Like Spitting in a Baby's Mouth

I've just heard that it's a Turkish custom for relatives to spit in a new-born baby's mouth, to convey some of their characteristics to the young fellow.  Anyone know whether this is true?

Comments

[planetologist]

I know that in some regions in Italy spitting is regarded as a good way to ward off evil spirits or to bring good luck. However, it is rather a sort of dry spitting that is practised. So it is not as unhygenic as it may sound - but still rather strange.

[baby boy]

I never heard about it.

[ulas]

i've grown up in turkey, and never heard of such a tradition. but i was always astonished by the different traditions in different regions in turkey, so it might be commonplace in some areas to which i haven't been, but it is certainly not widespread.

[Norbert]

Without having checked the validity of this claim either, I have read somewhere that at some point in history it was a practice of Scottish midwives to place whisky (certainly not whiskey!) in a new born baby's mouth to ward off the evil eye.