Was giving dates to a newborn common in the Arabian Peninsula before Islam, and did Mary, peace be upon her, give dates to Jesus, peace be upon him, at birth?

There is no definitive assertion that giving dates to children was widespread, or that Lady Mary fed dates to her son Jesus. However, the fact that Anas brought dates to the Prophet for the tahnik of Abu Talhah's son indicates that they used to give them to young boys. Allah Almighty commanded Mary to shake the trunk of the date palm so that fresh ripe dates would fall to her, and it is not unlikely that she fed Jesus from those dates. It is sunnah (definition) to perform tahnik for a newborn with dates, and scholars of Prophetic medicine have mentioned many benefits of dates for newborns.