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In several African cultures, there is a strong belief that the placenta must be buried to ensure the well-being and future of the child. The specific location and method of burial can vary, but the placenta is often buried in a place that is significant to the family or community.
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Families in various Caribbean countries bury their baby’s placenta under a fruit tree to help ensure that the child will never go hungry and will always come home.
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In Cambodia, the placenta is the origin of the baby's soul, and therefore the burial place is surrounded with spiked plants to protect the baby's soul from evil spirits.
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On the Indonesian island of Bali, the native tradition is to enclose the placenta in a coconut shell and hang it from a tree in the village graveyard. It is believed this will protect the child from illness and misfortune.
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Placentas in Korea are given names depending upon their birth month, before undergoing ritual burial.
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In Malaysia, the placenta is prepared with salt and tamarind, it is buried along with books and pencils under the doorway of the child’s house. They believe that following this tradition will ensure the child will grow up to be hardworking and a good student.
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The Maori people of New Zealand use the same word for placenta and land: “Whenua”. They believe that the placenta burial symbolizes the connection between the newborn baby and mother earth.
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Some South Asian communities believe that a person has a spiritual connection with their placenta throughout life. It is important for the placenta to be buried at home and when they die, the soul returns to its birthplace and reunites with its placenta, which helps the deceased travel into the spirit world to join ancestors.
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In Turkey, parents who want their child to be noble and honest may bury the placenta in the courtyard of a mosque.
