In North America, baby showers are very common.
If you don't know what a baby shower is - let me explain.
When a woman is expecting a baby, her close friends, family and co-workers often throw a party (or several) for her as her due date approaches and "shower" the expecting mother with gifts for the baby and/or for her!
Typically, the father is not present, although I do know of some baby showers who have had the father there. But it's typically an all-woman thing and gives the ladies to find out the details of the nursery, the gender, the due date, the feelings, the appointment details and of course - discuss their own personal labour experiences. As well, there's usually lots of food, drinks and some fun games hosted at someone's home or in a rented hall or center.
There are such things as having a baby shower after the baby's born - especially if the gender is not known (and to avoid several green and yellow-colored "gender neutral" outfits), the mother wasn't feeling particularly well, there was some specific concern over the un-born baby's health or due to schedule conflicts.
In Finland, baby showers are not very common I have found out - as we've had several friends have babies and not heard of a baby shower prior to the baby's birth. After the baby's born in Finland, there is usually a "Naming Party" - which means the name of the baby is released to their close friends and family and there is often a Christening or Baptizing at the same time. This can be a few weeks after the baby's born (and once mother is up and running again) or a few months - seriously. So nobody will know about the baby's name, except the mother and father!!!
Don't be offended if you weren't invited to your friend's baby's Naming Party either. It's typically for very close friends, like the Godparents of the child and family members only - from what I've heard.
I've mentioned this before but it's true - and very odd to a parent from North America I imagine. Majority of people I know who have children from Canada, have had names picked out once they passed the first trimester - if not since they were children themselves and playing "house" with their doll sets. I am willing to admit, had our son not been born in Finland - we were thinking of "Isiah Michael", if the baby was a boy and if it was a girl - well, we were stuck on that one.
So the point being, Finns don't generally name their children prior to the delivery - simply because they want to meet the baby, see what (or who) they look like and how they act (characteristic-wise). There's a lot of thought that goes into a baby's name here (and I'm sure in other cultures that practice similar traditions).
I'm not knocking your choice of a child's name- it's your child, not mine. But I have heard of some very odd names since I was a teenager and now names seem to lack a true meaning - other than "sounding cool".
Enough about Baby Showers and Naming Parties. The true point of this post was to educate you on something I just learned about recently.
My friend's husband recently went to a party to celebrate a friend's new-addition to the family and that's when I learned about "Toe Parties".
"Toe Parties" is the best way to translate it - as it does not refer to painting your toes or tickling anybody else's - but refers to baby toes. Now before you think "How odd"- here's what happens at a "Toe Party".
A Toe Party is a party for the newly-minted father. That's right men, you are not forgotten in the baby-department!!
A few days after the baby is born (or whenever a time is convenient I suppose) - the father is taken out for his Toe Party with all of his good friends and family members (mostly men from what I understand) and they get him plastered. Drunk beyond anything imaginable.
Because as we all know as parents, once you have a child (or a few of them) - you don't get to do that very often at all.
And one last thing - yes it is perfectly acceptable to show up with a gift for the newborn when you are first visiting them - even if they are already 3 months old by the time you finally find out their name. :)
If you don't know what a baby shower is - let me explain.
When a woman is expecting a baby, her close friends, family and co-workers often throw a party (or several) for her as her due date approaches and "shower" the expecting mother with gifts for the baby and/or for her!
Typically, the father is not present, although I do know of some baby showers who have had the father there. But it's typically an all-woman thing and gives the ladies to find out the details of the nursery, the gender, the due date, the feelings, the appointment details and of course - discuss their own personal labour experiences. As well, there's usually lots of food, drinks and some fun games hosted at someone's home or in a rented hall or center.
There are such things as having a baby shower after the baby's born - especially if the gender is not known (and to avoid several green and yellow-colored "gender neutral" outfits), the mother wasn't feeling particularly well, there was some specific concern over the un-born baby's health or due to schedule conflicts.
In Finland, baby showers are not very common I have found out - as we've had several friends have babies and not heard of a baby shower prior to the baby's birth. After the baby's born in Finland, there is usually a "Naming Party" - which means the name of the baby is released to their close friends and family and there is often a Christening or Baptizing at the same time. This can be a few weeks after the baby's born (and once mother is up and running again) or a few months - seriously. So nobody will know about the baby's name, except the mother and father!!!
Don't be offended if you weren't invited to your friend's baby's Naming Party either. It's typically for very close friends, like the Godparents of the child and family members only - from what I've heard.
I've mentioned this before but it's true - and very odd to a parent from North America I imagine. Majority of people I know who have children from Canada, have had names picked out once they passed the first trimester - if not since they were children themselves and playing "house" with their doll sets. I am willing to admit, had our son not been born in Finland - we were thinking of "Isiah Michael", if the baby was a boy and if it was a girl - well, we were stuck on that one.
So the point being, Finns don't generally name their children prior to the delivery - simply because they want to meet the baby, see what (or who) they look like and how they act (characteristic-wise). There's a lot of thought that goes into a baby's name here (and I'm sure in other cultures that practice similar traditions).
I'm not knocking your choice of a child's name- it's your child, not mine. But I have heard of some very odd names since I was a teenager and now names seem to lack a true meaning - other than "sounding cool".
Enough about Baby Showers and Naming Parties. The true point of this post was to educate you on something I just learned about recently.
My friend's husband recently went to a party to celebrate a friend's new-addition to the family and that's when I learned about "Toe Parties".
"Toe Parties" is the best way to translate it - as it does not refer to painting your toes or tickling anybody else's - but refers to baby toes. Now before you think "How odd"- here's what happens at a "Toe Party".
A Toe Party is a party for the newly-minted father. That's right men, you are not forgotten in the baby-department!!
A few days after the baby is born (or whenever a time is convenient I suppose) - the father is taken out for his Toe Party with all of his good friends and family members (mostly men from what I understand) and they get him plastered. Drunk beyond anything imaginable.
Because as we all know as parents, once you have a child (or a few of them) - you don't get to do that very often at all.
And one last thing - yes it is perfectly acceptable to show up with a gift for the newborn when you are first visiting them - even if they are already 3 months old by the time you finally find out their name. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.