Fortieth-day gifts: what to give when a Turkish baby “completes the forty”
The fortieth day is a baby’s first threshold in Türkiye — the first bath ritual, the first proper visits, the mother’s first outing. Here is what the custom means, when to visit, and which gifts belong to this moment.
Updated September 14, 2026
Across much of Türkiye, a baby’s first forty days are treated as a time apart. Mother and baby stay in, visitors are kept few, and on the fortieth day the family marks kırk çıkarma — “completing the forty”. Traditionally the baby is bathed with water into which forty spoonfuls have been counted, prayers are said, and the mother steps out of the house for the first time with an easy heart. Details differ from family to family, but the forty is always a threshold — and thresholds call for gifts.
When to visit
Usually after the fortieth day. In some families, visiting before the forty is complete is quietly frowned upon; if you are unsure, simply ask. In several regions the visitor is given a small token in return — a pastry, a handkerchief, a pair of socks — so it is customary not to arrive empty-handed either.
The spirit of a fortieth-day gift
A newborn gift says “welcome”; a fortieth-day gift says “you crossed the first threshold”. That is why gifts for the forty lean towards keepsakes:
- A box for the first curl and the first nail clippings. Many families give the baby a first haircut after the forty, so the timing is exact. A name on the lid means the box announces its owner even when found in a drawer decades later.
- A hand and footprint. A print taken on the fortieth day still carries the smallness of the first weeks. A month later, that hand is a different hand.
- The name and the birth date. By the forty, the baby’s name is finally on everyone’s lips; a small keepsake bearing it sits exactly right.
For the mother
The fortieth day is the mother’s forty too. The most exhausting stretch — the longest nights — is just ending. Adding something small for her beside the baby’s gift, a rest kit or a warm note, doubles the gift.
Small courtesies
Don’t pass the baby around too much, don’t visit if you are unwell, don’t stay long. Leave the gift beside the baby with the card attached. Beliefs about protecting the newborn (an evil-eye bead, a red ribbon) vary by family; follow their lead rather than bringing your own.
A box with the baby’s name for the first curl
The lock from the first haircut, kept in a small box embroidered with the name of a baby who has completed the forty.
Keepsakes that fit this occasion
Stories to read alongside
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