Reader Question - Boy/Girl Cigars, when did this tradition start?
Dear Al:
My son in law, Mark, & I wonder if you can answer a question for us . . . Where, how & when . . . the great *custom* of new father's handing out cigars came from??
Any info = would be of help . . . Thanks in advance . . .
Doug Miles, Malvern, Pennsylvania . . .
Dear Doug and Mark,
To give a date for the creation of the custom of giving a cigar to a new dad is dificult, but it has its roots within the celebration and the sharing of a cigar.
If history serves me - 46 years in the industry - Boy/Girl cigars were a stock item for all retailers and as consumer demands increased, most cigar makers printed the cello sleeve and were very successful. To this day, the boy/girl cigars remain a stock item.
I will search the archives of cigar memorbilia and write back if and when a date/time comes up.
This is a great question. Do any of our other readers have some input?
By Al Remp, product specialist and trainer, Thompson Cigar.
Cigar, Cigars, Thompson Cigar, Cigar Advice
posted by Cigar Blog Moderator @ 9:43 AM
4 Comments:
At 11:16 AM,
Anonymous said…
The custom of giving away cigars to celebrate the birth of a child had its
origin in the latter part of the 17th century. Cigars were quite rare and they were to be treasured, guarded and in most cases were equally as good, if not better, than money. Thus, when a man parted with a cigar it was an expression of deep emotional appreciation. As cigars became more plentiful during the 18th century, they were frequently used as a medium of exchange. The lady of the house used her husband's cigars as a way of tipping the grocer, the butcher and other services rendered. The birth of a boy was considered an event of national importance because of the young man's value to his father and the community in general. In celebration, those would could afford to do so, gave their friends cigars to mark the event. In all, the gift of a cigar has always bespoken the donor's "share my happiness" and the instrinsic meaning of this gesture has not changed. Hope this helps!
At 5:30 PM,
Anonymous said…
Sad to say it, but the days of handing out cigars to celibrate a birth are getting more complicated. Since my wife and I are expecting in October, I brought up the idea to those above, and was told that our no smoking policy made it a no-no, even if no one smoked the cigars on the premises.
Sheesh!
At 10:21 PM,
Anonymous said…
Tell your wife that this is a tradition. Then offer bubble gum cigars to those that do not smoke. This is what I plan to do come the birth of my child.
At 10:02 PM,
Anonymous said…
This page on Baby Birth Announcement Cigars has some information on the history of the tradition.
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