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Showers
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The American baby shower is a celebration in
which a new-coming child is welcomed into the world by family
and friends, and is traditionally "showered" with
baby gifts.
Baby showers have become increasingly popular in the United
States, and the custom of hosting a baby shower is a wonderful
way of helping expectant parents get essential items for the
infant, such as baby bedding, strollers, clothes, and diapers.
In America, baby showers are generally held about one to
two months before the baby's arrival. |
By having the baby shower a while before the baby is born, parents
can be better prepared and have all the necessary articles, furniture,
and appliances that a new baby will call for.
Although historians are not completely clear on exactly when the
baby shower custom began in the world, there is evidence that shows
the previous existence of what we would call today, a baby shower,
in several ancient cultures. During the Roman, Egyptian, Indian,
and Chinese eras, for example, newborn babies and their mothers
were presented with a variety of hand-made gifts by family and friends,
during beautiful feasts for the little girl that would celebrate
their life. Historians believe that the American baby shower draws
its origins from these ancient cultural traditions.
Baby showers did not become popular
in North America until the baby boom era after World War II.
They were actually held when the baby was presented after
birth, and coincided with christenings and baptisms in the
case of a religious family.
These first baby showers were considered a women's event,
and by no means allow men as guests.
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The original post-birth American baby showers also served the purpose
of giving the new mother and baby some company while they were at
home for the first month of the infant's life.
Today, the modern baby shower is usually held one to two months
before the baby's due date, not after the newborn's birth, like
it was originally held. There has also been a recent trend in which
families are breaking social paradigms and constraints, and therefore,
co-ed baby showers are becoming increasingly popular. It is now
common that friends and relatives of both the mommy-to-be and the
daddy-to-be are invited to celebrate the coming of a new member
of the family, regardless of their gender.
Article Source:
http://www.articletap.com
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