We love to celebrate the moments of our lives with loved ones, especially when that loved one is having a baby. Women for centuries have gathered in one way or another to shower the mother-to-be with gifts, necessities, and advice before (and sometimes after) their little darling arrives. The baby shower has been a tradition for as long as I can remember. The party may have changed a little over the years, but the premise is the same; supply the new parent with items for the baby for both immediately after its arrival and in the coming months.
The origin of the baby shower is not super clear. One idea is that it stems from the baby boom after WWII. At that time many young couples were starting families and buying homes and the shower became a way to celebrate each new child’s arrival. Another idea has it originating even further back when women used to isolate themselves immediately before and after having a baby for a variety of reasons: for the mother or baby’s health, to keep the baby safe from evil, or protect the newborn from superstitions and folk tales. During this time, the mother’s friends and family members would “shower” her with gifts to supply her with what was needed while she was away. Still other ideas date the tradition back to Egyptians, Grecians, and Romans.
These days the expectant mother registers for an item or two at her favorite store in the hopes that, ideally, she will be able to deck out the nursery without having to spend a fortune herself, and set the baby up with all of the needed supplies for the foreseeable future; stacks of diapers, cases of wipes, onesies in varying sizes, bottles, pacifiers, blankets, and burp cloths. Historically a friend or family member gathers a group of women together for an afternoon of finger sandwiches, stork decorations, a gift opening, and games. The games seem to define a baby shower. The best baby showers I have been a part of are ones which include creative and fun, unique and engaging games, and come with some interesting prizes. They get the party-goers interacting with each other and with the mother-to-be. If nobody is going to “own” the games portion of the party and do it right, skip the games altogether.
Showers where the parents have either been unable to identify or have chosen to be surprised by the gender of their baby have also made for some entertaining celebrations. It’s amazing how many gift-givers feel their hands are tied if they can’t use the colors pink and blue or images of ballerinas or baseball players to buy clothing, decorations, or bedding. This happened with my own baby showers for my daughter. When she was born, ultrasounds were a bit fuzzy and things were not as easily recognized as they are now. We had to let all of our party-goers know that there were neutral-colored PJs in our foreseeable future. You’d have thought the world was coming to an end because my best friend couldn’t buy the poofiest little dress with sequined shoes or the smallest tuxedo on the planet.
Nowadays, the guest list consists of a mix of men and women, young and old, adults, and children. The baby’s father is often present, as well as the expectant mother’s father, brother(s), and male friends. A community of people come together to celebrate the arrival of a member of their family. It’s a beautiful scene really. Whether it’s still finger sandwiches in the tradition of the mother’s mother, or pizza, subs, pickles and ice cream, or a fancy catered affair, as long as the mother-to-be is celebrated, the event is considered a success.
Have you planned a baby shower lately? What was something you did that was new and different? Share it here or send me an email. I’d love to hear about it!
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