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My family is getting ready to throw a household shower for my brother and his fiance this weekend. So here are some sayings for such an event.

The first gift open should be the first one used. The giver of the third gift open will soon have a baby. The things the bride says while opening her gifts will be repeated on her wedding night. It is bad luck to open the presents with sharp objects like a knife. It is a sign of splitting them apart. Save the ribbons from the packages to make a bouquet to use at the rehearsal. This will bring good luck. The amount of ribbons broken will equal the number of children they will have. It is bad luck to use the gifts before the wedding.

One story says the first bridal shower occurred when a poor Dutchmen fall in love with a girl and her father refused them a dowry. Their friends gave them gifts to help them start their household. Another story says the first wedding shower occurred in the 19th century when a bride's friends placed small gifts in a parasol and opened it over the bride's head.