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Japan Holds Annual Crying Sumo Baby Ceremony

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. A crying baby can bring a lot of things - stress, anxiety, adult tears. But in Japan, screaming infants bring good health. This past weekend, the annual crying sumo baby ceremony took place outside Tokyo. Little ones dressed in sumo outfits are held up on a stage by sumo wrestlers. The babies are understandably freaked out, so they cry. While the cries are supposed to drive out demons and protect the infants from troubles, all the parents end up in the fetal position. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.