Pidyon Haben... tell me what to expect!

YounginBP

Tue, Aug 02 2022, 12:14 pm

Are you the mom?
Can you outsource some of the preps?

You need little baggies of garlic and sugar. Lots of them. You also need a box to put them into. That goes under the baby while the Kohen says the bracha. In our family the baby goes on a silver tray on top of the box.

There is a gemach for the box.

You need coins.

Find a Kohen.

It is nice to put a little baggy/box by each persons place. Party favor like.

Simple for under baby https://www.amazon.com/Hopttre.....r=8-2

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=whi.....p_6_9
If you can find in white https://www.amazon.com/Butterf.....r=8-8
https://www.amazon.com/driew-D.....=8-19

m-u-a-mama

Tue, Aug 02 2022, 1:14 pm

Make sure you get a picture of baby on the tray!
Long story but I didn't and only realized afterwards and I cried for DAYS (PP hormones may or may not have contributed;) but really it's a once in a lifetime event, appoint someone to take pictures and make sure they know how to work your camera (don't ask Can't Believe It

)

imaima

Tue, Aug 02 2022, 1:18 pm

mrsnistar wrote:

Hi! I'm iyH making a pidyon haben soon, and I've only been to 2 in my life, most recently 16 years ago...
What should I expect? What do I need to prepare/do?
Thanks!

Are you a mother of the baby? Grandma?

You need festive food, pekalach (little bags pf sugar and garlic), a tray for the baby, jewelry

nightingale1

Tue, Aug 02 2022, 1:31 pm

Kohen and coins are most important. The other things are minhag/cultural.

Edit: sometimes it can be difficult to find the coins. I suggest making this your first priority!
Also, what box? Never heard of that. I’ve only ever seen a tray. You put the garlic sugar bags and jewelry on the tray with the baby.

penguin

Tue, Aug 02 2022, 4:36 pm

The Kohen is supposed to quietly verify with the mom that this was her first pregnancy (or possibly if there was a previously miscarriage it was less than 40 days, I'm not sure about that). Kohen usually tells the father to warn his wife ahead of time so she's not horrified. Not sure if everyone does this but they are suppose to so as not to make a bracha levatalah.

someoneoutthere

Tue, Aug 02 2022, 4:42 pm

Calculate the right date. Contact the Kohen first and ask him about coins. Many kohanim own a set of coins which they sell to the parents at the current going rate of silver. Then you give those coins to the kohen.
The kohen and coins are a must. The kohen also needs wine as a bracha is made over wine. The custom is to dress up the baby, put the baby on a silver tray, drape some jewelry around. This is done to beautify the mitzva. Not everyone puts the sugar and garlic on/under the tray. The point of those pekelach is to increase the number of people participating in the seudas mitzva when people take the garlic and sugar home and use it in their cooking.
If you dont know a Kohen to ask, ask your shul's rav.
At the ceremony itself the kohen will show your husband what to say from the siddur. If you are Ashkenazi usually the wife isnt involved in the stuff that is said since it is the father's obligation to do the pidyon. There are some kehilos where the wife is included. The kohen, if he has done this before, should know what to say and to whom.