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Egypt · Traditions · Hard

What is the name of the ritual marking on the faces and hands of newborn children, using kohl or indigo paste applied by the midwife (daya) seven days after birth during the subu' ceremony?

During the subu' (seventh-day celebration), the daya applies kohl to the newborn's eyes (tahmid, a protective mark against the evil eye) and sometimes an indigo cross on the forehead (tahnik, symbolizing blessing) — the ceremony includes placing the baby in a sieve, stepping over it seven times, and chanting to ward off spirits, a blend of pharaonic and Islamic folk ritual.

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