In case you haven't been living under a rock, gender reveal parties have become all the rage abroad and more closely at home with Vera Sidika hosting one this past weekend.

What is a gender reveal party and where did it originate? A gender-reveal party is a party held during pregnancy to reveal the baby's sex to the expectant parents, family, and friends. 

The gender reveal party often involves gender stereotypes such as pink and blue denoting girls and boys.

The practice originated in the United States during the late 2000s. In 2008, Jenna Myers Karvunidis was pregnant with her first child and eager to throw a party but her family wasn't as excited as she was.

So to generate buzz and excitement, she came up with the unique and novel idea of a theatrical reveal of her baby’s sex.

Jenna then told her midwife to keep the secret of whether the couple was having a boy or a girl until the party. The bemused midwife then sealed a note containing the secret in an envelope.

Jenna then baked two cakes in the shape of ducklings, filling one with pink icing and the other with blue.

The mid-week party was a hustle for her family to come to but they did make it, slowly realizing the purpose of the event when the butter-cream duckling showed its contents – pink for a girl. “I feel like she’s been born!” she said at the time.

That moment alone would be the beginning of a new trend that would catch on worldwide with a popular magazine picking up on the story, which they would then transmit to thousands of midwives and obstetricians in the area.

Since then, the trend has continued to grow but it does have some detractors calling for its end for two main reasons; 

That it reinforces gender stereotypes and for its use of elaborate and dangerous special effects, which have directly contributed to multiple deaths, injuries and large-scale forest fires.

And what does the lady who started the practice think of it now? In 2019, Karvunidis expressed regret at having started the trend, mentioning how the LGBT and intersex communities feel marginalized by it as a concern for her.

For this and more lifestyle news, join our super exclusive Mpasho Telegram group for all the latest and breaking news in entertainment.