Pidyon haben is the Jewish ceremony of redeeming a firstborn son, traditionally held on the thirty-first day after birth.
The Hebrew phrase means “redemption of the son.” The practice is based on biblical passages that describe Israel’s firstborn sons as belonging symbolically to God after the Exodus, when the Israelite firstborn were spared during the final plague.
In the ceremony, the father gives five silver coins to a kohen, a Jewish man traditionally regarded as a descendant of the priestly family. The kohen recites blessings and may return the coins or keep them, depending on custom. The coins are symbolic rather than a purchase in an ordinary commercial sense.
Pidyon haben does not apply in every family situation. For example, it generally does not apply when the mother is the daughter of a kohen or Levite, or when the birth occurred by cesarean section. It is separate from brit milah, which traditionally occurs on the eighth day.