Hi! My friends threw me a blessingway, or mother blessing, the non-commercial “equivalent” to a baby shower. It’s focused on the pregnant woman, to honor the transition into motherhood. Mine was sooo lovely.
Traditionally, a ceremony, marking the transition of Maiden to Mother, blessingways are an opportunity for a mother to be surrounded by close friends and family who she trusts - and can gain wisdom from.
There are many ways to celebrate a Mother Blessing including the creation of a birthing necklace, flowers, foot bath and hair grooming for the expecting mother, as well as sharing thoughts, poetry, songs, personal stories, prayers, best wishes and gifts with the expecting mother to honour her impending birth.
Like a baby shower, it’s a lovely opportunity to share good food, and good company, but that’s where the comparison ends. A blessingway, is focused on the mother. It’s her day to be pampered, and encouraged!
Here are a couple of ideas for blessingways, that pamper the mom to be, and are fun for the guests.
Bead Ceremony:
Each guest brings a special bead to the blessingway, and threads it onto a string or chain to make a necklace for the mother to be. It’s a nice thought to give a blessing or message with your bead as you thread it on, perhaps why you chose it, and it’s significance.
Candle Ceremony
Each guest brings a candle to the blessingway, and the labouring woman lights it when she is in labor, to be surrounded by positive and loving thoughts.
OR
The mother to be provides each guest with a candle to light when she goes into labor, so their thoughts are with her from afar.
Quilt Ceremony
Each guest brings a piece of fabric, or quilt panel to the blessingway, and together they lay out a quilt design to be sewn together. It’s nice if someone other than the mother to be has the responsibility of sewing the quilt! This makes a lovely gift.
The wonderful thing about a blessingway is, it’s so personal to the mother to be - so if she’s crafty, centre the activities on that. If she’s a gardener, plant a commemorative garden, if she’s a cook - bring food (that said, it’s nice for guests to bring a freezable meal for after the birth) If she’s musical, compose a song. Use your imagination.