What has been claimed to be the first baby shower in Tonga has been praised for being conducted in a Tongan manner.

A group in Houma is claiming to have held the first such event in the kingdom.

While it is not known whether any baby showers have been held before in Tonga like this one in Houma, the live streaming of the ceremony has attracted viewers from Tonga and overseas.

A baby shower can fulfill many roles, including  gift-giving to the mother, a revelation of the baby’s gender, a ceremony to celebrate the delivery or expected birth of a child or the transformation of a woman into a mother.

It is common in New Zealand, Australia, the United States and other foreign countries. It is not a traditional Tongan cultural ceremony. 

Some Tongans overseas have held baby showers. 

“Excellent! This is a normal ceremony in foreign countries and it is now being conducted in Houma, Tongatapu,” a Houma Facebook page spokesperson wrote in Tongan.

The Houma ceremony was live streamed by one of the most popular livestream service in the kingdom, Livestream Tonga, which has more than 70,000 followers on Facebook.

The ceremony drew praise from viewers in Tonga and  overseas. 

By today it had garnered 312 reactions, 208 comments and 30 shares. 

Many viewers applauded the idea and marveled at how it was conducted in the Tongan way. 

It was performed on the town’s rugby field where marquees were set up for the family members and guests.

Both families of the parents, Paea and Salina Vakameilalo attended and the programme included speeches from both families and a prayer service. 

Some baby shower games were played during the event and prizes were awarded before the food was served. 

“What fun, what a great idea – a gender reveal and baby shower at the same time,” a commenter wrote. 

Some made jokes and told other villages and towns in Tonga that Houma was the first to perform a baby shower ceremony in the kingdom.

“Tonga….you first saw it in Houma! Gender reveal and baby shower” another commenter wrote. 

“Bravo Houma you have baby shower and gender reveal ceremony.”