by Last weekend we celebrated Ben’s first birthday, and while we’d already had some fun with his Cake Smash, which is a relatively new concept, we’re suckers for a good local tradition – so we weren’t going to celebrate without doing a Quċċija!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with this concept, a Quċċija (pronounced something like “ooch-chee-ya”) is a Maltese tradition where, on a child’s first birthday, a selection of items related to different occupations is set out and the child is encouraged to crawl towards this selection and pick an item, predicting what job/lifestyle they’ll have in the future. It’s a fun little tradition and I was really excited to set it up for him!
I personally picked an egg in my own Quċċija, which supposedly means that my life and home will be full (and so far they most certainly are). There’s a little fun fact for ya! But back to Ben’s…
I spent weeks putting together a list of items that we can use, to create a more “modern day” Quċċija to reflect the times we’re living in now (which are far more varied than they were back in the day!), and even though I forgot to include quite a few of those items because I left it till the last minute to actually prepare them #typical (including the beloved egg!), I thought it would be cool to share this list with you for anyone who might be planning their own little one’s very special first birthday celebration!
So here you go:
- Spatula / whisk / wooden spoon > Chef / Baker
- Hard-boiled egg > Full home & life
- Dance shoes > Dancer
- Microphone > Actor / Singer / Comedian
- Notepad > Writer
- Headphones > DJ
- Musical instrument > Musician
- Paintbrush > Artist
- Yarn / wool > Fashion
- Camera > Photographer
- Gaming console > iGaming
- Ball > Sports
- Computer mouse > IT / Computer job
- Hairbrush > Hairdresser
- Thermometer / stethoscope > Doctor
- Toothbrush > Dentist
- Animal plushie > Vet
- Pen > Lawyer / Notary
- Magnifying lens > Detective / Scientist
- Compass / map > Pilot / Captain
- Screwdriver > Engineer
- Spanner > Plumber / Electrician
- Hammer / measuring tape > Builder / craftsperson
- Calculator > Accountant
- Bank Card > Banker
- Money > Business person
- Rosary bead > Priest / Nun
- Coffee cup > Barista / Waiter
I’m sure I’m forgetting some things, and some of these items may be interpreted completely differently – but there’s no rule! Just have fun with it 🙂
And in case you’re wondering what Ben picked… he first reached for his guitar but I got excited and cheered so loudly I scared him, so we did it again and he picked a notebook. Who knows, maybe he’ll be a songwriter. ❤
Be sure to share any other ideas with me so that I can include them in this list! And let me know what your little ones pick during their own Quċċija!
Until next time,
Little Miss Cricket 
1 Comment