of the culture? Are there any traditions I could follow? Obviously, I want to be respectful and culturally appropriate.

Thanks in advance!

posted by oywiththepoodles to Society & Culture (1 answer total)

I don't know what traditional baby gifts would be but you could get a piece of traditional Lao textile that could be hung on the wall in his room or even, if the fabric is newer and washable, made into a quilt. Traditional male clothing includes something called a pha biang and if you google that you'll find lots of examples.
posted by mareli at 3:23 PM on September 10, 2021 [1 favorite]