As with any great baby shower, the invitation announces the theme. In this case, you have lots of choices: German postcards can carry the baby shower details at the back, any plain card with a picture of a beer stein on the front, or Oktoberfest invitations which you can order online. Sprinkle in a few German phrases like “Sie sind herzlich eingeladen (You are cordially invited) and Guten Tag (Good Day)!
You could make this a blue and white party – perfect for a boy baby shower – since those are the colors of the Bavarian flag, where the biggest celebrations of the Oktoberfest are held. Or, you could also decorate around the colors of the German flag in red, black and gold. Hang a large banner saying “Wilkommen!” (welcome) near the entrance of the room. Since the Oktoberfest is normally held outdoors in a tent, try to recreate a tent effect inside using white cloths suspended from the ceiling. Decorate the room with German travel posters, light blue and white streamers and blue and white balloons to complete the effect. Have rowdy German music playing in the background.
Decorate each table with a plate set in the center and topped with a beer stein. Use the stein as a vase for white daisies and fill the plate with big, soft pretzels. Use a red tablecloth for the table and you're done. Decorate the food table with white daisies and also use a red tablecloth as a base. Have a beer keg as the centerpiece, also decorated with daisy chains.
Food should be lots of sausages, potatoes (rosti, spaetzle, and salad), soft pretzels, heavy bread, and assorted pickles. The ubiquitous sauerkraut should be on hand of course, as should pickled onions. Round out the menu with cheese noodles, and a large haunch of roast pork. All this should be served with an assortment of beer and non-alcoholic shandy for the mommy-to-be and the teetotalers.
Any baby shower worth its salt should have a cake, and the German baby shower is no exception. A Black Forest Cake is a delicious traditional cake of dark chocolate filled and topped with Kirschwasser-flavored whipped cream and black cherries soaked in more Kirschwasser. Another dessert could be a traditional apple strudel ordered from your local pastry shop.
Some games at a German baby shower are a German baby word scramble, where guests unscramble words that are related to pregnancy, labor, and maternity or parenthood. The fact that all the terms are in German makes it all the more complicated and fun. The guest with the most correct terms (including spelling!) is the winner. The highlight of the German baby shower could be a yodeling contest to see who the best yodeler is.
The favors for the German baby shower should also reflect the theme.
You could string together some blue Oktoberfest beads into bracelets
or into key chains. There are mug beads available online that would
be a fun addition to this. You could also give little bags of chocolate
and plain pretzels in a small steiner. Tie it all up with blue and
white ribbons. Viel Gluck!