Gender reveal parties have become one of the most popular ways of sharing such great news with family and friends since the early 2000’s. It’s an event or party to celebrate the gender of your baby; most typically blue for boy, pink for girl. There have been some incredible parties thrown; from popping the balloon to see which color confetti comes out, to lighting a colored smoke stick. As much fun as celebrating this news is and should be, it’s also necessary for it to be safe. Not only for everyone attending, but those who aren’t. And to me, it’s starting to seem as if each gender reveal party has to top the other for their creative ideas; like a competition.
Back in 2017, a US Border Patrol man from Arizona shot a rifle at a target that would reveal blue or pink smoke for the gender. Unfortunately, this explosive ignited a fire that burned over 40,000 acres of Arizona causing about $8 million in damage. This man, according to CNN, “pleaded guilty in 2018 and was sentenced to 5 years probation”; as he was required to pay an estimate of $8.2 million in restoration. Just as we thought it couldn’t get worse…
In most recent tragic events, a gender reveal party that was celebrated in El Dorado, California on September 5th sparked a fire over 14,000 acres with only 41% contained according to the publication. Luckily nobody was injured and no damage was done to any structures so far, however the person who erupted the pyrotechnic (which caused the explosion) would be held responsible for breaking at least three laws, including arson. According to a CNN article discussing this tragedy, “over 80% of fires are caused by humans. People must be more aware of their surroundings”. This high percentage makes you question the people who say they care about what happens to our Earth, nature and land; do they?
Whatever happened to the simpler times when you would just cut open the cake and see what color the inside is? Today, it seems to consist of over-the-top reveals such as shooting off things into the sky or well… causing an explosion. This may be due to the fact that social media has become a part of our everyday routines. What’s going to get you the most likes, shares, and comments? Well, creating something extravagant just to get the most attention isn’t worth risking lives. Now during this pandemic going on around the country, you would want to think people would consider the safety of others around them. I say, consider not trying to create the best gender reveal party so you have that perfect Instagram picture but instead create something that’s safe and meaningful to you.
It’s certain to say that gender reveal parties are amazing and significant in their own way; bringing people joy and creating memories. In recent times, these parties have taken off and become what I would say to be the new “norm”, and that’s okay with me. I think it’s an exceptional way to celebrate your baby boy or girl and should continue on throughout our next generations, however only if it remains safe.
