A Baby Shower: Chinese Style! Learn about 满月酒 (mǎnyuèjiǔ)

Up until the 1960s, China had a birthrate of about six children per woman. Since then, the birthrate has gone down drastically to between one or two per woman. This means that children are receiving extra attention in the family. When children in China turn one month old (their first moon phase), parents want to welcome them and introduce them to friends and family with a grand celebration. We call this party a "满月酒 (mǎnyuèjiǔ)".

Before I explain more about what exactly a "满月酒 (mǎnyuèjiǔ)" is, let me explain why I enjoy teaching it to my Mandarin Chinese students. This celebration involves many aspects and symbols of Chinese culture that foreigners find peculiar and interesting.

First, why is it called "满月酒 (mǎnyuèjiǔ)"?
满月 (mǎnyuè): full moon; a baby's completion of its first month of life;
酒 (jiǔ): liquor, spirits, which also represent a celebration in this case.

My students find our discussion of 满月酒 (mǎnyuèjiǔ) so interesting because it shows the Chinese obsession with moon phases. Also, many Chinese superstitions are on display during the 满月酒 (mǎnyuèjiǔ) party. Eggs dyed red "红蛋 (hóngdàn)" are given as gifts, with the egg itself symbolizing fertility, its roundness symbolizing harmony and the red color good fortune and happiness, as seen in the famous Chinese red envelope stuffed with cash on holidays and occasions. Additionally, gifts are given out as an even number (for good luck).

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Today, I want to teach you a fun way to describe rain. I taught this colloquial term to some of my students and they just loved it! It is a very imaginative word that makes the weather sound much more interesting. Furthermore, it always rains in southern cities in China, especially in the early months of summer. This word can give you more ways to talk about these daily rains and describe a very specific type!

毛毛雨 (máomáoyǔ) — drizzle; light rain.
毛 (máo): hair, fur, feathers; coarse.
雨 (yǔ):rain; rainy.

Southern China is covered in a drizzle in spring. That means from the end of February until the middle of April, there is an unceasing light rain. This rain was dubbed 毛毛雨 (máomáoyǔ) because the falling rain is light like feathers. This is also a cute way to lighten the mood when you are dealing with humid weather and constant rain clouds.

Examples:
Xià le yìtiān de máomáoyǔ.
下 了 一天 的 毛毛雨。
It had been drizzling all day.

Wǒ bù xǐhuān xià máomáoyǔ de tiānqì!
我 不 喜欢 下 毛毛雨 的 天气！
I don't like rainy weather!