A touchstone of the practice of celebrancy is honoring—really honoring—important passages in the life of the individual and family. It seems to me that often in contemporary American culture, significant life events and transitions, are recognized by throwing a “party.” Weddings become less about marriages, more about receptions. The religious and social transition of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah may be overshadowed by the size and extravagance of the party following the actual service. Likewise, the preparation for motherhood, is often marked by the “baby shower,” an occasion to collect lots of “stuff” for the new member of the family.
The Celebrant community has long offered an alternative to typical baby showers, with their focus on cute baby gifts, silly games, and party food. Borrowing from other cultural traditions, including the Native (First Peoples) “blessingway” ceremony, Celebrants collaborate with mothers-to-be to honor this important life transition, to offer support and advice of a loving community, and to share the wisdom of mothers who have come before the pregnant honoree. Presents exchanged at these celebrations are more about sentiment than size or number. Our ceremonies value meaning and love over material, and they are wonderful experiences that will, no doubt, be treasured by all who attend.
I was delighted to see a short article about these mother blessing ceremonies in the most recent issue of Self magazine. When mainstream publications begin the recognize the need to re-think ritual and tradition, then I believe we as a community of Celebrants are making great progress. Please let me know if you are interested in readings on this topic as there are many fabulous, creative ideas about hosting a spiritually inclined baby shower!
As a final note, the photo attached to this posting is a card that I made for a recent new mom. The artwork on the card was a vintage lithograph, more than 40 years old. As decoration, I’ve attached an old silver baby spoon. I also love to give vintage silver milk cups as baby shower presents. To me, at least, there is something truly appealing about well worn objects like an old baby cup. What stories will the new baby add to the line of experiences of babies who have come before him or her?
The Celebrant community has long offered an alternative to typical baby showers, with their focus on cute baby gifts, silly games, and party food. Borrowing from other cultural traditions, including the Native (First Peoples) “blessingway” ceremony, Celebrants collaborate with mothers-to-be to honor this important life transition, to offer support and advice of a loving community, and to share the wisdom of mothers who have come before the pregnant honoree. Presents exchanged at these celebrations are more about sentiment than size or number. Our ceremonies value meaning and love over material, and they are wonderful experiences that will, no doubt, be treasured by all who attend.
I was delighted to see a short article about these mother blessing ceremonies in the most recent issue of Self magazine. When mainstream publications begin the recognize the need to re-think ritual and tradition, then I believe we as a community of Celebrants are making great progress. Please let me know if you are interested in readings on this topic as there are many fabulous, creative ideas about hosting a spiritually inclined baby shower!
As a final note, the photo attached to this posting is a card that I made for a recent new mom. The artwork on the card was a vintage lithograph, more than 40 years old. As decoration, I’ve attached an old silver baby spoon. I also love to give vintage silver milk cups as baby shower presents. To me, at least, there is something truly appealing about well worn objects like an old baby cup. What stories will the new baby add to the line of experiences of babies who have come before him or her?
