Hinduism
Hinduism has their own rites of passages and is named "samskara". In Sanskrit (book with various beautiful poems) the word "samskara" means, "making perfect" and therefore, the the ceremony of refinement is raising the child passed their physical limits. The Hindu rites of passage is all about making their minds pristine and reinforce their spiritual existence. The beginning of the Samskaras were the most important and the boulder of the beginning of a new life. The Hinduism rites of passages for birth includes; Simantoyannayanam, Nama Karana, Anna Prashanna, Mundan.
Simantoyannayanam (Baby Shower)
Before the baby is born, the samskara is performed. Simantoyannayanam is usually performed in either the fourth, sixth or either month of a woman's pregnancy. This will secure and improve the health of the mother and unborn child. This ceremony was like an antique baby shower meaning "parting of the hair." People invited to this ceremony consists of; priest, mantras and there is a fire ceremony performed during the period of the husband placing vermilion in the parting of her hair. The mother receives gifts from the family members and friends for the coming new born. After this ceremony, a meal is served.
Nama Karna
Nama Karana is when the Hindu child receives their name. Traditionally, the name would be decided around the 11th day after birth but due to change in culture, Western hospitals demand a fully written birth certificate within few hours of birth. Now, the child's name is decided without an official ceremony but many times, the family will contact an astrologer or priest to check the horoscope to see what the name would be for the child.
Anna Prashanna
Next is the ceremony of anna prashanam or the ceremony of "feeding the grains." The ceremony would include the priest and six months after birth, the child would eat his first solid food. Usually, the grains of rice would be sweet and would be offered to God through the fire and made into prasada. The prasada is then fed to the child to be eaten. Therefore, a Hindu child's first solid food would be prasada, spiritual food.
Mundan (First Hair Cutting)
In this ceremony, the child cuts his hair for the first time after 14 months of birth. Usually when the soft spot in the skull of the child vanishes, the child cuts his hair. The friends of families and priests as well as the family themselves would gather in a home or a temple. Mantras would be recited and the priest with the help of the father would cut small locks of hair from four sides of the child's head. After the ceremony, the child must go to a barber and shave the rest of his hair off. The reason for this is because the first hair from the time of birth is thought to be impure so shaving it off would be like removing a burden off your back. The main purpose of this ceremony is for purification like the Christian baptism. The beauty of the child is gone and must take time to grow back, but the shaving of the head is a sacrifice and in exchange they ask God for long life and prosperity for their child.