Strollerderby

No, They're Not Trying to Drown Their Kids

Posted by Madeline Holler

If that video of villagers dropping their babies from the roof of a temple in India disturbed you, you'll want to pass on this one. Parents at a mountain spring in Bulgaria force their kids underwater, you know, for their own good.

Wha ...?? The country's Alevi Muslims celebrate the coming of spring during "Hadrelez" by bathing in holy water. According to Reuters, they believe that the spring heals mute or stuttering children, but only for five minutes after midnight on the morning of 'Hadrelez'.

Huh. They're screaming, so I guess it works!

 

 

Video: Reuters 

 


+ DIGG + STUMBLE

Comments

 

Jess said:

Ugh, that sickens me.  The dropping of the babies was a little out there but they are infants and don't know what their parents are doing.  These children are thinking feeling people and adults are forcing them under water... clearly they are scared.  That breaks my heart.  These children should feel safe and secure with adults (specifically their parents which I assume are somewhere in the crowd).

May 15, 2008 7:53 PM
 

Manjari said:

This doesn't seem as bad to me as the dropping of the babies. Maybe because they really don't force their faces underwater. It also doesn't seem as dangerous, but it's hard to tell from the clip. Those kids might be scared of bath time after that, though.

May 15, 2008 8:35 PM
 

Sherry said:

Just based on this short clip, I don't think this is so bad.  I'm not loving this idea so much I am going to rush to Bulgaria to join in, but I don't think it is the most horrible thing on earth either. Heck, I have had bigger struggles with my son trying to get him showered off because he was to the point of stinking up the house or just trying to get him to change clothing.  

The baby dropping in India seemed far more dangerous to me.  Of the few kids you showed on here only one has his face under water for a few seconds.  The others only had their bodies and the  backs of their heads dipped in the water.  One even only had water scooped up and splashed on his head.

May 15, 2008 10:47 PM
 

Treespeed said:

This is nowhere near the throwing the kids off the roof practice. The kids, are under water for a second and then embraced by their parents. Have you people never been to a toddler swimming class? We had our daughter in the water at 3 months, yeah she was scared the first time her head went underwater, but now at 2 she jumps in on her own and loves her bath time. Though if someone filmed us trimming her toe nails you'd think we were branding her.

May 16, 2008 12:15 AM

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