Jewish Traditions for Bris Party Decorations
The bris, also called the brit milah, is the Jewish circumcision ceremony. This ceremony is always performed on the eighth day after a child is born, unless it's not possible for medical reasons, in which case it is delayed until it is safe to perform the circumcision. Although the bris is a serious religious ceremony, decorations are not uncommon.
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Need for Decorations
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It is relatively common for the bris to be held in the home of the child, in which case many people decorate at least a little. However, in other cases decorating may not be possible. Sometimes a bris is performed in a hospital, or at the synagogue, so the parents may not have the option of decorating.
Decorating for a Home Bris
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Traditional decorations include flowers and candles placed in the room where the food is set out for the guests, and candles lighting the room where the ceremony is performed. Although some party decorating companies now offer balloon centerpieces to be used for decorating a home for a bris, this doesn't fall in line with tradition.
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Religious Decorations
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Some people also decorate a special chair in the room where the bris is performed. This chair is reserved for Elijah, who is said to attend the bris of every Jewish boy. Provide a pillow for the lap of the person who holds the baby during the ceremony. Another option is to decorate a 30-inch-by-30-inch cloth to swaddle the baby in, which is often later cut into four separate pieces and used to create a 15-inch-by-60-inch banner to commemorate the event during future special occasions.
Considerations
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If you are in doubt about what type of decorations you should use for your child's bris, speak with the mohel you have chosen. Different mohels have different guidelines or requirements that families must follow, so confer with your mohel so you know what is expected of you before, during and immediately after the ceremony. For example, some mohels prefer you feed the baby before the ceremony and others want you to wait until after the ceremony to limit the risk of the baby vomiting during the surgery.
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References
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