The Big Reveal

First, let me preface this blog with a disclaimer. There is no hidden agenda, no innuendos, and certainly no miraculous announcement!

I thought it might be fun to entertain a lighthearted topic brimming with blessings amid the summer activities and stifling heat. Baby birds in my deck fern, zooming calves discussed in my writer friend’s blog, and scampering kittens at my volunteer location have me thinking “little” thoughts. That being said, let’s peek at what has become a significant event among couples as they unveil a piece of the pregnancy puzzle: the gender reveal.

Back in my day (yep, I’m old enough to use that phrase now), there was no such thing as a gender reveal party. Few couples knew what the biological sex of their child was until the day it arrived. They could not plan what color to paint the nursery or which onesies to buy because they didn’t know the appropriate color.

Now . . . I might be inclined to think that parents may have wanted to know the gender of their child. Heck, I bet some employed certain techniques to try to persuade a certain sex. The Shettles and Whelan Methods may have been used for timing, while others relied on positions and nutrition. Anyone for a banana to inspire the Y chromosome? How ‘bout some yogurt to entice that X-sperm? I was shocked to learn that gender selection kits are available for purchase! One thing is for sure – all methods result in a 50-50 chance of it being a boy or a girl.

Gender Reveal Parties  

I attended my nieces’ gender reveal parties. They were exciting, building up to the climax. Of course, the classic reveal is biting into a pink or blue cupcake. There is also the booming confetti that shoots out streams of pink or blue ribbons. That’s fun.

Some parents think up more extravagant ways to share their big news, such as the gator wrangler in Louisiana who gave a gator a watermelon filled with blue Jell-o to chomp down on! There was also the 1200 tiny ball drop from a plane onto a snowy tarmac and the elaborate home domino using toys and household items.

Biblical Pregnancies and Gender Reveals

This got me to thinking again . . . I wonder how women in the Bible would have orchestrated gender reveals. Hey, there would have been a consistent flow of them since Hebrew women were often great with child. Their large families were the primary reason Pharoah decided to make them slaves.

My guess is that Pharoah forced expectant mothers to work, gathering straw or making brick molds in the heat of the day. The hearty mothers-to-be probably sang to their unborn children, recited Scripture (especially the Psalms), and prayed aloud. They would have protected their senses as much as possible by not looking at anything ugly or listening to ungodly sounds. I would venture to say they went out of their way to fill their senses with lovely sights and joyful sounds.

A Hebrew mother-to-be consumed only kosher food since that was best for the fetus. However, nutritional needs were only one aspect; spiritual nutrition was important, too. Attending synagogue services as much as possible and participating in Torah study classes would undoubtedly be on their “to-do” list.

An ancient custom for pregnant Jewish women is said to involve sewing a sash (known as a gartel or wimple) for a Torah scroll. The sash would later be used for the child’s special events.

I would not think a Hebrew gender reveal would involve gifts since the baby is still concealed. Thus, excessive joy and celebration would also be concealed, waiting for the baby to be born. Their gender reveal would be sedate and subtle, unlike the modern-day gender reveal. Perhaps a quiet meal including baby carrots would be served if it were a boy or a sweet fruit compote with cherries in it if it were a girl. Incense might be burning: frankincense for a boy or the Rose of Sharon for a girl.

Although biblical gender reveals are virtually non-existent, there are some isolated occasions when the mother or parents were told in advance. Of course, all of these announcements were for sons. Samson’s mother, Hannah, an unnamed woman known to Elisha, Sarai and Abraham, and Elizabeth could have hosted a gender reveal party.

The biggest of the biggest and longest gender reveal in history involved Mary and Joseph. That announcement came for hundreds of years through multiple prophets. The baby’s name was already chosen, the angelic realm was on alert, and the poor unborn babe somehow threatened royalty. We learn that this Baby Boy is to be the Savior of mankind, the Redeemer of sin for all eternity, the Son of God, and the Prince of Peace. His receiving blanket was neither pink nor blue. It was made of light!