What is a baby shower?

Baby showers are becoming more and more popular, but what exactly is a baby shower?

The modern baby shower is a gathering of people to celebrate a new life coming into the world. It often takes place shortly before the baby is born, with close friends and family of the expectant mother coming together and usually bringing gifts for mother and the unborn baby.

It's popular to have a theme to the baby shower, such as animals, pirates or cupcakes (sure, cupcakes can be a theme!). Decorations, food and games can all be made to match the theme.

A frilly umbrella is often the symbol of baby showers, and that's because baby showers (in their modern format) became popularised in Victorian times, when parasols were a popular fashion accessory so the ladies didn't end up flushed in the hot sun : )

Having said that, giving gifts at baby showers has been a custom since ancient Greek times. Back then, gifts would usually be handmade, so they would almost certainly be unique and personalised.

There are a few differences between ancient and modern baby shower. Firstly, celebrations of new births would usually take place after the birth of a child, not before, as they do now. Secondly, it was usually a female only affair - men wouldn't want to get involved in such things!

Also, in the past new birth celebrations weren't always the civilized, fluffy things they are now. For quite a long time giving birth was considered 'unclean' and women were often forced to stay away from the rest of the community for a fixed period,

I, for one, am glad those days are over!

We offer a wide range of personalised baby gifts, including engraved trinket boxes, baby name door plaques and personalised jigsaw puzzles to help develop mind and dexterity.

Check out our personalised baby gifts site to find out more about the history of baby shower gifts and browse our range of baby gifts.