In American culture, an unusual tradition called Baby Shower is widespread. What is it and how is this event not entirely understood by a Russian person celebrated?
Holiday waiting
In Russia, it is not customary to give pregnant women baby things, since the baby is not yet born and in the old fashioned way people are afraid to “jinx” the happiness of the future mother. In the United States of America, however, women “in position” are absolutely free from such superstitions, and each awaits with awe their own unique holiday - Baby Shower. What is it and when is it celebrated? It's simple: when the pregnancy reaches 32-35 weeks, relatives, colleagues and friends of the expectant mother throw a party in her honor. "Baby Show" is a triumph of hope, family happiness and sincere motherly love for the peanut that has not yet been born. By tradition, guests bring with them a wide variety of gifts, starting with ordinary pacifier pacifiers and ending with exclusive designer booties.
Organizing time
It was previously considered indecent when the event was arranged by the expectant mother herself or her husband. Others could have the impression that the family asks for gifts for the baby. Over time, the etiquette of the festival has changed significantly, and now no one pays much attention to the personality and status of the organizer. This may be the pregnant woman herself, and her husband, and relative, and family friend, and even a colleague. The main thing is to prepare a party in a good mood.
When to celebrate?
Initially, Baby Shower could be celebrated any day after confirmation of a successful conception. However, most expectant mothers try to arrange a celebration for later pregnancy, to be completely sure: everything will go well. In addition, at 30-39 weeks, many women get tired of sitting in the four walls of their home, wearing a noticeably heavier belly and enduring many other inconveniences associated with the approach of childbirth. A friendly party is a great way to get distracted and chat with friends on the already favorite topic of children and caring for them. And, of course, the expectant mother with a big belly is a traditional symbol of the holiday itself.
It is important not only to think over the date of the celebration in advance, but also to warn the guests about your plans. Some of them may have to adjust their own schedule. If you want to see future grandparents at the festival, they also need to be invited in advance.
If you just recently learned what Baby Shower means and want to have your own party, pay attention: it is not necessary to hold it just before the birth. The traditional "Baby Show" is often arranged after the birth of the baby, when the gender of the baby is known exactly and all the worries associated with childbirth are in the past.
Where to celebrate?
Before you calculate the total number of guests, think about where you would like to have a party. Ideally, this should be a house of a good friend or a specially ordered room. It is unfair to arrange a celebration in the future mother’s house: she will once again worry about the state of the apartment before the guests arrive, and at the end of the holiday she will have to put things in order. If, on the contrary, it is more convenient for a pregnant woman to take friends with her, the organizer should make sure that after the majority of the guests are invited, several friends remain to help the hero of the occasion with cleaning and washing up.
What to do?
Not everyone in Russia is familiar with the concept of Baby Shower. What is it: just a memorable date or a day on which it is customary to do something unusual? Consider the following features:
- Most often, the "Baby Show" holiday has a certain theme, which corresponds to the whole environment: the decor of the room, refreshments, souvenirs for guests. If you have a poor idea of what theme you can combine all aspects of the party, select an interesting character from children's fairy tales or folklore. It is not forbidden to use the style of modern popular cartoons (take at least Peppa Pig or the domestic animated series Masha and the Bear).
- Depending on what time of the day the celebration is held, you will have to consider the appropriate treat. Plan the menu based on the budget and the degree of officiality of the holiday.
- What to do at Baby Shower? Baby Shower in the USA always implies the participation of invited guests in some ridiculous, but very funny and exciting games. If your guests are serious and impressive adults who are unlikely to be able to captivate with laid-back fun and contests, come up with purely creative or simply touching tasks. You will find examples below.
- Traditionally, guests are not allowed to go home empty-handed. The organizer of the holiday necessarily invents some unusual gift that everyone can take with him to commemorate the celebration. It can be a beautiful deciduous plant planted in a coffee mug, a specially made fridge magnet with a commemorative inscription, a baby bottle with hand lotion instead of milk, or a piece of scented soap wrapped in a piece of flannel, like a diaper. A souvenir does not have to be expensive, because the main thing is memory.
Practical entertainment
Useful Baby Shower - what does it mean? It is understood that the organizer will plan such entertainments for the guests, as a result of which the invitees will personally produce a practical and necessary thing for the peanut. The simplest version of this task is the invention of a unique design for children's clothing. In advance, get some white or light T-shirts and body, as well as several pieces of cardboard that can be placed under the fabric for greater convenience. Buy special paints for textiles, making sure that they are non-toxic and suitable for the decor of children's clothing. Put things on the tables and invite guests to take turns approaching each T-shirt and add some pattern or detail of the paint from you personally. Instead of clothes, you can decorate a sheet for a crib in a similar way - or replace the drawings with written messages. It would be nice to prepare things of different sizes in advance - so good wishes and funny images will remain with the child for several years to come.
Precious book
Ideally, the Baby Shower party always includes leaving wishes to the expectant mother and baby. A great way to keep pleasant memories and warm emotions is to create a unique children's book, the design and content of which is completely dependent on the guests. Prepare in advance an empty base book, glue sticks, ribbons, sparkles, various pens, felt-tip pens and crayons. Any other materials for needlework and scrapbooking are also suitable. Let each guest make one page with their own taste to their taste, writing warm wishes and decorating the lines with bright ink, pearl droplets and shiny stickers. Such a gift to future parents and the baby will be simply priceless.
Alternative option
Instead of a book, you can arrange the design of a photo album. Get an old Polaroid or similar camera and take a photo of each of those present. Let them sign each photo using a wide white strip under the developed image. It is not necessary to leave wishes for happiness and health - you can simply write a short message to the baby so that he can read it when he grows up.
