A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

What’s in a name? In the West, most names have lost their meaning. You can look up the meaning of your name on a database or in a book, and discover that in some foreign place long ago, your name did have a literal meaning. Catherine, it so happens, means ‘pure’.

In Rwanda, people have a literal name. Their Kinyarwanda name might be the word for ‘Light’, ‘God Loves’, or ‘Kindness’. It is chosen by the father, according to how he feels at the time, and formally given in a village ceremony when the baby is several months old. Of course, if your father is feeling vengeful or angry your name can be ‘Hate’, ‘Anger’ or ‘Sadness’. Or even ‘Hutu’ or ‘Tutsi’. As a child called ‘Hate’ grows up, she has to wear the expectations and burden that it brings. People expect such a child to be full of hate. Tim has watched the Rwandan hospital staff process the name of each patient on the ward round and react accordingly; with laughter, surprise or warmth.

The Rwandan government decided this tradition had contributed to Rwanda’s division and needed amending. They now encourage people to give their children affirming, community-building names. For a time, they made it easy for anyone who did not like their name to change it, so that those named ‘Hutu’ or ‘Tutsi’, for example, no longer need bear the burden of such a divisive name. These days fathers usually choose positive names.

We discovered all this because we have been invited to our first naming ceremony! Tonight, the leader of our ‘village’ (the hospital community living here in several rows of houses side by side) and another lady neighbour came to have tea and invite us. We will all go to Dr Pierrot’s house on Sunday evening with gifts and to share a meal. The parents will sit and watch as the children eat some food (that traditionally some of the baby’s poo has been mixed into – thankfully no longer common practice!). This food is supposed to inspire the children as they take turns approaching the baby to guess his name. Then last of all the father approaches the baby, stating his actual name. (These days the baby has been called by this for months already, but at this moment he is formally named.)

Sounds like fun!

I love the mix of farce and formality in Rwandan ceremonies.