Period Parties are trending more than ever as a way to celebrate the milestone

Think red chocolate fountain and cupcakes shaped in a blood drop.

Milestones are celebrated across all ages and cultures for our daughters, from birthday parties, baptisms, communions, batmitzvahs to quinceaneras, and sweet 16s.

But there’s a new milestone that parents are celebrating: a young woman’s first period. The idea for the period party is to normalise and remove the stigma of menstruation for girls and women. 

Yes, period parties are having a moment. 

It’s even more exciting that girls are actually asking for a period party, it means that the taboo of menstruation which has ‘plagued’ our society is finally lifting. 

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“Get me a red velvet cake!” 

On TikTok the hashtag #periodparty shows videos of parents setting up their daughter’s party decor: red roses, red balloons, blood drop decals, and red velvet or frosted cakes. 

One video with over 14 million views shows confetti cutouts, a red chocolate fountain and cupcakes shaped like a blood drop. 

There was overwhelming support in response to this video, with one viewer writing, "This is a great way to normalize that having a period is perfectly normal, I just hope you asked her if she wanted this."

And Helen Connolly, Commissioner for Children and Young People (CCYP) said, "All the people saying they'd be embarrassed…that's kind of the whole point…to unlearn that menstruation is something to be embarrassed about." 

What exactly is a Period Party? 

A period party is a celebration of the onset of menstruation.  A party is thrown to honour this new stage in life she has entered. The party can also be referred to as a First Moon Party, referring to the monthly recurrence. 

Ultimately, the purpose of the party is to make a girl feel loved, supported and validated as she moves into a new phase of her life. 

It's important that she feels comfortable to speak about it and not feel ashamed of her body. Making this a positive experience, rather than focusing on the negatives it brings. 

Although viral stories have inspired parents of adolescent girls to stock up on red balloons and red velvet treats, celebrations aimed at taking the stigma out of menstruation are far from new.

Tyra Banks wrote in her book Perfect Is Boring that her mother Carolyn London threw her a period party when she was 15, sharing, "I appreciate that my mother never wanted me to be ashamed of anything, or to think that there was something bad or dirty about my body.

"Most of [the girls there] had never talked about their periods so openly before, and in between the 'yucks' and giggles, they asked questions about everything from whether using tampons takes away your virginity to wanting to know if other people can tell if you're on your period."

Tips for throwing a Period Party

Most parents are part-time party planners, however, before jumping on the period party bandwagon, consider the celebration from your daughter's perspective. 

Cater the day around her, make sure the celebration is something that involves what she loves and wants to do. 

Be sure to only invite the people who she feels comfortable with. As much as she wants a party, it doesn’t mean she’s ready for the world to know about it.  

If a period party is not something your daughter wants, consider a little mother-daughter pampering time or a simple family dinner instead.

Etsy and Pinterest are full of great period party essentials. Source: Etsy/Instagram

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Ideas for Period Parties

If Pinterest and Etsy are on the period party trend - it’s not going anywhere. Red everything seems to be the way to go, based on viral TikTok videos. 

• Red velvet cake
• Vulva cupcakes
• Cranberry juice
• Pomegranate juice 
• Strawberries + chocolate
• Raspberries
• Cherries
• Red fruit punch
• Create a period playlist 
• Have a uterus shaped pinata 
• Blood drop or uterus confetti 

Allowing your daughter to celebrate her first period, you're helping her overcome a time that is all too often shrouded in shame and behind closed doors. Turning something that is viewed as messy or painful into something fun.

And remember, at the end of the day, party or no party, we want to raise our girls to be proud and confident of their bodies. 

Originally published as Period Parties are trending more than ever as a way to celebrate the milestone