The Archaic Hope Chest: Why Montana Girls Said No

Lately, Dearest Reader, I've been watching a lot of Bridgerton

One of the prominent themes in Bridgerton (which is a show about a fictional family and the marriages of some of their family members) is a dowry.  Without a dowry, a woman was sure to become a spinster.

Live Like A Bridgerton: Check Out This Great Falls Castle House

 What Does This Have To Do With Hope Chests In Montana?

Watching Bridgerton got me thinking about the hope chest I had as a young girl growing up on the farm.

Back in the day, ladies, when dowry's were deemed a bit gross, then they had women start focusing on their marriage as a young girl. Girls were given "hope chests".

When I was around 10 or so, I was told to use my babysitting money to fill my hope chest with things that my home would need when I got married.  Things like kitchen dishes, utensils, recipes, glasses, silverware, and more.  It was also common to buy bedding, towels or clothing to fill your hope chest.

My Hope Chest Was Filled Mostly With Tupperware

I remember going to Tupperware parties with my mom and using my babysitting money to buy items for years down the road when I was married.  (Something, by the way, NEITHER of my husbands did.)

LOOK: The Perfect Great Falls Wedding Venue

I decided to write this because I saw an article that Tupperware is moving it's last manufacturing site in America to Mexico. I wonder if they will find a whole bunch of mismatched lids in a storage room somewhere.

Ever Wonder Why Girls Don't Have Hope Chests Now?

I think I know why.  Mine was the last generation because we saw that there was actually more to our lives that JUST our wedding day and JUST our marriage.

Mine was the first generation to tell our daughter's that they should bring to the table EXACTLY what their partners brought to the table. That happens when you rely on yourself FIRST and get married for love and companionship.

Mine was the first generation to tell our daughters they were meant for more than just cooking, cleaning and child bearing.

That's what I think anyway.

Did you have a hope chest? Would you get one for your daughter today? Email me here.