Celebrating a puller party: meaning, origin and gift ideas

Hooray, the baby is here!
The puller party follows after the birth – but why actually?

A centuries-old tradition that originated in northern Germany and today has different names: whether it’s a puller party or baby pee, puller schnapps or baby beer – what is behind the term? And what does the custom stand for?

After the custom spread throughout Germany beyond northern Germany, it has a different name (depending on the federal state): while the term “pull party” was able to assert itself in Berlin and Brandenburg, the tradition in North Rhine-Westphalia is better known under the name ” Baby beer” or “Pee party”. In northern Hesse, on the other hand, the custom is called “Pullerschnaps”, whereby the term “baby pee” is probably the most well-known in this country. But no matter how many names there are for this tradition – the meaning remains the same. You can find out exactly which ones here.

Pullerparty: What is the meaning behind it?

The term was invented at a time when it was still customary to bring your child into the world at home: while the mother was still recovering from the hardships of childbirth, the father was already drumming up relatives, friends and neighbors – to do it welcome new family members. And now comes the real reason why this tradition was called a puller party: the still naked baby was passed around so that all guests could examine the newborn. If someone was accidentally peed on, that person would experience lifelong happiness.

And that’s not all: Even then, births were celebrated with mostly alcoholic beverages. The traditional drink should symbolically help the baby to urinate – so that it does not suffer any pain. Apart from that, the guests also have to “pee” one or the other time during the celebratory baby pee. The name of the custom spread across large parts of the country after it originated in northern Germany and is still used in many households today. Only now most women are resting in the hospital and the puller party is at home with no baby.

It’s now even common practice for the mother to be present at the traditional baby pee – even if the celebration is primarily about the new father (and for the women a separate baby shower was often thrown by their friends before the birth ). Nevertheless, it is much more exciting for friends, neighbors and relatives when they can see and admire the newborn in person. It is therefore permissible to break with tradition and celebrate the puller party a few days after the birth, when mother and child have arrived home.

Baby pee: are there traditional customs?

Since the traditional puller party is thrown for the father, there are a few customs for men that have prevailed over time. The three most well-known are:

Souvenirs: What do you give for a birth?

The traditional puller party usually takes place quite spontaneously, as the father-to-be cannot really plan in advance or invite his friends and relatives to a specific day. Therefore, it is actually not usual or even not a requirement to bring a small gift with you. Nevertheless, many ask themselves: What do you give for a birth? In case you are looking for a suitable gift, you can be inspired by the following ideas:

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