Why do new fathers give out cigars?

[JordanR]

Why not … I dunno, fountain pens or bags of peanuts or tins of tomato soup? Why cigars?

[Ethilrist]

Because cigars used to be a good thing, used to celebrate manliness and accomplishment of a special task, which, ironically, the husband hadn’t actually done, in this case.

[RealityChuck]

Cigars were a celebratory gift. Back when smoking was ubiquitous, it was often used as a prize (hit the bell and win a cigar!). Since the man was celebrating a birth, he gave out a gift that most men used and appreciated.

[Lemur866]

Sometimes a cigar is NOT just a cigar…

[Exapno_Mapcase]

Here’s one person’s WAG:

“You asked about giving out cigars at the birth of a child.
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
throughout the land - they were to be treasured, guarded and in most cases
were equally as good, if not better, than the currency of the land. 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 thne 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!”

Cigars traditionally were smoked only by men, and often enjoyed in groups in social situations. The birth of a child, especially a boy, meant the continuation of the family name, a child to imbue with masculine wisdom, and the confirmation of the father’s virility. The men could get together and celebrate the event with a shared bonding experience. There were few gifts available that had all these connotations. The only other realistic one was liquor and that went without saying. The cigars were the added fillip that made enjoyment of the liquor a less than everyday experience, especially if the father gave out cigars that were more expensive than his friends could normally afford.

You can find other guesses on the Net, tracing the custom back to the Indian potlatch, but its Pacific Northwest origins make it hard to believe that it would become a national custom. And you can also make Freudian suggestions that in this case, a cigar is not just a cigar. That’s at the Beavis and Butthead level of punditry, though.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

Heh. The previous post wasn’t there when I started writing mine.

[Valteron]

When my two sisters were born in 1956 and 1959, in Ottawa, Canada, my father gave out cigarettes, not cigars. He explained to my brother an I that one gives out cigars for the birth of a boy but cigarettes for the birth of a girl! Does anyone remember this particular bit of sexism from the last century being practised in their part of the world?

[AskNott]

@Valteron

When my two sisters were born in 1956 and 1959, in Ottawa, Canada, my father gave out cigarettes, not cigars. He explained to my brother an I that one gives out cigars for the birth of a boy but cigarettes for the birth of a girl! Does anyone remember this particular bit of sexism from the last century being practised in their part of the world?

I’ve never seen it. In most smoke shops, they’ll have a few boxes of had-a-baby cigars, labeled “It’s a boy!” and “It’s a girl!” They’ll also have bubble-gum cigars for the non-smokers.

[ratatoskK]

@Valteron

When my two sisters were born in 1956 and 1959, in Ottawa, Canada, my father gave out cigarettes, not cigars. He explained to my brother an I that one gives out cigars for the birth of a boy but cigarettes for the birth of a girl! Does anyone remember this particular bit of sexism from the last century being practised in their part of the world?

Coincidentally, I was talking with a friend of mine last week about that. He also remembers the cigarettes-for-girls vs. cigars-for-boys thing, but I had never heard of it.