Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?

Subject: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 12:36 AM

So, when was a new father supposed to hand them out?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 08:44 AM

The cigar is a token of the father's potency, phallic synbol as it is. So I suppose any successful reproductive effort would warrant them. Bigger cigars for boys, of course. Hand them out at the reception after the christening.

Not having my kids christened saved a fortune.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: Morticia
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 09:14 AM

I always understood it to be all babies, handed out in the pub/club/ favourite gathering place of the men most closely associated to the father, as soon as the baby was born. With the predominance of non-smokers these days, there really should be an equivalent...a pint, maybe?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: Rapparee
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 09:22 AM

Or chocolate (or bubblegum) cigars.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 11:24 AM

Why not donuts for girls?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 02:53 PM

Cigar smoking was never popular enough for it to be much of a custom in my circles when I was young and immature enough to need "phallic symbolism," but the tobacco shops here have always carried special "birth boxes" giving a choice of pink or blue bands and wrappers on the cigars, for boys or girls, so at least the merchants believed it was appropriate for newborns of either sex. So far as I was aware, they were generally passed out at birth, rather than later after christening, but that probably is variable.

The alternate offered as an "accessory" item (here) is generally a box of chocolates for the nonsmokers, and occasionally you might see a box of "chocolate cigars."

John

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 09:04 PM

Big Jim from Jacksonville - now that's funny!

Thanks, all. I take the consensus to be all babies, not just boys. Don't even know why I was wondering...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: frogprince
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 09:26 PM

To my memory, for any baby, handed out to any friends or collegues at first encounter with them after the birth. Haven't seen anyone do it for a few years myself.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: open mike
Date: 23 Feb 06 - 09:54 PM

maybe it would be more educational to hand out condoms...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Sep 10 - 02:48 PM

Finally someone making sense, condoms would be appropriate, ofcourse it would have been better before the birth :D.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: GUEST,Neil D
Date: 22 Sep 10 - 10:32 AM

Comedian Mitch Hedberg used to say his favorite smokes were "Itsaboys".

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cigars: All babies, or just boys?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 22 Sep 10 - 10:35 AM

My husband is not a smoker, but he keeps a cigar in the glove box for camping trips. He swears they keep mosquitos away.

Frightening to think that mosquitos may be smarter than we are...