Just for Fun: Fertility Rituals Around the World

Fertility rituals bind communities together. Couples trying to conceive may enjoy the camaraderie created by studying fertility rituals from other cultures. Many fertility rituals originate from generations past. The desire for a child binds humanity through the ages.

A Toast to Fertility

While many of us know that there are foods considered to be aphrodisiacs, it’s interesting to note that men and women hoping to boost their fertility can enjoy a special beer in some cultures. Bars in Zimbabwe provide a combination of beer and baboon urine to boost conception rates. Though popular, health officials in the country don’t recommend this practice. Additionally, instructions on collecting baboon urine are not readily available.

Underwear

While there are pubs and clubs that use women’s underwear as part of the decor, the Yansi people of Congo use their underwear to demonstrate their hope of conception. During a waning moon, the Yansi toss their underwear on the roof of their homes. The timing of the collection of their underwear isn’t specific.

Furniture

Saint Maria Francesca of the Five Wounds of Christ is reported to have died in a chair in Naples in 1791. Pope Pius IX canonized her as the patron saint of women struggling to conceive a child. The nuns who maintain the small apartment where the chair is stored have lined the walls with photos and birth announcements of babies born to the women who believe they’ve been blessed by the chair. You can combine a romantic weekend in Italy with a visit to this shrine.

Dragons

Dragons are believed to be a strong indicator of male virility and fertility. Practitioners of Feng Shui encourage those trying to conceive to include a small dragon in the décor of their homes. Kuan Yin, or Guan Yin, is known as the bodhisattva of compassion. In some periods of Chinese art, the image of Kuan Yin is standing on a coiled dragon. If you want to maintain the male to female ratio of energy in your home, consider using her image in combination with the power of the dragon.

Water

In Holloko, Hungary, women who wish to conceive can participate in a dousing ceremony. In a ritual dating back to the second century, women line the streets of this village on Easter Sunday while men in traditional costume throw water on them. This custom is believed to cleanse the women and bless them with fertility. The temperature of the water appears to make no difference, though the act of conception may warm up the participants after the fertility ritual.

Crawling in Cornwall

There’s a stone in a field on a farm in Cornwall with remarkable powers. If your back hurts, crawl through it nine times to relieve the “crick” or pain in your spine. Women hoping to conceive crawl through it seven times. The location of the stone is believed to be part of the tracking of the autumnal equinox, so the direction of the movement of the sun in relation to the hole in the stone is key.

Conclusion

No matter your fertility goals, it seems cultures all over the world have devised methods of aiding in conception. If you and your partner are suffering from conception stress, looking up various fertility rituals may add a bit of fun to your conception plan.