Il-Quċċija: Baby's Future Predictions at First Birthday Party

Il- Quccija A Guide To Maltese Traditions With Product Suggestions and Ideas for your Child's First Birthday Party, After Christening

Il- Quċċija is a Maltese tradition that is celebrated at a child’s first birthday party, a local custom that is believed to predict a baby’s future. This is an anticipated, one-time ritual which involves the placement of several items, which are representative of different career and lifestyle choices, onto a tray and presented to the child at a distance. It’s showtime, baby! There is now an unspoken agreement for guests to vocally compel the child to crawl towards the tray and choose their future, no pressure!

Fortunately, there are no strict rules to this Maltese folklore. In fact, in an innocent attempt at increasing the child’s chances of grabbing an object of 'desire', one can expect to witness relatives make several last-minute arrangements to the tray, having the rest of the party goers collapse into laughter at the calculated repositioning. The actual choice of gadgets presented to the child is also within the discretion of the baby’s parents or quċċija organizer at the time of the event. Especially since technological advancements have created new occupational trends, one may notice a diverse array of products representing trending jobs at different quċċijas. Continue reading our personalized, fun guide to Il- Quċċija to find out your baby’s future. 

Swanky Boutique’s Fun Guide to Il-Quċċija including a list of items and what they traditionally mean

  1. Book – An Academic

Congratulations! Your child was born with a graduate degree. Your budding academic would absolutely love our wide range of educational, Hardback Books and Board Books for children. We highly recommend that you design a cosy, reading nook to nourish your child’s love for learning. Our luxurious, velvet Bunny Beanbag and Teepee Tent from our Latvian children’s brand ‘Wigiwama’ together with our best-selling biography series for children ‘Little People, Big Dreams’ will create the most perfect space for your child to discover their passions and interests in life. 

  1. Ball – Sportsman

Hurray! Your offspring will find athletic success and fulfil their life’s purpose to become a superstar sportsman. Go ahead and start them young with our sensory Boing Ball made by the much-loved British children’s brand ‘Jellycat’. Buying this ball will not only have you actively supporting their destiny to become a ball game sporting star but it will also keep them entertained for hours on end until they’re good enough to make the team!

  1. Colouring Book – Artist

A person’s artistic impulse is undeniably strong during the early years of childhood as children learn how to draw, paint and construct images of the world with pencils, paint, clay and chalk. However, your beautiful child is set to outlive this phase to become a world-famous artist; its written in the stars! Go ahead and support this creative spirit by allowing your tiny tot to engage in a hands-on creative endeavor with one of our award-winning, educational ‘Orchard Toys’ Colouring Books. They’ll love it!

  1. Comb – Hairdresser

Setting trends or solving problems is on the cards for your driven, boss baby. Are you looking to support your little one’s love for hairdressing? Unleash your child’s imagination and create your own trendy hairstyle masterpiece with our amazing, wooden Hairdressing Kit for kid’s who enjoy doing their own hair. With all the right hairdressing equipment, the sky is the limit!

  1. Egg – Full Life

The egg is a symbol of life. To pick an egg during il-Quċċija is to pick a life that’s well-lived. This is a cause for celebration as your mini-me shall go on to live a meaningful and fulfilling life. We’ve heard through the grapevine that actually cooking the egg post il-Quċċija is the only way to claim this blessing and in any case we’d kindly like ours cooked sunny-side up, please.

  1. Makeup – Makeup Artist

Was your child born with lipstick in one hand and a pocket-sized mirror in the other? Ours too! Your little angel was simply born to create. Using the human body as a medium for their artistry, they’re likely to end up working in theatre, television, film, fashion or magazines. The world is their oyster! If you think your little one is too young to play with real makeup, you may still foster their creativity with our wooden Makeup Set made by the beautiful Danish children’s brand ‘By Astrup’. It’s a lovely kit that includes 13 different pieces, such as wooden nail polishes, lipsticks, eye pencil, makeup brush, perfume, nail file, mascara, eyeshadow, rouge, day cream with pump and of course the all-important makeup bag. This gift will encourage important child play in the context of developing a child’s social skills and may also help strengthen their fine motor control and coordination.

  1. Money – Banker

Junior was simply born to be banker! Good financial advice is rare to come by so if we were you we would cash in on your little one’s wealth management tips ASAP. Having a fun, pretend play session with an educational goal is the reason why we’ve stocked up on our Play Money, designed and manufactured by ‘MaMaMeMo’ in Denmark. It’s a fantastic way to make money-smart kids!

  1. Musical Instrument – Musician

The power of music is wondrous. If you’ve noticed that your child has a high beat sensitivity and flair for music, milk it for all its worth as it’s a gift that should not go to waste! While science has proven that all babies naturally respond to the sound of music, the chosen ones are born with a strong sense of rhythm. Let the music begin with our Musical Instruments collection featuring a beautiful Grand Piano with 30 keys and a stool, cool Guitars to accompany children on their journey to become a singer-songwriter and of course, the money beat Drum Sets that will entertain your little sensory seekers for hours on end.

  1. Plane – Pilot

Any one thing that has successfully managed to defy gravity has always acted as a source of fascination and inspiration to children and adults alike. Is your little one fixated on the mystery of flight? It looks like your child is likely to pursue a career in aviation. As a parent, take this as an opportunity to give your child the roots to stay grounded and wings to fly! Nourish your child’s longing to fly with our sustainable, beech wood Jet Plane that will fit perfectly into your child’s little hands and pockets for indoor and outdoor adventures.

  1. Pots & Pans – Chef

Great news! Your child is now eligible to apply and compete on the famous American TV Show ‘Junior MasterChef’. Their innate passion for food combined with their closet culinary abilities is a homemade recipe for success. Our vast range of kitchen accessories, such as the Cookware Play Set from the innovative Swedish children’s brand ‘Kid's Concept’, will provide a delicious entry point for your child to unveil their junior chef within.

  1. Rosary Bead – Clergyperson

Malta is a predominantly Roman catholic country, making it highly probable that your Maltese grandparents or elderly are your go-to lenders of the rosary bead. Did you know? Picking a rosary bead is foreshadowing your child’s future allegiance to God. Your little baby is an up-and-coming priest or nun and will most likely devote their life to God to form part of a clergy. This just may be your one-way ticket to heaven!

  1. Toothbrush – Dentist

Brace yourselves…It looks as though dentistry is on the cards for your little one. You’ve hit the jackpot, free dental care forever here you come! And the earlier they prepare to become a real dentist, the better. We’ve got you covered with our wooden Dentist Set made in Thailand by the sustainable children’s brand ‘Plan Toys’. This product was specifically designed to help children understand the importance of tooth care through role play. The set includes 4 basic dental tools, 1 toothbrush, 1 set of teeth with 3 spare teeth and 1 doctor’s case. It’s an eco-friendly, educational toy that will also enhance your child’s cognitive development. It’s a win-win situation.

  1. Tools – Handyman

Becoming a handyman is no easy feat! And according to your baby future prediction, your little one has an innate understanding of electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems. Woah, now that’s impressive! Encourage your mini skilled worker in the making to engage in a purposeful, pretend play session by kindly asking them to ‘help’ with a couple of chores around the house to enhance their problem-solving skills using our super cool, toy Toolbox made by Little Dutch. This wooden toolbox consists of 20 pieces and is guaranteed to keep your little one busy pretend fixing things around the house for hours on end.

Like this blog? Share our fun guide with your loved ones to entertain and inform them on their baby's future predictions. 


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