The History of Baby Gifts dates back to the Egyptians and Romans who bestowed small gifts upon the newborn and presented parents with a hand made gift after the child was born. Modern gift giving came into its own after World War II with the advent of the modern baby shower; a time for family and friends to gather and celebrate the gift of a new life; we did not always bring bottles and diapers to the parents-to-be. (read more about baby gifts)

Baby Gift Clouds in Easton, Pennsylvania

Years ago it was popular to give the parents gifts that they would need to help care for the newborn child. Typically family and friends waited until the child was born, sometimes quite a while after the birth before sending over gifts and other items to help out, because infant mortality rates was very high and family and friends just did not give gifts to expectant parents. Modern gift giving came into its own after World War II with the advent of the modern shower; a time for family and friends to gather and celebrate the gift of a new life. Grandparents have always had a unique place in the practice of gift giving at the shower. In some places it was and still is a traditional gift for the grandmother to make a blanket or small quilt for the newborn. It was also the practice for the grandmother to give a gift of silver to the child and thereby provide a small amount of inheritance. This gift giving tradition has grown and today grandparents and family members often establish savings accounts or provide funds for future college expenses. With the dramatic improvement in pre-natal care since World War II, the gift giving tradition of a baby shower is held several weeks before the newborn is due. Today the old tradition of a shower for "women only" has given way to inviting "couples" and men are are also now invited to the shower. Many expectant mothers now receive a large number of gifts from multiple showers, with celebrations in the workplace quite common. It is no longer necessary to wait until the child is born to give gifts, unless the mother-to-be prefers to wait until after she has given birth. Baby Gift Clouds invites you to browse its large selection of shower gifts, newborn gifts, first birthday gifts, and just ducky gifts or select a gift basket or a baptism or christening gift.

Hooded Towel & Duck Gift Set

Bearing-A-Baby
Baby Gifts

The Baptism Ceremony is practiced in the Christian church as demonstration of acceptance into the community of believers in Jesus Christ. Christians believe that baptism is a sign of God's love and the baptism of an infant in a white gown confirms that God's grace exists in a life even before the child is aware of it intellectually. Although doctrine varies from church to church, all base the practice on the act of Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist and Jesus' directions (Matthew 28:19) to make disciples by baptizing people of all nations and (Matthew 19:14) to allow little children to follow him. Baptism is regarded as a "rebirth in Christ," a cleansing and joining of the human spirit with that of Jesus Christ. Protestants tend to emphasize the concept of the covenant between God and humanity and Roman Catholics put great emphasis on the ritual itself. Both consider the sacrament of baptism in a white gown to be an essential beginning to the Christian life. Baptism marks the acceptance of grace by the child and the washing away of all that separates him from God. Baptism Gifts began as small items of monetary or material value that could be kept as an initial investment for the child's future. The gift of a silver sixpence or the lucky sovereign could be the start of a nest-egg to help the child gain independence in later life. The Victorian's influence changed the emphasis of the baptism gift from one of a purely financial nature to a gift of intrinsic value, which was originally made of sterling silver. Today's baptism gift varies across a wide range from the traditional to the non-traditional, yet still symbolizes the meaning of the baptism ceremony. We are particularly proud of our collection of silk and European Christening and Baptism gowns, outfits, accessories and gifts, which is one of the largest on the internet and is the largest in the Lehigh Valley, PA which includes Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and parts of Western NJ. Enjoy your visit! Jeanette Jean

Mother & Child
Baptism Gifts

Christening Night Light

Heirloom Chenille
Christening Blanket

Christening Photo Album

Saint Christopher
Christening Medal