Shower Time

According to popular belief, the tradition of the bridal shower originated in Holland. Legend tells us that a young Dutch girl fell in love with a poor miller, who had spent his life helping those needier than himself. As a result, he had little to offer his prospective bride when they were ready to be married. When the young lady told her father that she intended to marry the miller, he was furious and forbade the marriage. In an effort to dissuade her, the girl's father refused to give her the customary bridal dowry. He hoped this would prompt her to change her mind and wait for a suitor with more money and higher status. Despite her father's ill will, the young lady decided to risk the threat of poverty and married her true love. Without a dowry, the couple had very little to their names and was nearly penniless. Upon learning of their predicament, the community came to the couple's aid to show appreciation for the miller's kindness to others over the years. With the help of many kind townspeople, the groom's friends joined together and "showered" the new bride with necessities for the couple's home. Thanks to their thoughtfulness, the bride acquired what her father had denied her - everything she needed to set up a new home. A beautiful tradition grew from the townspeople's generosity and continued for decades.
Over time, the old-fashioned dowry a young woman typically received from her family to set up her home grew into a bridal shower given by her "family of friends." Gift giving, as we know it today, was not common until the late 19th century. In fact, early bridal showers were focused on strengthening the bride's friendship with her peers, offering moral support, and helping her plan for her marriage. These traditions are often forgotten at modern bridal showers, where gift giving tends to take center stage. Today, it isn't uncommon for a bride to have more than one shower before her wedding. Bridal showers can be thrown by friends, members of either family, co-workers, bridesmaids, business associates, or church groups.

Not a lover of surprises, I know that there is a shower plan in the works for April 1st. My mom says, "April Fool's Day... it's so appropriate don't you think?" I don't know what she means by that but I'm going with it. It's not polite to look a gift horse in the mouth.
At first I wasn't really comfortable with the idea of a bridal shower. I like gifts, don't get me wrong, but I'm just getting married. I don't want people to go out of their way and spend money on dish towels because they feel obligated due to modern customs. Yesterday I read the above description of the tradition of showers and I like the bit about strengthening friendships and moral support. I want that to be the focus for April 1st - a time to get together, enjoy each others company, and strengthen the bond of our little community of women over finger sandwiches and iced tea.