Birth Party

Somewhere between 3810-3830 NC (roughly 300 ago) security and access to knowledgeable physicians led to a significant increase in birth rates, especially within the capital cities and Etude in particular thanks to the presence of the Dannamore Hospital. A major social trend that peaked and diminished over the centuries, a 'birth party' is a celebration planned in advance and announced when a parent goes into labor.

Then, in 3833 NC a prominent noble family publicly claimed that during the birth of their child a priest of the Church of First Worship was Divinely touched by one of the Primis. There was a spectacle of mysterious lights in the room and the priests hands emitted golden light as the baby was born into them. The child grew into a perfectly healthy adult with no known history of note but at the time it set off a social trend that still endures centuries later.

The celebration itself can vary drastically depending on the situation and are heavily affected by both location and wealth. Poorer families, especially those living outside a walled city often don't have the same resources to throw a huge party but will send a messenger or family member to seek a local sage or midwife. Those with dedicated religious family traditions will make special offerings to their chosen deity or pantheon and have other members of their congregation present, too.

The wealthier or more dedicated will make plans to have a larger celebration, hiring musicians and servants to entertain their guests while the hard work is being done - often in the same or adjoining rooms. Aside from entertainment there is almost always at least one religious or spiritual guide present. Their level of participation depends on various factors that can include their personal relationship to the family involved, their personal religious rituals or constraints, and the overall schedule planned for the party itself.