A bridal shower is a gift-giving party held for the bride and groom to anticipate her marriage. This custom originated in the 1890s and is currently most common in the United States and Canada.
The history of the habit is rooted not necessarily for the provision of goods for the upcoming marriage house, but to provide goods and financial aid to ensure marriage can occur.
Men are usually not allowed in these functions. But recently more men were present.
Video Bridal shower
History
Bridal bathroom habits are said to have grown from the practice of a dowry before, when a poor woman's family may not have the money to give her dowry, or when a father refuses to give her daughter her dowry because she does not approve of marriage. In such a situation, the female friends would gather together and bring a present that would offset the dowry and allow her to marry the man of her choice.
The earliest stories about these events have been known to have originated in Brussels, Belgium around 1860. A legend that is often quoted traces the origins of this practice to the 16th or 17th century Dutch. However, there are also parallels with many practices of dowry and colonial customs or the hope of the United States ( trousseau ).
The related customs practiced in medieval England is Bride Ale: in Langland's
In the United States, bridal baths began in urban areas in the 1890s, especially among the upper middle class. In the 1930s, the bridal shower had spread to rural America.
The earliest usage of this wording in print may be in Michigan's Grand Rapids Michigan Evening Press June 22, 1904: "The 'shower party' which through the wrong hospitality married couples are forced to attend... "and probably derived from a Victorian custom for a gift to be inserted into an umbrella, which upon opening would" bathe "the bride with a present.
Maps Bridal shower
Customs and gift-giving
Many different habits have evolved in different regions and social groups, but their basic formats have remained relatively unchanged for generations, and emphasized traditional gender roles. Sociologists such as Beth Montemurro wrote that the bridal shower ritual "socializes women into a hyper-feministic traditional wife role," with its emphasis on the future role of the bride and groom as family cooks, housewives, and sexual partners. Historian Elizabeth Pleck echoes this dynamic in showing that traditional bath gifts are "for the bedroom or kitchen." But this role is more a tribute to mother and grandmother than a reflection on how the bride would actually behave in marriage.
Although the format is relatively consistent, there are some significant changes. The etiquette guidelines of the 1920s suggested bathing should be "purely spontaneous and informal," with guests arriving unannounced at the home of the bride and groom, while the planning guides from the 1950s showed more complex themes and games.
Rain is often held during the afternoon or evening, but not generally as a lunch or dinner party. They usually last four to six weeks before the wedding.
Because of previous "pure spontaneous and informal" shower history, rain did not develop the same formal ethics that has developed with respect to marriage. Invitations can be issued informally, by mail, phone or e-mail.
Since rain is explicitly a gift-giving event, everyone attending the bath is expected to bring a small gift. People who declined the invitation for any reason are not expected to send gifts or participate in a party. The host is expected to hand over gifts, or help. It can be a small gift like a personalized chocolate coin with the bride name and the date of the event or a simple thank you message.
Meals can be served in the bridal bathroom. Dishes such as cakes and candy buffets can also be served for guests.
Host
The hosting of the bridal shower falls to one or more close friends of the bride, often one or more of the bridesmaids. Mothers, sisters, and other close family members usually do not host the bridal bathrooms, as it can be considered rude and greedy for families to ask for gifts for their own members. Instead of a bridal shower, family members, and prospective in-laws who want to celebrate an upcoming wedding, bridal tea, bridesmaid lunch, engagement announcement party, or other non-gift party. Some organizations, such as social clubs or religious groups, gift bridal shower to every married member.
Guest
Guests are selected from friends of the bride, family, and other sympathizers. Men are usually absent in the bridal bathroom.
The number of guests and their relationship with the bride varies greatly. In Canada, among some community immigrant feasts in community rooms with over 300 guests is normal, while other cultures emphasize intimate parties with only close friends and relatives.
In general, people invited to the bridal shower are also invited to the wedding ceremony.
Global and alternative prevalence
Although many cultures have pre-wedding events, bridal baths are the most common in the United States and Canada.
In England, bridal showers are described as "American consumerist ideas" with "limited acceptance". In the UK, wedding gifts are usually chosen from the list provided by the couple, and sent either at weddings or in stores, and sometimes displayed at weddings.
In India, Mehndi is a bridal pre-wedding event where female friends and bride families gather to prepare the bride for the wedding. In this event traditional bridal henna tattoos are made.
In Denmark, the only pre-wedding event that is usually held is a bachelorette party for the bride and bachelor party for the groom, both called polterabend.
See also
- Single party
- Bounty Party
- Baby shower
- The engagement party
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia