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We've put together a little
background information for you on the history of
Christenings and how it came about that we Christen
the newborn baby.
Christian religions will have a religious ceremony
known as a Baptism to bring the new baby into the
religion officially. This ceremony can be performed
on any person of any age but most often those
baptised are infants and are usually performed when
the baby is around a month old. In the
Catholic religion the ceremony is known as a
Christening. Baptism has been a part of
Christianity since around the third century.
During the ceremony both the parents and the
godparents present the baby to the priest who will
then go through a baptism ritual script which is a
standard script that the Catholic church uses for
baptisms. The baby is then spiritually purified by
being sprinkled with baptism water or the water is
poured over the child's head. Traditionally
the baby will wear a special christening gown of
either cream or white but nowadays some modern
parents will dress their sons in a white suit
instead of a gown. It is with tradition that many
families will pass down a christening gown through
the generations.
The
role of the Godparents is to act as the infant's
representatives within the church as the infant
cannot speak for him or herself the Godparent will
take this role. Chosen by the birth parents it
is traditionally the Godparents responsibility to
help the birth parents adhere to brining the infant
up according to the rules of the Church.
After the Christening ceremony is over some parents
choose to have a baptism party or reception for
their child where it is tradition to hand out
baptism mementos to guests such as a small
personalised token to note the date of the baptism.
Guests at the Christening usually bring a gift to
commemorate the baby's entry into the church the
most traditional being something of either silver,
pewter or china. Popular gifts are a silver
cross necklace or a personalised bible. Gifts don't
have to be religious, however, it's considered
inappropriate to give toys or other items that
aren't reflective of the occasion. In fact, many
parents request their guests make a donation to a
charity in lieu of gifts, while others request no
gifts at all. Personalised gifts also make
very nice ideas for this occasion, for example a
framed name print, or a personalised Christening
plate or mug, or perhaps an engraved tankard or
cufflinks for a boy. The gift must be worthy
of being treasured for many years and provide a
lasting memory for the child.
Back to Christening Gifts
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