The 40-day post-partum seclusion is a beautiful tradition, especially in this all-too-busy modern world. I have always wondered about it. I first heard of this while visiting a Greek Orthodox church, but I didn't get the chance to ask anyone.
Why are new mothers forbidden to set foot inside a church until 40 days after giving birth? And why is there no difference between the births of boys and girls?
When I looked this up in the Bible, I did not find this in the New Testament. I did find something like it in Leviticus chapter 12, with the births of boys treated very differently from births of girls. Moses dictated a 40-day seclusion for mothers of newborn boys, with her being declared unclean for 7 days, the boy being circumcised on the 8th day, and 33 more days of purification before the mother makes her atonement. Yet an 80-day seclusion is dictated for mothers of newborn girls, with the mother being unclean for 14 days, followed by 66 days of purification.
