I had mine when I was around 3 or 4 years old :) Dressed up as a little dulhan with a purple gota wala gharara outfit (which I think was a hand me down from my cousin) - I remember getting gifts for having my Bismillah and then after that it was sitting w/ my daadi every day until I finished the Quran in Arabic and then had the Ameen. It is looked at as an encouragement for the child who doesn't really know at that age what is right/wrong religion/non-religion and probably gives them a very very tiny way of celebrating Islam. It might be a bit silly to some folks just like graduation ceremonies for kindergartners is but you are not in any way harming anyone by celebrating the teaching of the Quran to a child. My nephew just had his Bismillah last year and he seemed to enjoy it.
Bismilla- so cute, very hydrabadi IMO..haven't seen it in other cultures. Usually the little girl is dressed up with jewelery/heavy clothes, loads of flowers, etc. Reads a bit from the Qaida and everyone shares mitai. I think it's a sweet way to start someoene's Quranic reading.
I was dressed in a navy blue shalwar kameez with gotay wala dupatta. The sort the dulhans used to wear in the 70s.
Wearing gulaboon ka haar and 50 ruppee har. Bright red lippie and lots of shade.
I don't think we do Bismillah ceremonies but we did throw a party on my first completion of the Holy Qur'aan when I was about 8, I had to recite the last ten chapters and the first two plus a bit of the third and then people put money garlands around my neck to make me look like a right pillock and then we all feasted on the buffaloes and cows my grandfather had had slaughtered, then everyone started dancing to loud music (it was a women and children only event).
Incidentally, my nephew has his Bismillah ceremony today - 200 guests invited .. and we sent beautiful kurtas for the occasions specially made here in Pakistan and sent them to States.. its an occasion of gettogether and inspire others to have their kids read Quran.
I don't think I ever had one and don't see much reason for holding one. However, I know it's quite common in Pakistan. All I know about Bismillah ceremonies is that people order a huge 1lb-2lbs laddoo. I used to have customers coming in ordering 'Bismillah' laddoos all the time. :p
We have attended many Bismillahs and Ameens. Its most certainly not restricted to Hyderabadis or any other particular group. More over, its more like a get together and gupshup and khaana peena. The only difference is the presence of a mike and a maulvi sahab and a child reciting, either the first page (Bismillah) or the last page (Ameen) of Quran. The actual ceremony is more like an abberation, where people have to stop their bakbak and gupshup and listen to the child. Everything else is more like a normal party.
I didn't have a ceremony as such but completing the quran for the first time sitting next to the Prophet (pbuh)'s grave is a once-in-lifetime memory I really cherish. My sister started her Quran there. I actually was due to finish the Quran a few months earlier before our Umrah trip but was told to leave the last page until Madina. I really appreciate my parents for making the memory extra special for me and my brother and sister.
I think the ceremonies are an excellent idea if the parents are willing to explain to the child the significance of quran in their lives. Minus the excess partying and excess food etc from what is essentially supposed to be a charitable event, I think there should be more of these ceremonies, not just for finishing Quran but other significant events in a childs life, from Namaaz, Roza to becoming legally responsible, to celebrating academic success etc. If done properly it would help to re-affirm the childs beliefs and to confirm what is central in their life. As it is its all too easy to lose sight of meaning and imortance of such events and then rituals and ceremonies just become empty rituals.