Celebrate your first period, and why not?
Having your period for the first time can be a source of incomprehension, fear, shame and sometimes even exclusion. To allow their daughter to go through menarche with joy and good humor, some have come up with the idea of a period party . A special party to celebrate the first period ! On the program: cakes with blood-red decoration, pastries in the shape of a vulva and uterus, hygienic protection offered as a gift, fun and educational activities to learn everything about menstruation and the menstrual cycle . An unusual way to mark the occasion! Let's take part in the party, to better understand what it's all about.
A period party , what is it?
A party to celebrate the first period
The English expression “period party” means “period party” in French. It is in fact a celebration organized in honor of a young girl on the occasion of the arrival of her first period. This involves preparing and hosting a festive ceremony for said young girl – often with cake(s), gift(s) and game(s) – to which family members and close friends are invited. The goal: to make menarche a positive, joyful and educational event.
A trend born in the United States
The period party was born across the Atlantic. We don't know exactly when the concept first appeared, but it was in 2017 that it gained momentum, through social networks. Indeed, on January 10, 2017, in Jacksonville, Florida, Autumn Jenkis, a 17-year-old teenager, published on Twitter photos of her cousin Brooke Lee, then 12 years old, proudly holding in her hands a cake decorated with the words “Congrats on your period”. It was Brooke's mother, Shelly, who had the idea of organizing a surprise period party for her daughter, with pizza and chocolate cake on the menu, and sanitary napkins and tampons as gifts. Autumn's tweet, liked 13,000 times, was repeated in several media: the period party was taking off.
Brooke started her period today & my family is super extra 😂😩 pic.twitter.com/ed14gNrgKf
— Autumn Shea (@autumn1shea) January 10, 2017
A phenomenon that is growing
On Instagram and Pinterest, we see more and more photos of period cakes and invitations to period parties or first moon parties . The organizing mothers even call on health professionals to work with their young guests.
The concept is also being deployed on a larger scale.
In January 2019, Shanicia Boswell, founder of the Black Moms Blog, launched her Period Party, an "annual menstrual celebration for girls and women that helps them understand and better prepare for their menstrual cycles." This follows the annual periodic protection collections that she coordinates in her city of Atlanta for the benefit of homeless women experiencing menstrual precariousness .
The same year, on the occasion of International Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, the Care association brought together public figures, notably comedians such as Tristan Lopin, to its Period Party to talk about periods and break the taboo that surrounds them.
But the period party is not unanimous. In the comments of posts published on different social networks, opinions are more than divided: on the one hand, those who find it great; on the other, those who consider it inappropriate.
Organizing a period party : good or bad idea?
According to its followers, the period party has other ambitions than being a simple light and recreational party; it allows in particular, for a parent vis-à-vis their child:
- to get involved in their education;
- to provide support and transmit positivity in a moment often perceived as impressive, upsetting or worrying;
- to create a climate of trust which will encourage future confidences;
- to explain to him how his body works and what the rules are;
- to address additional subjects such as sexuality, consent or contraception;
- to integrate the whole family, including men, to normalize things.
More broadly, this type of initiative aims to contribute to:
- share educational information about periods and menstrual hygiene;
- remove the embarrassment and taboos associated with menstruation;
- convey a positive image of women, far from the stereotype of the soiled and impure woman still very present in certain cultures.
Conversely, some see the period party as a bizarre, uncomfortable and intrusive practice. This could have the opposite effect to that sought: cause discomfort among the young girls involved, who do not necessarily want to expose their privacy to this extent. Such a celebration would also help to make the first period a remarkable event, whereas it should be trivialized due to its completely natural nature.
Ultimately, it’s up to everyone to form their own opinion. Obviously, for everything to go as smoothly as possible, it is important that the young girl concerned is consulted before organizing such a party and that she agrees because it makes her personally happy. The most important thing above all is to explain the rules to your daughter in advance, so that the surprise is not total.
And you, how did you experience your menarche? Would you like to organize an event similar to a period party for your daughter? At Perdième, we offer you a slightly softer option: offer him a first rules box from the teen collection !
To extend reading:
- Podcasts: let's talk rules
- Intimate hygiene during periods: good habits!
- Calculate your menstrual cycle
Written by cd