The Early History of the Shower Party
The original baby shower type probably took place thousands of years ago in one of the earliest human civilizations, such as Egypt or Rome. Some historians believe they have found evidence that suggest women practiced similar types of events to what we call a surprise baby shower today. However, these events were less about celebrating and more about helping the new mother prepare for her baby.
Generally, you wouldn't throw one of these events until after the baby was already born. That was probably a good idea since ultrasound machines hadn't been predicted and the sex of the baby would be unknown until after birth. Plus, many newborns didn't live for very long in these early civilizations so there was no point celebrating until it was clear the new parents had something to celebrate.
How Baby Showers Got Started in Modern Times
Even in more recent times, the baby was rarely celebrated immediately. During the 19th century, for example, new mothers and their babies would be secluded from the rest of society for about a month. Then they would make a stunning debut with a party (their equivalent of couples baby shower) and usually another major event, such as a christening or baptism.
During the Victorian times, this tradition continued but some women started throwing tea parties for expectant mothers as well. These celebrations gave the women a chance to talk and to enjoy their time together before the new baby arrived on the scene. Sometimes women would also be allowed to visit the newborn and mother in seclusion. They would bring gifts and do what they could to help occupy the mother. While these traditions sowed the seeds of the modern twin baby shower, the real change didn't come until the 20th century.
The Origin History Baby Shower after the War
After World War II, life in the United States changed drastically. Besides surviving a second massive, horrendous war, American people were seeing their incomes increase and were finally begin able to buy more things than earlier generations could have ever imagined. The Baby Coed shower was one example of this. In fact, modern origins can be traced back to the desire to show of the parents' prosperity with a gigantic party and a celebration of the baby.
Interestingly, the origin was something very practical. It was a way to help moms prepare for their baby or to overcome the difficulties of being secluded from the rest of the world. Those early people probably never imagined that today we would be celebrating the birth with games, food, and diaper baby cakes.
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