“At My Lady’s Favour” – The Story of Baby Shower Favours

The giving of gifts and favours is a strong tradition here in Ireland and you may think that it is a modern one. However the custom goes back for centuries!

Favours were originally a love token given by a lady to her knight. It often took the form of a handkerchief, scarf or veil. We still see this today. The giving of an Irish linen or lace handkerchief to a bride as a lucky token. According to custom. The bride saves the handkerchief and uses it to dry the face of her first baby on its Christening day.

In times past brides would sew the handkerchief into the baby’s bonnet. If the baby was a girl she would take the stitches out of the bonnet when she was to wed and carry the same handkerchief down the aisle herself. These handkerchiefs were passed down generation to generation as heirlooms.

So, you might have spotted strips of cloth fluttering from the branches of “raggedy trees” around Holy Wells. This is a very ancient custom and these spiritual places are often dedicated to Saint Brigid, revered as a patron of Irish women and motherhood. The rags are tokens which represent a prayer to the Saint asking for a blessing or healing. Pilgrimages to the Holy Wells take place on the Saints feast day or Pattern (Patron) days.

Baby Shower Favours

Over time favours took on a different form and were given in friendship and as keepsakes. It became the fashion for the courtiers to give favours of sugared almonds or gingerbread at weddings, parties and banquets. By the 18th century European aristocrats were giving favours in the form of bombonieres. A small trinket box made of porcelain or crystal, often decorated with precious stones, which contained sweets or cakes.

Today we give favours at Baby Shower parties as keepsakes to treasure as a memento of the special time spent together. The original meaning of the word “favour” was “to show kindness to” or “cherish”. I think this is a lovely reminder of what they represent!

Finally, we have a charming collection of baby shower favours at BabyShower.ie and if you would like to give them as gifts to your cherished ones please pop over and have a look!